MovieChat Forums > The Twilight Zone (1959) Discussion > What if Paul Radin wasn't Paul Radin?

What if Paul Radin wasn't Paul Radin?


He could have been some nobody walking past Radin's building and the sight of it catapults him into a delusion, the likes of which he has never known . In this delusion he's the fabulously wealthy Radin himself. He can do anything he wants. How does he make the most of Radin's unlimited resources? By putting into motion a revenge scheme his meager salary in the real world could never realize. Finally, the three who humiliated him years ago, will be abased themselves. Only things don't quite work out as planned -- even in his fantasy world. The shock is too much for his ego to bear and he snaps utterly. The last scene could be the first scene, with the man we think is Radin caught up forever in a never-ending cycle of madness.

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That is certainly an interesting idea. I wouldn't mind seeing an alternate version like that.

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I get a real "unreliable narrator" vibe from this episode, particularly since the main character is arrogant, deceitful, deeply-troubled -- and the audience never once leaves his side.

It should be pointed too that the people he invites over are also pieces of work. I think this is because they in part function as mirrors of Radin's own warped psyche.

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