Review: The End of Man



Jose Mojica Marins plays a fully nude stranger who seems to have come out of nowhere (well, OK, out of the sea to be exact), and a buzz starts around the local town about him. Before long the townsfolk are divided as to whether he is menace or Messiah, with Marins performing what they believe to be minor miracles, as he becomes involved in their lives. The local hippies, for instance, seem to worship him. But is he just a naughty boy, perhaps? Or, like the alien Klaatu from “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, could he be from another world set to teach humanity a lesson?


Moving away from his once-controversial ‘Coffin Joe’ (AKA Ze do Caixao) character, fringe Brazilian auteur Jose Mojica Marins offers up this weird 1971 oddity about a man who perhaps fell to earth. The result is lesser, but it’s watchable and weird enough for a curio.


The entire thing is just too predictable, despite Marins definite screen presence, distinctive style, and some good intentions. Still worth a look for cult film lovers, but I much prefer his Coffin Joe films like the classic “At Midnight I Will Take Your Soul”. The ending is a major disappointment too.


Rating: C+

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