| THE
MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD
Produced in 1934 and starring Claude Rains fresh
off of his portrayal of The Invisible Man, The
Man Who Reclaimed His Head is the story of a brilliant
writer & dedicated pacifist, named Paul Verin
who can’t find work and is living in an
impoverished state. He eventually finds work for
a local publisher and begins writing anti-war
editorials. All appears to be going in the right
direction for Verin until he discovers that his
publisher has betrayed him and used his writing
to help promote the cause of WWI and make money
off of the war through a munitions manufacturer
the publisher has partnered with. Eventually Verin
goes insane due to the betrayal and things go
downhill from there.
The film is a fascinating look at the anti war
stance of the early 30’s, yet the truly
special part of the movie is the way it prevents
an air of peachiness from setting in. Verin is
the only voice of pacifism the film shows, and
in the end he turns into the very thing he fights
so hard against. A fascinating study on human
nature and betrayal that is certainly a lost classic!
video
source quality rating: B |
