The Man Who Peels Away His Own Face
| Title: | A Different Man |
| Watchable: |  |
| Director: | Aaron Schimberg |
| Writer: | Aaron Schimberg |
| Lead Performances: | Sebastian Stan (Edward/Guy), Adam Pearson (Oswald), Renate Reinsve (Ingrid) |
The film shows Edward petting his cat by the window while paramedics remove his neighbor's body from the ambulance and an ice cream truck attempts to pass through with its loud jingle competing against the sirens. The entire film exists within this single moment. The street operates as a combat zone where disastrous occurrences and illogical events continuously fight for dominance without giving in to each other.
Sebastian Stan portrays Edward through Mike Marino's exceptional prosthetic design which brings to life a neurofibromatosis patient who dreams of acting but faces ongoing discrimination because of his physical appearance. The way he views their perception of him matches how he perceives their perception of him. Self-shame leads people into an endless cycle which they cannot break free from. His statement about his condition sounds like an apology for being alive to others. The statement he makes about his condition actually expresses his desire to reduce his presence in the world. A courtesy to the world.
The experimental treatment leads Schimberg to show Edward removing his tumorous face through a process similar to peeling wallpaper in a deserted building. The body horror effect works because it represents psychological terror which occurs when someone obtains their most desired outcome. Stan reveals his true Sebastian Stan appearance before declaring his previous self completely deceased. He transforms into "Guy."The term "Guy" serves as a comedic term which describes how people lose their individuality until they disappear from view of others.
The character Oswald played by Adam Pearson brings his neurofibromatosis condition and his destructive charm to the story. The person addresses him by saying "You look exactly the same as before" while he smiles brightly. Throughout his entire life Edward believed his facial appearance was the root of all his problems. The way Oswald gained everyone's affection through his normal life becomes overwhelming to me because Edward lost his chance to experience such a life after his face transformation. During their preparation work Pearson shared with Stan that disability status and fame create public ownership of people who become subject to constant staring and documentation and ownership by others. His two different experiences show him an honest truth.
I dedicated each day to present myself to others in the way I wanted them to see me. Edward performed as an actor throughout his entire life before undergoing surgery. The surgery might have brought out his true self even before he underwent the procedure. Ingrid creates a stage production about his life story by casting him as his actual self although he no longer exists in that form until Oswald takes on the role of Edward better than Edward ever did. Multiple performance and identity levels create an unstable system which makes it impossible for anyone to achieve stability. The film presents this situation as its main objective. The movie shows a basic reality about human nature through its storyline.
The behavior of Ingrid throughout the story produces confusing situations which I find difficult to describe. She displays self-centered behavior yet she remains short of being a full-fledged villain while showing signs of exploitation yet lacking awareness about her actions. Reinsve delivers her performance with a preoccupied demeanor which indicates she constantly thinks about how this instant will appear on stage. She rewards herself for accepting his new appearance because she recovers from shock right away. The experience becomes too difficult to observe.
The story shows how Edward's rivalry with Oswald transforms into an ominous competition which intensifies throughout the story. Oswald experiences envy because he can freely show his true self in his everyday life. He views his presence as a typical aspect of existence because he does not believe he is disrupting anything. The new face of Edward displays more unpleasant emotions than his previous disfigured appearance according to Stan's outstanding performance.
The last part of the story shows Edward stuck between his original identity and his new persona which he cannot completely accept. The film maintains its unresolved conflict between these two states which creates both frustration and authenticity in the story. Some changes in life cannot be undone. People can develop new identities through self-transformation which leads them to become more than their former selves.
People discover new ways to express themselves after their face undergoes transformation but this change does not automatically bring life transformations. People maintain their original self-expression through alternative methods after their facial appearance undergoes transformation.
