The metal man

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Movie
German title The metal man
Original title Who?
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1974
length 93 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Jack Gold
script John Gould
production Kurt Berthold
music John Cameron
camera Petrus R. Schlömp
cut Norman Wanstall
occupation

Der Mann aus Metall , alternative title Das Phantom mit der Stahlmaske (Original title: Who? ), Is a British thriller from 1974. It was written by Jack Gold based on a science fiction novel published in 1958 (German title: Zwischen Zwei Welten , original title : Who? ) Filmed by Algis Budrys . Large parts of the film were shot in the Federal Republic of Germany and in Miami . Its German premiere took place on March 31, 1978.

action

The film takes place during the Cold War . Lucas Martino is an American scientist who heads the secret Neptune project . He had a serious accident with his car on the inner-German border , where he was rescued by border guards from the GDR. The accident mutilated him beyond recognition, but his brain remained intact. Dr. Korthu treats him and gives him a metal head as a skull cover. Other parts of the body are also being replaced by metal prostheses. Then Martino is questioned by the KGB for months about the secret project and then extradited back to the West. Since he cannot prove his identity there, he is interrogated by the FBI agent Rogers. He mistrusts the "man made of metal" who absolutely wants to work on his project again.

Rogers suspects that his opponent Colonel Azarin is trying to smuggle in an agent and that the metal man is not Martino. Long interrogations by Rogers follow. But the “man of metal” can neither prove that he is Lucas Martino, nor can Rogers prove the opposite.

In flashbacks you can see that Azarin actually wanted to smuggle in an agent with Frank Heywood, a former employee of Martino who defected to the Soviet Union. Heywood underwent the same surgical procedures as Martino, but he died after the operation. Dr. Korthu explains this with Heywood's lack of will to live, compared to Martino.

Rogers' interrogations do not progress, but the government decides that the "man of metal" should continue to work on Project Neptune because the project is too important. When Rogers informs him of this, Martino surprisingly refuses the offer.

criticism

"Spy film that draws its tension more from internal conflicts than from external effects."

- film service

Trivia

One of the most famous scenes in the film was shot on a main shopping street in Miami. Joseph Bova walks with the metal mask through the passers-by who were not informed of the recordings. The camera captures the looks and reactions of the population.

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