This is an extraordinary film and seems to remain in my top 3 or 5 for life. If you believe in humanity you will adore it - the way it should be. A man that behaves in a manner in which humans are supposed to - mysteriously shows up in a mental ward and all there are terribly enthralled and inspired by his Energy. I was too. There is a touch of sci fi in it which is quite interesting. K PAK was an EXACT rip off of it. Just a lot of water added. Super cheap POOR version. I respect Kevin Spacey a lot and all I can say is, he must have been really broke at the time or his ethics are not what I wish them to be. I even own the poster for MAN FACING SOUTHEAST. At the time it was dubbed 'The E.T.for Adults.' It is an easy and pedestrian description but they are not entirely wrong. I wish more Americans saw this. Argentinian. Rent or buy. Indy category if you still have a video store - support it.

I don't normally bother to write comments like this but I was shocked by the other reviewer's perspective. I think perhaps he likes things spoonfed to him. Regardless, this is a fairly obscure film. It's Argentinian. It's a so-called "art movie". It doesn't feature any well known actors. The plot and many of the scenes were reproduced in the recent Hollywood version. Several other scenes have been lifted wholesale and used in other Hollywood movies. That alone suggests that the movie has merit (particularly in terms of story and direction). Over and above that, the acting is very good, and the pace, while slow, builds inexorably. There is no succinct resolution to the plot. That is the point. You have to think for yourself and it is a deeply thought provoking story. I think the central theme is a meditation on thought defining reality and seems to reference the Buddhist belief that our lives are a creation of our minds. But like any good work of art there are many layers open to interpretation. There are no overt references but this being an Argentinian affair, the tone of the movie reminded me of Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares. It's philosophical, and quite surreal in places. Some of the scenes are straight out of a Goya painting, and some of the camera motions are so graceful- almost imperceptible sometimes- that I thought of Kubrick. There's an awful lot going for this film. I don't want to ruin the story for anyone but I do rate it very highly.

This is the movie that brought recognition for the first time to Eliseo Subiela. Many times described as "ET" for adults, that cliche is both accurate and misleading. As I write this, a movie with an identical premise is being advertised in the States (K-PAX). I hope lawyers have a field day. The mysterious patient Ramses, who has suddenly appeared in this Argentinian clinic, is convinced to have come from another world. Capable of rational thought and of an apparent high IQ, a doctor begins a treatment to cure him from his dellusion. But does he need to be cured? Isn't the doctor more insane that his patient? Haven't we forgotten what it means to live and enjoy life? The movie moves slowly, but keeps itself interesting. The dialogue is sometimes too academical to be believable (even in Spanish), but its intentions are more powerful than the presentation. Except for Beethoven's Ode to Joy sequence, the movie is not very cinematic, but once again, it never feels to drag. The depiction of the asylum is also one of those you won't see in your typical Hollywood movie: as we see how the dead corpses of the inmates are carried over to be used for medical studies.

For me this is one of the most beautiful and powerful movies of all times; not only because it brings awareness in our hearts but also it is a movie that speaks for love, courage, understanding and forgiveness....it is a true gift for all.In fact my husband, Jason Laskay, loved this film so much when he saw it back in 1985, that he persuaded and purchased the English language re-make rights and has written a beautiful adaptation for the American and foreign market place. If anyone reading this will like to support this venture, please send us an e-mail.I recommend this film 100%, and definitly suggest watching the original version in Spanish with subtitles. FORGET THE ENGLISH OVER-DUBBED VERSION!Sincerely,Monica Laskay