Most of us are familiar with the classic TV show "The Twilight Zone" by Rod Serling (One of my all time favorite shows). It was clever, scary, well acted and had a twist ending that catches you by surprise and leaves you into thinking. But what started the series? Most people assume it's the Pilot episode "Where Is Everybody?", but that wasn't what started the series. Like "South Park" it didn't start by the first episode of the series, it started out as a small TV special that became a show. On the American Television Anthology series called the "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse", Rod Serling wrote and produced one of the episodes to the show called "The Time Element". It started out like a regular story, but then ended with a twist that audiences at the time were not use too. The episode got such a big shock that it lead to the creation of "The Twilight Zone". So everybody get ready because we're about to look at the key that opened the door that lead to that other dimension..."The Twilight Zone".
A man named Pete Jenson (William Bendix) sees a psychoanalysis (Martin Balsam) and tells him about a recurring dream that takes place in Hawaii on the day before Pearl Harbor got bombed. Jenson fears that he might be going back in time and that something might happen to him if he goes back in time again. Is it just a dream or is it real?
William Bendix as Pete Jenson does a very effecting job. In scenes when he's trying to warn people about the attack, you feel sorry for him, because you know he's right because we the audience know about it, but the people at the time had no idea what was going to happen and quickly assume that he's a loon. He plays as a tragic hero like the character Sarah Connor from "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" for example, knows about the future, tries to prevent it, but is seen as a mental case in the public's eyes. The scene that makes me feel pity for him the most is when he's at The Bar (the second time) trying to warn the people and a young married couple who he spends time with that the attacks going to happen tomorrow. As he gives the speech his friend punches him in the face, which causes him to break the Jukebox; followed by him standing up and singing songs related to Pearl Harbor's attack, which makes him look like a crazy drunk, and then gets knocked out by the Bartender. This performance is so sad that you have to feel sympathy for the character. Martin Balsam as the psychoanalysis does a fine performance too. In the scenes when we're in his office with the patient, he looks settled and acts like an everyday doctor. When Jenson tells him the dream you can tell by his facial expressions that he looks just as confused as his patient, not knowing if Jenson really is dreaming or going back in time. The best scene that shows his confusion is the ending, which I won't spoil for you.
The supporting cast gives the same powerful performance as the two main character because they add to Bendix performance of making him look crazy to them and a tragic hero to the audience. You got Alan Baxter playing an army doctor to see if the man's crazy; Barlett Robbinson and Don Keefer as two members of the newspaper who refuse to put his warning on the paper; Jesslyn Fax as the scared hotel maid; Joe DeRita as the drunk man at the Bar that's trying to comfort Jenson; and character actor Jesse White as the Bartender playing his usual cigar smoking tough guy self who is ready for a fight if Jenson causes any trouble. Out of all the supporting characters the one that grabs my interest the most is the love couple played by Darryl Hickman and Carolyn Kearney. They play such a big part in this episode that you have to feel bad for them because you know they're gonna die, which is one of the many reasons why Jenson wants to prevent the attack. They're like the love couple in Michael Bays "Pearl Harbor", oops bad example! I mean, they're like the love couple in James Cameron's "Titanic". You feel the love for them, but you feel bad for them because you know that they're going to be victims in a tragic historical event. What also makes the relationship even more tragic is the husband works on the ship down below that's going to be sunk by the enemy.
Rod Serlings writing plays the biggest part in the episode. His story is a subject that most of us want to do, magically go back in time and stop a tragic event in history. The writing is so cleverly written that it plays on a realistic note of a regular person trying to change the past instead of the usual superhero or action hero trying to change the past. Every little detail in the writing is important because it all foreshadows to the dramatic ending that puzzles the audience. The dialogue is cleverly written too, especially the speech the doctor gives to Jenson about time traveling. The cinematography is breathtaking by making things look weird, foreshadow events that lead up to the ending, and create allusions to the story, including the final scene with the Doctor and the clock ticking.
Everything that you see in the episode is techniques Rod Serling uses in "The Twilight Zone". A puzzling and scary story; great believable acting; cinematography that creates a weird and strange atmosphere; and even some of the sound effects and music in this episode can be heard in "The Twilight Zone". This episode is the key to that door, without it that door will stay locked and will never open to that other dimension, a dimension called "The Twilight Zone".
RATING 5/5
William Bendix as Pete Jenson does a very effecting job. In scenes when he's trying to warn people about the attack, you feel sorry for him, because you know he's right because we the audience know about it, but the people at the time had no idea what was going to happen and quickly assume that he's a loon. He plays as a tragic hero like the character Sarah Connor from "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" for example, knows about the future, tries to prevent it, but is seen as a mental case in the public's eyes. The scene that makes me feel pity for him the most is when he's at The Bar (the second time) trying to warn the people and a young married couple who he spends time with that the attacks going to happen tomorrow. As he gives the speech his friend punches him in the face, which causes him to break the Jukebox; followed by him standing up and singing songs related to Pearl Harbor's attack, which makes him look like a crazy drunk, and then gets knocked out by the Bartender. This performance is so sad that you have to feel sympathy for the character. Martin Balsam as the psychoanalysis does a fine performance too. In the scenes when we're in his office with the patient, he looks settled and acts like an everyday doctor. When Jenson tells him the dream you can tell by his facial expressions that he looks just as confused as his patient, not knowing if Jenson really is dreaming or going back in time. The best scene that shows his confusion is the ending, which I won't spoil for you.
The supporting cast gives the same powerful performance as the two main character because they add to Bendix performance of making him look crazy to them and a tragic hero to the audience. You got Alan Baxter playing an army doctor to see if the man's crazy; Barlett Robbinson and Don Keefer as two members of the newspaper who refuse to put his warning on the paper; Jesslyn Fax as the scared hotel maid; Joe DeRita as the drunk man at the Bar that's trying to comfort Jenson; and character actor Jesse White as the Bartender playing his usual cigar smoking tough guy self who is ready for a fight if Jenson causes any trouble. Out of all the supporting characters the one that grabs my interest the most is the love couple played by Darryl Hickman and Carolyn Kearney. They play such a big part in this episode that you have to feel bad for them because you know they're gonna die, which is one of the many reasons why Jenson wants to prevent the attack. They're like the love couple in Michael Bays "Pearl Harbor", oops bad example! I mean, they're like the love couple in James Cameron's "Titanic". You feel the love for them, but you feel bad for them because you know that they're going to be victims in a tragic historical event. What also makes the relationship even more tragic is the husband works on the ship down below that's going to be sunk by the enemy.
Rod Serlings writing plays the biggest part in the episode. His story is a subject that most of us want to do, magically go back in time and stop a tragic event in history. The writing is so cleverly written that it plays on a realistic note of a regular person trying to change the past instead of the usual superhero or action hero trying to change the past. Every little detail in the writing is important because it all foreshadows to the dramatic ending that puzzles the audience. The dialogue is cleverly written too, especially the speech the doctor gives to Jenson about time traveling. The cinematography is breathtaking by making things look weird, foreshadow events that lead up to the ending, and create allusions to the story, including the final scene with the Doctor and the clock ticking.
Everything that you see in the episode is techniques Rod Serling uses in "The Twilight Zone". A puzzling and scary story; great believable acting; cinematography that creates a weird and strange atmosphere; and even some of the sound effects and music in this episode can be heard in "The Twilight Zone". This episode is the key to that door, without it that door will stay locked and will never open to that other dimension, a dimension called "The Twilight Zone".
RATING 5/5
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