A couple of days ago, I found myself watching one of the older episodes of "The Twilight Zone". This particular feature was "The Obsolete Man"; a horrifying vision of what the future could look like. Allow me to briefly describe what takes place in this tale.
As the story begins, we see a man entering what seems to be a large hall or chamber. Series creator and narrator Rod Serling intones,
"You walk into this room at your own risk, because it leads to the future, not a future that will be, but one that might be. This is not a new world; it is simply an extension of what began in the old one. It has patterned itself after every dictator who has ever planted the ripping imprint of a boot on the pages of history since the beginning of time. It has refinements, technological advances, and a more sophisticated approach to the destruction of human freedom. But like every one of the super-states that preceded it, it has one iron rule: logic is an enemy and truth is a menace.
This is Mr. Romney Wordsworth, in his last forty-eight hours on Earth. He's a citizen of the State, but will soon have to be eliminated, because he's built out of flesh and because he has a mind. Mr. Romney Wordsworth, who will draw his last breaths in 'The Twilight Zone".
"Mr. Wordsworth" has been accused by "the State" of being "obsolete"; that is, having no purpose or meaning to his existence. Our protagonist testifies that he is a librarian; this does not sit well with his judge, an imposing figure called "the Chancellor". We learn that "the State" has eliminated books; as such, librarians are regarded as not being needed. As Wordsworth continues to testify, we find out that he believes in God. Again, "the Chancellor" disapproves of this, as "the State" has "proven" that "there is no God".
Subsequently, "Mr. Wordsworth" is convicted of being obsolete, and sentenced to death. As is the apparent custom, our protagonist is allowed to choose how he will be executed, and at what time of day. Wordsworth prefers to die at the hands of a personal assassin; this person will be the only one that knows of the exact manner of Wordsworth's death. "The Chancellor" agrees to this stipulation, along with one other small request; that the execution of the now-condemned Wordsworth be nationally televised. In the interest of not spoiling the ending, I will leave the remaining part of the story incomplete.
The plot of this story has become embedded in my subconscious, and inspired me to creativity. I find this to be something that is, perhaps, worth showing to today's audiences. As such, I am considering modernizing the script somewhat, and showing it as a short film (perhaps on community television, or other such outlets)
When I speak of "modernizing the script", I mean that I would like to tinker with a few details, but keep the basic arc of the story. For example, I might make the first name of "Mr. Wordsworth" to be "Ron" instead of "Romney". I may also change Wordsworth's occupation to that of a "writer and humorist" (one that, nevertheless, expresses what he believes to be basic truths). These actions would be taken with the intent of bringing the story up to date, and keeping it relevant for a modern audience.
As explained previously, I believe that "The Obsolete Man" teaches us a lesson that is still very important. In the words of Rod Serling, "any state, any entity, any ideology which fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete". It is this tale of morality, and its teachings, that I hope to present to local viewers.
Is the general public ready to witness "my epic vision"? Brace yourself, because a "Matty B Production" may be coming your way soon!
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