THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN
1960
Edgar G. Ulmer
SYNOPSIS
An unstable ex-major forces a scientist to use an experimental radiation machine to make an escaped convict invisible. Intending to use the invisible thief to steal nuclear materials and build an army, his plan unravels as the radiation slowly kills the subject. Edgar G. Ulmer’s sci-fi noir was shot back-to-back with Beyond the Time Barrier. Despite its meager budget, it offers a moody atmosphere and a cynical take on the classic invisibility trope.
CRITIQUE
Edgar G. Ulmer’s sci-fi noir is a study in cinematic poverty. Shot back-to-back with Beyond the Time Barrier at the Texas State Fairgrounds, it represents the final, desperate stage of a great director’s career. Despite the visible lack of resources, Ulmer injects his signature pessimism and moody lighting. It is significant as a test case for auteur theory: even with a nonsensical script and zero budget, Ulmer’s distinct visual style and fatalistic themes shine through. It is a gloomy, atmospheric relic of the drive-in double feature era.