Who? Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Who? Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 19, 2017

There was no shortage of strange sci-fi and fantasy tales from the 1970s, a decade that was wallpapered with outrage and paranoia, fueling such endeavors. It was a way to provide global commentary to those perhaps unwilling to listen, or identify trouble when it wasn’t allowed. 1974’s “Who?” is one of the stranger offerings from the era, merging the oddity of cyborg construction with the gamesmanship of Cold War spy missions, wrapped up in a detective story of sorts that takes everything presented onscreen with the utmost seriousness. It’s an adaptation of an Algis Budrys novel, which keeps it away from B-movie shenanigans. Instead, “Who?” questions the nature of identity and the price of national security, all the while featuring actor Joseph Bova dressed up as a robot, and there’s not a single character who’s disturbed by the sight. While hardly outrageous, the picture is strange enough to hold attention, using the oddity of the robot visual to sneak in some interesting thoughts on the nature of humanity.

Driving through Germany, brilliant scientist Dr. Martino (Joseph Bova) is involved in a horrible car accident, quickly scooped by East German officials under orders from the evil Colonel Azarin (Trevor Howard). Saving Martino’s life with hopes to interrogate him about the mysterious Project Neptune, the Germans gift their damaged captive a robotic body, saving only his right arm in the process. Turned into metal and subjected to six months of questioning from Azarin, Martino is finally returned to the Americans, with Rogers (Elliot Gould) leading a team of government officials tasked with determining if Martino is actually who he claims to be. Locked up once again, Martino is now questioned by Rogers, who probes into his early relationships and years of study to help establish a working memory and test the authenticity of his answers. Rogers refuses to believe anything the robot shares, and Martino, growing weary of the harsh routine, begins to embrace his cold metallic future.

“Who?” (produced by Barry Levinson) is actually two stories once Martino settles into his concrete home, held captive by Rogers who has a long line of questioning to work through. One side of the movie depicts Martino and his present situation, returning to his home country as something of a monster, with flesh replaced by steel, rendering him a freakish sight newcomers have trouble shaking. He remains connected to a human personality, but Martino struggles with his new reality, dealing with sleepless nights and persistent poking from Rogers, who refuses to trust anything the distraught scientist shares, believing everything to be part of a communist plot to deliver whatever Project Neptune is to the enemy. “Who?” also explores Martino’s past, visiting his years as a young man with promise, exercising a substantial brain and enduring awkwardness with the opposite sex, including first love Edith (Kay Tornborg). He also pals around with Frank (John Stewart), a fellow genius, but one who doesn’t take immediately to difficult equations and solutions.

The split personality of “Who?” works in its favor, delivering a true sense of concern within Martino, who’s pushed into metal unwillingly, struggling to define his true identity to men like Rogers, who refuses to accept anything he shares, fearing it’s all part of a larger communist plot to infiltrate the west. Tight editing and clever transitions keep the feature rolling along between past and present, also establishing Martino’s experiences with the Germans, who hope to coax out information with kindness, and the Americans, with Rogers the cigar-chewing cynic who won’t give the robot a chance. “Who?” manages to find some sympathy for the metal man, and sections of backstory fill in the gaps, generating a satisfying sense of history to best understand Martino’s present dilemma. The story captures the pain of isolation and the fatigue of repetition, keeping Martino and Rogers divided as information is collected and verified, giving the movie a slight procedural feel as clues are gathered.

“Who?” is a talky picture, forcing Gold to squeeze in some excitement, mostly contained to a mid-movie car chase where Rogers speeds after assassins trying to take out Martino on an airplane runway. It’s obvious the sequence is included to raise the BPM of the effort, but “Who?” is just fine in suspicion mode, watching Rogers wrestle with an impossible task of securing identity, visiting whatever avenues of memory he can reach to achieve a larger portrait of Martino’s life. Gould is terrific in the role, playing up a hard-boiled presence that gives the film a sampling of attitude, keeping Rogers the coldest guy in the room. He’s matched well with Bova, who has the impossible task of creating a character that doesn’t have any facial reactions. The eyes do a lot of work for him, and pure reactions are effective as well, including one scene where Martino is followed walking along a Florida street. Gold clearly didn’t have permission to shoot the moment, as everyone near Bova stops to stare and even laugh at the robot make-up, adding a touch of realism to a feature that’s pure science fiction.

Who? Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation isn't without a few concerns, including source condition. There's significant wear and tear, finding debris and scratches a common sight, while reel changes are rough, and there are a few stretches of slight discoloration and flicker. "Who?" hasn't been restored for its Blu-ray debut, but it still looks relatively clear, delivering a satisfying amount of detail on the robot make-up, with limitations easy to spot, along with actor Joseph Bova's heroic emoting to bring the metallic character to life. Textures are satisfying overall, finding costuming fibrous and locations deep. Colors aren't animated to begin with, but Bova's silver paint comes through as intended, drawing eyes to the brightness of the costume and its oddity. Greenery and city signage also offers some snap. Skintones are acceptable. Delineation is secure.

Who? Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is hit with age-related issues, lacking any type of precision, with hiss running throughout the listening event. Intelligibility remains, but dialogue exchanges hit crispy highs. Scoring is functional, communicating intended mood, but definition isn't there. Sound effects are basic, with a few crashes and explosions to shake up the track. Atmospherics are primitive.

Who? Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Jack Gold.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Who? Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While bluntly titled, "Who?" is extremely compelling, growing stronger as it unpacks the details of Martino's life, understanding the ambitious man he once was, competing with Frank and romancing Edith as his genius slides him into government work. There's also a valuable sense of despondency to explore, finding Martino grasping the cruel reality that he will never be able to return to society, trapped forever as a piece of machinery. The ethics of the situation aren't examined in full, but soulfulness is found. "Who?" jazzes up the finale with a few twists and turns, but it's most effective as a character study, finding Martino caught between two worlds without an advocate, while Rogers begins to test his prisoner in different ways, grasping the puzzle of identity that goes way beyond Cold War scheming. Sure, there's a silver man at the center of it all, but the effort has substance and curiosity, leading more with character examination than B-movie antics.