Film Review: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow (1981)

We live in a time of great uncertainties. The future, with the prospect of decades-long economic crisis, famine, pandemics and civilisation-wrecking wars, looks scary and governments, experts and crypto Instagram influencers seem unable to be as reassuring as before. So, many who want to put some order and certainty in chaotic future must rely on old, traditional methods like religion, astrology or people who gained centuries-long fame over their apparent ability to predict future. Among those the most famous is Michel de Notre Dame a.k.a. Nostradamus (1503 – 1566), French physician and scholar who predicted the death of King Henry II in jousting accident and afterwards collected his prediction in famous book that is subject of study and intense debate till this day. His prophecies also became subject of various films and television shows, and the most influential among them is The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, 1981 documentary film by American director Robert Guenette.

Despite being documentary, The Man Who Saw Tomorrow features a genuine Hollywood star – Orson Welles, one of the greatest actors and directors of 20th Century who serves as host and narrator. Film is structured around parts that serves as introduction to Nostradamus, his life and work, reconstructed through live action scenes in which Nostradamus is played by Richard Butler. The second part tries to connect content of Nostradamus’ text with the events that occurred centuries after his death – namely the French Revolution, rise of Napoleon, Spanish Civil War, rise of Hitler, Second World War, Kennedy assassinations and Iranian Revolution. The film also names so-called three “Antichrists” that are predicted in the book, two of such predictions already coming true – Napoleon and Hitler. The third part of the film deals with the events that haven’t yet occurred during the production of the film, but The Man Who Saw Tomorrow speculates that they would happen in relatively near future. According to interpretations given in the film, those events include passage of Halley Comet 1986 sparkling the series of natural disasters that would culminate with the great earthquake wrecking the major American city in 1988. This is to followed by apocalyptic war started by the third “AntiChrist” – Islamic leader from the Middle East (who would, with the help of Soviet technology, launch invasion of Europe and destroy New York with nuclear missiles; the war would last for decades before USA and USSR create new alliance and defeat the “AntiChrist” leading to thousand years of peace. This last part is reconstructed with live action (in which Islamic leader a.k.a. Warlord is played by Ray Laska) combined with documentary footage, scenes from Hollywood disaster films, matte paintings as well as some very cheesy special effects.

Regardless of the technical quality of the film, The Man Who Saw Tomorrow had great impact. It was one of the rare documentaries to have theatrical distribution and in many ways framed the way many peoples’ view of the near future (including the author of this review). All this happened despite some of the predictions speculated by authors apparently not coming to pass – like US city being destroyed by earthquake in 1980s or New York incinerated in World War Three starting by Middle Eastern leader. The most infamous of speculations hinted by this film was Ted Kennedy becoming US President after 1984, which made The Man Who Saw Tomorrow almost instantly obsolete and proven wrong. On the other hand, many prophecies of Nostradamus make some sort of sense with hindsight and creative interpretations. The 1980s disasters could be interpreted as catastrophe in Chernobyl, scenes depicting attack of New York are quite disturbing in light of 9/11 and the War on Terror also looks very much like the long and bitter struggle between West and East hinted in this film.

Yet, this film also gives plenty of ammunition to sceptics who claim that Nostradamus was nothing more than charlatan who got lucky. Orson Welles goes on record claiming that he doesn’t subscribe to film’s interpretation of near future and the producers claim the same at the disclaimer in end titles. The Man Who Saw Tomorrow openly admits possibility of various interpretations and manipulations with Nostradamus. One segment shows how the regime of “second Antichrist”, embodied by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, used old prophecies as tool to break enemy’s morale during German invasion of France in 1940. British prime minister Winston Churchill responded by finding texts purporting Allied victory, just as Hollywood made propaganda short films based on Nostradamus’ work after American entry in Second World War. In an even greater twist of irony, The Man Who Saw Tomorrow itself became the tool of government war propaganda, being re-edited by NBC at the eve of First Gulf War with Charlton Heston’s narration with the future uber-villain being obviously connected with Saddam Hussein.

The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, while entertaining to a certain degree, can’t be taken seriously, whether by Nostradamus sceptics or Nostradamus believers. It gives a shorthand, popular account of prophecies. The attempt to give it some depth with the use of “experts” falls very short – NASA astronaut and parapsychology enthusiast Edgar Mitchell argues that all people, to an extent, can predict future but that they also can change, thus countering the main point of the film; psychic Jenna Dixon appears on the simple account of predicting JFK’s death in assassination (and film cleverly omits many of her other predictions becoming spectacularly wrong). A proper documentary should have tried to have more balanced approach, but Robert Guenette, who had made his fame on docudramas, preferred simple entertainment over serious debate. The future is uncertain now as it was during the production of this film.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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