The Brother From Another Planet is a 1984 Science Fiction comedy film directed by John Sayles and starring Joe Morton as the titular "Brother".
The Brother is a mute intergalactic alien fugitive from an unknown planet who crashlands in New York City in the middle of the 80's. Thanks to his species' striking resemblance to Black humans, The Brother easily blends in among the New York populace. As The Brother struggles to assimilate himself into human society he's pursued by two Men In Black (presumably from The Brother's home planet) who resemble White humans.
Although the film touches on themes of racism and slavery, the film is mainly a reflection of the immigrant experience in America and the struggles immigrants face as they try to make a living in a foreign land.
This film provides examples of:
- Animal Lover: The Brother lets a dog that's tied to a parking meter go because he thinks the dog should go free.
- Big Applesauce: The film is mainly set in Harlem with some scenes taking place in downtown Manhattan.
- Creator Cameo: Sayles plays one of The Men in Black, and his life partner, producer Maggie Renzi, plays a social worker.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The whole plot is an obvious allegory for American slavery/race relations, with the protagonist nearly indistinguishable from a Black human who has escaped slavery, while the two men after him are both identical to White humans. He even indicates this himself by pointing to the museum painting of a Black human slave then himself, showing they're the same. However, it turns out that skin color isn't the actual reason, but as his race has three toes.
- Drugs Are Bad: After witnessing a teenager overdose on heroin The Brother finds one of the head suppliers (whose pushers sold the drug to the teen) in the city and forces him to inhale an entire bag of the drug in revenge.
- Eye Scream: The Brother is able to take his eyes out, and does so at a couple of times to use them like a video camera, to record what's going on. It's how he's able to find the man supplying the drug dealers in Harlem.
- Mr. Fixit: The Brother can fix machines just by touching them (which is how he gets a job at a video arcade, by fixing all of the game machines). He can also heal human wounds by touching them.
- No Name Given: The Brother, as well as The Men in Black.
- Restraining Bolt: At the end when his hunters locate him, the Brother's attempt to run away is stopped by a device which they have, connected with him somehow.
- Space Jews: Played with as the alien who looks like a Black man escapes slavery on his own planet and tries to hide out in a Black ghetto on Earth. When two of his species track him down, they of course look like White men, but it turns out that they consider the "brother" an inferior race not because of his skin color, but because he's got three toes.
- The Speechless: The Brother never speaks but can understand English.
