The very short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dr Heidegger's Experiment, tells of the doctor's dispensing to his four old friends water from the Fountain of Youth. This film short from 1969 captures some of the visual imagery from the story but falls short in capturing the poignant aspects. The actors are all very competent but the script could contain more of what was written in the story. Since the story is really quite brief it seems puzzling why so much of Hawthorne's narrative is omitted. To see this film on its own is to miss much of what Nathaniel Hawthorne strove to impart to us, mainly that after all, youth may indeed be wasted on the young. By all means see the film but also read the story by Hawthorne for yourself. The film can be seen on YouTube for free.
1 Review
A shorthand retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne's cautionary tale
djclearie9 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
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