''The End of Man'' ( pt, Finis Hominis) is a 1971 Brazilian film directed by

José Mojica Marins José Mojica Marins (13 March 1936 – 19 February 2020) was a Brazilian filmmaker, actor, composer, screenwriter, and television horror host. Marins is also known for creating and playing the character Coffin Joe (loosely translated from Zé d ...

. The unusual and surreal film was made on a low budget, and rather than the often disturbing

gothic horror Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

of his previous films, ''The End of Man'' conveys a sense of social

black humor Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

and

tongue in cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott ...

style seen in other Brazilian ''

Mouth of Garbage Cinema Cinema da Boca do Lixo (''Mouth of Garbage film'') is the collective name for a film genre associated with the Boca do Lixo ("Mouth of Garbage") downtown area of São Paulo, Brazil. On par with French Nouvelle Vague and American slasher films, ...

''(Boca do Lixo) of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the film, a mysterious man emerges from the ocean and wanders aimlessly through a town. After apparently

resurrecting "Resurrecting" is a song performed by American contemporary worship band Elevation Worship. Written by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Matthews Ntlele, Steven Furtick, and Wade Joye, the song was released as the second single from their 2016 album ''Her ...

someone, the man is mistaken for a

messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...

with

supernatural powers Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multi ...

. After giving a

farewell speech A farewell speech or farewell address is a speech given by an individual leaving a position or place. They are often used by public figures such as politicians as a capstone to the preceding career, or as statements delivered by persons relating to ...

from a mountaintop, the would-be messiah voluntarily returns to his former residence, an

insane asylum The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatry ...

. A sequel to the film was produced in 1972 titled ''

When the Gods Fall Asleep ''When the Gods Fall Asleep'' ( pt, Quando os Deuses Adormecem) is a 1972 Brazilian film directed by José Mojica Marins. Marins is best known for the '' Zé do Caixão'' ( Coffin Joe) film series. The film is a sequel to Marins' 1971 film '' The ...

'' (''Quando os Deuses Adormecem'').

Plot

A mysterious man (Marins) emerges naked from the ocean and proceeds to affect the lives of townspeople, the country, then the world. As he wanders through the town unclothed, he helps a woman in a wheelchair to walk by frightening her into running, then rescues a woman and her child from attackers when he startles them with his appearance. He enters the well-decorated home of a woman with fashionable clothing. Seeing him, she goes to her wardrobe and chooses several pieces of her costumery which he puts on. The outfit includes an ornate

turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...

, a

sash A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else running around the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, bu ...

, and a pointed

baton Baton may refer to: Stick-like objects *Baton, a type of club *Baton (law enforcement) *Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts *Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people *Baton (conductin ...

. He walks through the streets of Santos dressed in this fashion, attracting increasingly more followers and admirers. He shows no surprise at people's reaction to him; he regards it all with a

deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blun ...

acceptance. When he later stops in a church and approaches the altar to fill the chalice with

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

and drinks it, he is observed by a priest who utters "Finis hominis". The strange man replies, "What"? The priest again states "Finis hominis, the end of man". When the protagonist is later asked his name by the police after he assaults a photographer, he pauses, then replies: "Finis Hominis". He saves the life of an adulteress and that of a young girl while gaining more followers all over the country as huge crowds follow him through the streets. He soon gains a

status after appearing to resurrect a dead man who actually was suffering a temporary nervous

catalepsy Catalepsy (from Ancient Greek , , "seizing, grasping") is a nervous condition characterized by muscular rigidity and fixity of posture regardless of external stimuli, as well as decreased sensitivity to pain. Signs and symptoms Symptoms inc ...

. Nuns announce that Finis Hominis has come to save the world. Leaders of other countries warn of his dangerous "

". He announces that the time has come for him to leave and eventually gives a

from a mountaintop that is watched and listened to from all over the world. In the final scene, two men in white uniforms see Finis Hominis approaching in the distance, and they seem pleased, saying, "Here he comes. I told you. He always returns." As the camera pulls back, it is revealed that the place Finis Hominis has returned to is an

Cast

as Finis Hominis *Teresa Sodré as Madalena *Roque Rodrigues as Cavalcanti *Rosângela Maldonado as The schemer *Mario Lima as The lover *Andreia Bryanas as Soninha

References

External links

Official film site
*
''Finis Hominis''
o
Portal Heco de Cinema
{{DEFAULTSORT:End of Man, The 1971 black comedy films 1971 films Brazilian black comedy films Films directed by José Mojica Marins 1970s Portuguese-language films Surreal comedy films Resurrection in film Films set in psychiatric hospitals