The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
Encyclopedia
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow is a 1981 documentary-style movie about the predictions of French
astrologer
and physician
Michel de Notredame (Nostradamus
).
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow is narrated (one might say "hosted") by Orson Welles
.
The film depicts many of Nostradamus' predictions for the modern world, as interpreted by the many linguistic scholars who have translated his works. In addition, some biographical information is provided about Nostradamus, including his work as a physician during the plagues
which swept Europe
in the 16th century.
The film gives some apparent historical evidence of Nostradamus' predicting ability, though as with other works, nothing is offered which conclusively proves his accuracy. The last quarter of the film discusses his (relatively dark) translated predictions for (at the time) the next millennium. In particular, as may be expected with Hollywood films, the subject matter seems rather slanted to the projections that affect the United States and its allies directly at the time of the film's inception. As with most Nostradamus publications, there are no scientifically testable predictions directly included in this film, only suggestions and allusions.
The film does not discuss important topics that trouble scholars to this day about Nostradamus: Were his writings predictions of the distant future or descriptions of then current events? Was he intentionally predicting the future, or simply extrapolating? The film presents Nostradamus as a scholar and acknowledged "seer", which is certainly not accepted to have been the case in his own time, much less now. Several historical examples of his apparent predicting ability are cited, all of which (necessarily) take the form of hearsay owing to the era from which they are drawn.
An example of this is the treatise, familiar to Nostradamus readers, surrounding the prediction at the feast of a wealthy farmer: Nostradamus is asked which of two pigs
the dinner guests will eat that night. He is alleged to have replied "the black pig". The farmer then sent word that the white pig was to be butchered and cooked for the evenings' feast.
During the feast, the farmer is reported to have summoned his butcher/cook again and demanded to know which pig they had eaten. The cook replied that he had killed the white pig, as ordered, but that in a moment of inattention, he had allowed the farm dogs to drag off the carcass
. Thus, as Nostradamus had allegedly predicted, he had been forced to kill the black pig as well and serve it in place of the white.
Nostradamus lived and wrote during a period of political and religious censorship. Because of this it is said he disguised his writings not only with somewhat cryptic language, but in four different languages (Latin
, French
, Italian
and Greek
). Not content with such obfuscation, Nostradamus is also said to have used anagram
s to further confuse potential inquisitors (particularly with respect to names and places).
Welles himself completely rejected the central theme of the film after having made it. It is not known if Welles was contractually obligated to narrate the film, or if he simply grew disenchanted with its subject matter and presentation after completing it. Perhaps Welles' most public detraction from the subject matter of the film occurred during a guest appearance on an early 1980s episode of The Merv Griffin Show
; "One might as well make predictions based on random passages from the phone book", he offered when asked about the film, before moving on to discuss other projects
more interesting to him personally.
It is worth noting that Welles has previously been known, despite his grand and well-deserved reputation as a performer, to take the equivalent of film "grunt work" in order to self-finance his personal projects. In and around the time of this film's creation, Welles was attempting to finance a restored release (which would today be referred to as a "director's cut
") of his film The Magnificent Ambersons
, which he had always claimed the studio ruined during editing.
, NBC
aired a remake of this film, hosted and narrated by Charlton Heston
. Much of the same footage, voice acting, and musical score was retained from the original movie. Much of Heston's narration constituted a verbatim reprise of Welles' original presentation. There were, however, some significant differences between the 1991 remake and the original film:
The nature of the overall changes served the purpose of brevity, reducing an eighty-eight minute film to a one-hour television broadcast with commercial interruptions. Moreover, the predictions relating to the third tyrant were adapted to serve U.S. propaganda purposes during the then-ongoing Gulf War. The severity of the natural disasters preceding the tyrant's emergence was reduced, as a worldwide famine leading to cannibalism, and earthquakes and flooding in various European cities, had clearly not taken place. Similarly, the severity of the third tyrant's war was diminished, omitting references to the conquest of Europe, nuclear war, and the destruction of New York City
, as well as the prediction that the war would begin in 1994. Significantly, negative references to Islam
, and references to the religious nature of the tyrant (calling him an Antichrist and a "strong master of Mohammedan law") and his war were eliminated, avoiding offense to Muslims, as well as the portrayal of the then-current conflict as a religious war
.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
and physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Michel de Notredame (Nostradamus
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
).
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow is narrated (one might say "hosted") by Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
.
The film depicts many of Nostradamus' predictions for the modern world, as interpreted by the many linguistic scholars who have translated his works. In addition, some biographical information is provided about Nostradamus, including his work as a physician during the plagues
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
which swept Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in the 16th century.
The film gives some apparent historical evidence of Nostradamus' predicting ability, though as with other works, nothing is offered which conclusively proves his accuracy. The last quarter of the film discusses his (relatively dark) translated predictions for (at the time) the next millennium. In particular, as may be expected with Hollywood films, the subject matter seems rather slanted to the projections that affect the United States and its allies directly at the time of the film's inception. As with most Nostradamus publications, there are no scientifically testable predictions directly included in this film, only suggestions and allusions.
The film does not discuss important topics that trouble scholars to this day about Nostradamus: Were his writings predictions of the distant future or descriptions of then current events? Was he intentionally predicting the future, or simply extrapolating? The film presents Nostradamus as a scholar and acknowledged "seer", which is certainly not accepted to have been the case in his own time, much less now. Several historical examples of his apparent predicting ability are cited, all of which (necessarily) take the form of hearsay owing to the era from which they are drawn.
An example of this is the treatise, familiar to Nostradamus readers, surrounding the prediction at the feast of a wealthy farmer: Nostradamus is asked which of two pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
the dinner guests will eat that night. He is alleged to have replied "the black pig". The farmer then sent word that the white pig was to be butchered and cooked for the evenings' feast.
During the feast, the farmer is reported to have summoned his butcher/cook again and demanded to know which pig they had eaten. The cook replied that he had killed the white pig, as ordered, but that in a moment of inattention, he had allowed the farm dogs to drag off the carcass
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
. Thus, as Nostradamus had allegedly predicted, he had been forced to kill the black pig as well and serve it in place of the white.
Welles' view
Welles, though he agreed to host the film, was not a believer in the subject matter presented. Welles' main objection to the generally accepted translations of Nostradamus' quatrains (so called because Nostradamus organized all his works into a series of four lined prose, which were then collected into "centuries", or groups of 100 such works) relates in part to the translation efforts. While many skilled linguists have worked on the problem of translating the works of Nostradamus, all have struggled with the format the author used.Nostradamus lived and wrote during a period of political and religious censorship. Because of this it is said he disguised his writings not only with somewhat cryptic language, but in four different languages (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
). Not content with such obfuscation, Nostradamus is also said to have used anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
s to further confuse potential inquisitors (particularly with respect to names and places).
Welles himself completely rejected the central theme of the film after having made it. It is not known if Welles was contractually obligated to narrate the film, or if he simply grew disenchanted with its subject matter and presentation after completing it. Perhaps Welles' most public detraction from the subject matter of the film occurred during a guest appearance on an early 1980s episode of The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
; "One might as well make predictions based on random passages from the phone book", he offered when asked about the film, before moving on to discuss other projects
Orson Welles filmography
This is the filmography of Orson Welles- As director :- As actor :- As director :- As actor :...
more interesting to him personally.
It is worth noting that Welles has previously been known, despite his grand and well-deserved reputation as a performer, to take the equivalent of film "grunt work" in order to self-finance his personal projects. In and around the time of this film's creation, Welles was attempting to finance a restored release (which would today be referred to as a "director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
") of his film The Magnificent Ambersons
The Magnificent Ambersons (film)
The Magnificent Ambersons is a 1942 American drama film written and directed by Orson Welles. His second feature film, it is based on the 1918 novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington and stars Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorehead and Ray Collins...
, which he had always claimed the studio ruined during editing.
Alleged Nostradamus predictions in The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
- The accidental death of King Henry IIHenry II of FranceHenry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1559). - The French RevolutionFrench RevolutionThe French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
(1789–1799). - The rise and fallNapoleonic EraThe Napoleonic Era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative Assembly, and the third being the Directory...
of Napoleon Bonaparte (1799–1815). - The American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
(1775–1783). - The assassinationAbraham Lincoln assassinationThe assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. The assassination occurred five days after the commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee, and his battered Army of...
of U.S. PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
(1865). - The rise and fall of Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
(1933–1945). - World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1939–1945). - The Holocaust (1942–1945).
- The atomic bombings of HiroshimaHiroshimais the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
and Nagasaki (1945). - The conspiracy to assassinateJohn F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theoriesThere has long been suspicion of a government cover-up of information about the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. There are also numerous conspiracy theories regarding the assassination that arose soon after his death and continue to be promoted today...
U.S. President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
(1963). - The assassinationRobert F. Kennedy assassinationThe assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
of Robert F. KennedyRobert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
(1968). - Islamic Revolution of IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
(1979). - The 1980s could be the time for Edward KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
to run to the U.S. Presidency, after Chappaquiddick incident (1969). Eventually, Kennedy ran for the Presidency in 1980, when he tried to defeat incumbent President Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in the Democratic Party primaries. - Inventions and technological advancesIndustrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. - The end of the rivalryCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
between the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
("One day, the two great masters would be friends...The eastern ruler would be vanquished"). - A major earthquake striking Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in May 1988. - A "King of Terror", wearing a blueBlueBlue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
turbanTurbanIn English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
, described as "the terror of mankind", would rise to power from Greater ArabiaArab worldThe Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
during the late 1990's, wage war around the world and spread the influence of Islamic fundamentalismIslamic fundamentalismIslamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
, along with decreasing the influence of ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Nostradamus claims that the "King of Terror" would form an alliance with the Russian Federation. According to Nostradamus, the "King of Terror" and Russia would wage World War IIIWorld War IIIWorld War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
against the WestWestern worldThe Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
(United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), starting with a nuclear strike on New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
("the sky will burn at 45 degrees, fire approaches the great new city"). Nostradamus claims that World War III would last about 27 years, and the war would destroy cities and kill millions. The "King of Terror" would be defeated. - After World War III, there will be a "peace of a thousand years".
- End of the world would be the year 3797.
1991 Remake
On February 20, 1991, during the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
aired a remake of this film, hosted and narrated by Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
. Much of the same footage, voice acting, and musical score was retained from the original movie. Much of Heston's narration constituted a verbatim reprise of Welles' original presentation. There were, however, some significant differences between the 1991 remake and the original film:
- Much of the religious content was omitted. The three Antichrists became three "great despotic tyrants", and the religious dimensions of the third tyrant's war were eliminated.
- The remake was shortened to one hour, leading to the omission of all references to the Robert F. Kennedy assassinationRobert F. Kennedy assassinationThe assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
, Francisco FrancoFrancisco FrancoFrancisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, the Edward VIII abdication crisisEdward VIII abdication crisisIn 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire was caused by King-Emperor Edward VIII's proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite....
, Jeanne Dixon, and to allegations surrounding the disinterment of Nostradamus in 1791. Discussion of the remaining predictions was abridged. - As Edward KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
did not run for the presidencyPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1984, or any time thereafter, references to his possible presidency were eliminated. - The third tyrant's war, and the tragedies preceding that war, were made to seem less severe than in Welles' original documentary.
- Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
was implied to be the third tyrant. - The remake discussed the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, alleging that this earthquake may have been the one predicted in Welles' movie.
- Discussion of Nostradamus' alleged predictions was rearranged, in that the remake included discussion of Napoleon with the other two tyrants, rather than with the French Revolution.
- References to the end of the world were eliminated.
The nature of the overall changes served the purpose of brevity, reducing an eighty-eight minute film to a one-hour television broadcast with commercial interruptions. Moreover, the predictions relating to the third tyrant were adapted to serve U.S. propaganda purposes during the then-ongoing Gulf War. The severity of the natural disasters preceding the tyrant's emergence was reduced, as a worldwide famine leading to cannibalism, and earthquakes and flooding in various European cities, had clearly not taken place. Similarly, the severity of the third tyrant's war was diminished, omitting references to the conquest of Europe, nuclear war, and the destruction of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, as well as the prediction that the war would begin in 1994. Significantly, negative references to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and references to the religious nature of the tyrant (calling him an Antichrist and a "strong master of Mohammedan law") and his war were eliminated, avoiding offense to Muslims, as well as the portrayal of the then-current conflict as a religious war
Religious war
A religious war; Latin: bellum sacrum; is a war caused by, or justified by, religious differences. It can involve one state with an established religion against another state with a different religion or a different sect within the same religion, or a religiously motivated group attempting to...
.