The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970) User Reviews

The 30-year-old virgin in everything!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 15 December 2014]

"The Mind of Mr. Soames" is a uniquely original and genuinely absorbing medical drama/thriller, but let's get one thing unmistakably clear from the beginning: this is a primarily talkative and thought-provoking film, so everyone who's expecting spectacular action sequences or sensational Science Fiction footage might feel sorely disappointed or even cheated after his/her viewing! Kind of like with, for example, "The Andromeda Strain", my advice would be not to start watching this film late at night when you're already battling sleep, because you'll lose, regardless of how compelling and innovative the subject matter is. "The Mind of Mr. Soames" thrives on its intellectual screenplay (based on a novel by Charles Eric Maine), atypical character studies and deeply admirable acting performances. The atmosphere, as well as several individual sequences, is unsettling and suspenseful, but more from a social and human interest point of view… if that makes sense.

In Dr. Maitland's private clinic, cozily hidden in the rural British countryside, this 30-year-old patient John Soames has been lying in a coma ever since birth. Dr. Maitland has now invited the acclaimed American Dr. Bergen – as well as a whole army of TV reporters and journalists – to perform progressive brain surgery in an ultimate attempt to wake John up. The operation succeeds, but John naturally has 30 years of learning and development to catch up. Tension mounts when Dr. Maitland insists on subjecting John Soames to a strict schedule, while Dr. Bergen pleads for letting him explore and discover life freely. John himself clearly feels trapped within the clinic's walls and escapes, but the baby inside a grown man's body isn't ready to deal with the world… or vice versa. The most admirable thing about "The Mind of Mr. Soames" is that it never reverts to clichés or cheap sensation. The character of Dr. Maitland, for example, easily could have been a stereotypical tyrant or obsessive scientist, but even he remains an integer and identifiable person. The (anti-)climax, often described as boring and unsatisfying, is actually a very honest piece of cinema. Director Alan Cooke, usually active in television, does a very good job and also could depend on really great actors. Terence Stamp is simply terrific in the titular role, as he puts a lot of heart and childish innocence in the persona of John Soames. Robert Vaughn delivers what is probably the most mature performance of his career and Nigel Davenport is reliable as always. This was a very atypical film for the Amicus production studios and a very atypical film altogether, but recommended for sure.

Very Interesting

[fwpahlke · 7/10 · 13 June 2015]

I would like to see this movie shot today and see what differences an other director would make of the subject. Excellent production values give notice that the effort to make a unique movie for the late 60's was undertaken. Stamp gives a strong performance and the movie is not boring. Robert Vaughn and Nigel Davenport serve as capable teachers to the brain injured man and give fine supporting roles in this less than successful movie. What holds this movie together is the fine close ups of Stamp as he discovers a world of wonderment and allows the viewer an opportunity to see if the human condition is retarded by 30 years of laying in a bed in a vegetative state. Finding out that question is what makes this movie fun.

Very unusual and a nice acting job by Stamp.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 13 February 2017]

"The Mind of Mr. Soames" is a very unusual film and about the only movie that I can think of that is similar is Truffaut's "The Wild Child". Both are about someone who basically goes from zero socialization to being forced to interact with the world...whether they want to or not.

When the film begins, you learn that a Mr. Soames (Terrence Stamp) has been in a coma since birth...30 years ago! However, a group of doctors think they can operate on him and bring him out of it. So suddenly they have what is, in essence, a 30 year-old baby. A person who looks like a man but needs to be given an accelerated childhood in order to bring him up to speed for lost time. The problem is that instead of treating him with love and compassion, he's more like a science project and no one wants to listen to Dr. Bergen (Robert Vaughn) who urges them to reconsider their methods.

Not surprisingly, Soames is depressed and angry. After all, folks won't give him clear answers and he's living in an emotionally deprived world. So he escapes from the hospital and goes on an adventure. But not knowing any of the rules of society, he is about as lost as King Kong in New York or the Frankenstein monster! You really have to feel sorry for the guy and you have a strong feeling that nothing good will come of it.

Overall, this is a good film with a bit of a flaw. Terrence Stamp is wonderful as Soames. But I also had a hard time believing that all but one of the doctors could be THAT clueless in how to properly care for this patient...it did seem a tiny bit far- fetched...although treating him like a science experiment, I could believe as this has happened before with feral children brought back to civilization (the famous case of Genie is a sad example). Still, despite this, the film is thought provoking and interesting...and worth seeing.

The Great Terence Stamp

[pauldeboef · 3 August 2005]

A unique and fascinating film. Terence Stamp should have received an Oscar for his haunting appearance as an adult man revived after 30 years from a coma he had lapsed into at birth. He is totally convincing as the little child in the body of a grown-up man. Much more effective than Tom Hanks in "Big", but "The mind of Mr. Soames" is not a comedy, although it contains many comical and touching scenes. And in spite of the subject it is surely not an overly sentimental or sensational film, it's rather more a character study (although occasionally it is also very thrilling), in fact it's presented in an almost documentary manner, which makes it the more interesting. The film also gives a nice outlook upon the world & society seen through the eyes of a little child. Outstanding photography, even poetical (the scenes when Soames is happy in the garden), and top quality actors in thoughtful roles. An undeservedly obscure film that should be more widely known.

Fascinating low-key drama, a sort of modern-day and gentler slant on the Frankenstein story.

[barnabyrudge · 7/10 · 4 March 2014]

The Mind Of Mr Soames deals with the intriguing concept of a thirty year old man - suspended in a deep coma since the day he was born - being belatedly awakened and introduced to life in the waking world. More cleverly, it anticipates by thirty years the world's obsession with reality TV, as the newly roused man-baby's experiences are captured by television crews each step of the way. Considering how unlikely and distant the concept of fly-on-the-wall TV documentaries must have been back in the early '70s, this marks an uncannily prescient aspect of the story.

John Soames (Terence Stamp) has been comatose since birth due to a brain defect. He has been kept alive by intravenous feeding and round-the- clock care and attention from a team of scientists at the Midland Institute of Neurophysiological Research. American surgeon Dr. Bergen (Robert Vaughn) is brought in to perform a delicate operation which will spur Soames into consciousness. After that, Soames is to be placed under the supervision of Dr. Maitland (Nigel Davenport) who has prepared a rigorous programme to integrate him into the world – planning a strict timetable for when he will walk, talk, eat, dress, read, count and so on. Bergen expresses concerns at the excessively scientific, impersonal and inflexible nature of the plans, but Maitland is adamant that Soames must be pushed hard to catch up on lost years as quickly as possible. Of course, things don't run smoothly… and Soames soon tires of the regimented treatment to which he is subjected. He escapes from the institute and goes on he run in the 'real world', where his toddler-like perceptions put him - and others - in considerable danger.

Although slow-paced and deliberately bloodless, The Mind Of Mr Soames remains a much underrated gem in the annals of Amicus. Stamp's performance alone is worth the price of admission. How easy it would have been for a lesser actor to look awfully foolish playing this baby- in-an-adult's-body (complete with man-sized pink baby grow). Yet Stamp brings remarkable conviction to the role, making us believe his every action and reaction throughout the film. Vaughn and Davenport are also in very good form as the main supporting players. The film bears some resemblance to the Frankenstein legend in certain aspects, with Maitland representing the Dr. F figure (ambitious scientist bringing to life what was once inanimate, but showing only scientific curiosity rather than love towards his 'creation') and Stamp a gentler incarnation of the monster (frightened creature, unaware of his own potential to harm, at large in the wider community). It is never a truly exciting film, aiming for an intentionally low-key and unsensational tone throughout. It is however thoroughly absorbing, thought-provoking and - thanks to its earnest performances - very believable. As unfairly overlooked gems go, they don't come more unfairly overlooked than The Mind Of Mr Soames.

Amicus in non Hammer territory

[kevinolzak · 7/10 · 27 July 2022]

1969's "The Mind of Mr. Soames" was an adaptation of a 1961 Charles Eric Maine novel, perhaps his best known work and certainly superior to earlier efforts like "Spaceways," "The Atomic Man," or "The Electronic Monster." Overshadowed in the wake of Cliff Robertson's similar "Charly," we find Terence Stamp in the title role, a 30 year old man in a lifelong coma only now being prepared surgically to be 'born' through the skills of Dr. Michael Bergen (an engagingly warm turn from Robert Vaughn). Supervising the around the clock television coverage and the patient's lengthy training program is Dr. Maitland (Nigel Davenport), a rather inflexible individual who seems more interested in personal glory than John's welfare. Bergen remains present to offer much needed 'play time' to ease the long term dreariness of teaching lessons, even unlocking the door to allow Soames to explore the outside world for the first time, until Maitland's staff drag him back inside (he was quite willing to return, had they not forced the issue). Rather than risk being hurt again Soames finally rebels, using a chair to knock out his captor and climb over the institution wall to freedom. This adult male with the aptitude of a child learns harsh lessons on his own, unable to pay for meals, facing rejection from schoolchildren playing ball, and finally being injured by a passing motorist whose wife treats him with genuine kindness. Once he's been tracked down to a lonely country barn, Bergen goes inside to help John plead his case, to make his own decision to return without anyone taking him by force. Producer Milton Subotsky's obvious obsession with the name Maitland does not necessarily make Nigel Davenport an out and out villain, though he does clash with Robert Vaughn's more humane treatment, the surgeon well versed in child psychology as father to three kids. Terence Stamp ably conveys the frustration, boredom, and finally sheer joy of first time experience, a difficult role that he carries off in entirely believable fashion. Only a few television airings preceded its fall into complete obscurity, a sad fate for Stamp compared to Cliff Robertson's Oscar-winning performance, but one that also deserves long neglected recognition.

Docu-Drama Style Renders the Movie Routine but Oddly Warm and Inviting

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 20 June 2015]

The Tone of the Movie is about the same as the Tone of the Response from Movie Critics and Audiences. Tepid, mildly Engaging, with a Detached but Detailed Observation. The Film Relies on a Documentary Style and approach where Things are Observed, Unfettered, and Matter of Fact.

Occasionally, it does Manage to Draw Interest when the Boring and Predictable become more Lively and Intriguing. The Wakening of a Man from a 30 Year Coma (since birth) and the Clinical Nurturing and "Upbringing" asks the Scientific and Sociological Questions one would Expect, and the Answers are what one would Expect from a Textbook.

The Film does have a Serious Sense of Purpose and some Fine Performances with Leads Terence Stamp and Robert Vaughn Excellent. But in the End it is all about Entertainment and the Movie, going Against Conventional Wisdom and Trends, Delivers a Docu-Drama with the Emphasis on "Doc".

It Anticipates Reality TV's Cold and Truthful Camera without Today's "Spontaneous" "Slight of Hand" that Keeps it from Being Really "Reality". You can only get that from a Hidden Camera. The Film is Worth a Watch for the Good Acting and Sleek Production, but the Decision to go "Low Key" did leave Audiences a bit Disappointed.

But it's just Off-Beat enough to allow a Recommendation. It took a Chance and it almost Succeeds, but Not Quite and was a Noble Effort.

The Mind of Mr Soames

[henry8-3 · 5/10 · 3 August 2020]

A thirty year old man (Stamp) 'asleep' since birth is awoken by surgeon Vaughn. He is a child and must be taught by gruff doctor, Davenport. He rebels and eventually escapes from his institution.

Clearly a serious attempt to create a science lead drama, it is only partially successful. Vaughn and Stamp are both very good with Stamp pulling out the acting stops as the 'young boy'. It is though a drama that you expect to turn into something else - a thriller? - and it never does. It is ultimately quite poignant and well handled and acted, but lacks any sense of passion and urgency.

Terence Stamp Oscar performance.

[kris-gray · 8/10 · 6 October 2018]

Sadly he wasn't nominated.

This is a very thought provoking film, I read the book before they made the film, it deviated a bit but still a good rendition with great performances from Stamp and Robert Vaughn, always a great actor sad to see him go at a fine old age.

If you want intelligent Sci Fi then is for you, however if Sci Fi means CGI, non stop action with space ships and aliens then don't bother, it's not.

Unfortunately disappointing movie, based on a good idea

[The_Void · 6/10 · 25 March 2008]

British drama The Mind of Mr. Soames hasn't exactly gone down well in the annals of cinematic history; given the fact that it has been pretty much forgotten since its release almost forty years ago. I'm not surprised really; despite an interesting premise, the film is not all that memorable and the idea is not handled as well as it could have been; plus, there are better movies on the topic. The movie was apparently made by Amicus, who of course were most famous for their horror anthologies, and the film is really not what I have come to expect from the UK's number two horror movie producing studio. The plot focuses on Mr Soames; a man who was somehow born in a coma and has been in one ever since. He is now thirty years old and has lived all his life in a hospital where he is cared for, despite not being aware of it, by the doctors and nurses. There is a medical breakthrough and finally it is possible to awaken Mr Soames; which happens in a public operation. After he is finally awakened, he's subjected to a scheme to make him mature into a man...but things go awry when he escapes.

The idea that this film is based on is undoubtedly interesting, though probably not possible. There's many ways that a plot like this could be handled, and while in this film it is handled much better and more skilfully than in, say, 1973's The Baby, the result is still disappointing. The film is slow to start and not a great deal happens for the first half of the movie as we get to watch the central sleeping and then learning and not much else. The most interesting part of the movie comes in the second half when the man/child escapes into the real world and this is also the most disappointing part of it as it doesn't resolve anything and we don't get to know much about the central character's condition. The film is largely well made; Alan Cooke could have implemented more suspense but his direction is assured and Terence Stamp is convincing enough in the lead role. It all boils down to a very unsatisfying climax as the ending does not resolve anything which really is a shame. Overall, this is not a completely bad film; but I can't say I enjoyed it much and I don't recommend going out of your way to track it down!

TEDIOUS

[mmthos · 4/10 · 6 November 2022]

In England, a man comes out of a 30 year coma, and he is just as clueless about the world as any newborn. There's the age old conflict between American and British scientists over how we learn best. The American position favors lessons from life, while the Brits are sticklers for academic discipline.. And talk about taking baby steps! After an hour I felt like I'd listened to every lesson drilled into schoolchildren during childhood, and heard nothing but quarreling from the eggheads in charge. Terence Stamp as the man-child is a typically sensitive, nuanced performance all his own, but the film is all too slow and repetitious for me.

From boredom.

I Thought The Movie Was Excellent

[nike06524 · 10/10 · 24 June 2006]

I haven't seen it in awhile and can't find the Charles Eric Maine novel it was based on. It's been out-of-print forever. Another novel by Mr. Maine is available..."Alph"...But I do remember how the movie ends and I don't think every film needs to end on a final note. Let your imagination create an ending for Mr. Soames. Does Dr. Bergen (Robert Vaughn) continue with him, in which case he might thrive after the negative note the film ends on or does Dr. Maitland continue screwing him up using him as a human guinea pig? Does he lapse back into a coma or some other vegetative state or commit suicide? To leave a final ending up to ones imagination is part of what makes the sad but incomplete ending of the film wonderful. If I could read the book I could compare but... Thanks to a private seller in the UK via Amazon I'm finally reading the book. Thus far it was a good idea to create Dr. Bergen instead of the Japanese Dr. Takaito who perform the surgery that wakes up Mr. Soames.

Poor Mr Soames

[Stevieboy666 · 7/10 · 8 May 2020]

A 30 year old man, John Soames, has been in a coma since birth but a doctor is going to perform pioneering brain surgery in order to awaken him, with everything being filmed for TV. Once conscious Soames, the man-child, undergoes intensive schooling, which does not always go smoothly. Amicus were known for their horror movies, in particular anthologies, which they excelled at, so this science-fiction/drama for me was of interest. Sadly I was hoping that there would be horror elements but there aren't, apart from being unsettling at times. Good, engaging movie, perhaps a little slow at times, but great cast & filming locations. It also gives a glimpse into 1970 England, when smoking was sociable, doctors had bottles of hard liquor in their offices and there are many old vehicles, now all classed as classics, to be seen. I felt sorry for Mr Soames, his plight was very sad at times, quite a moving tale but it is no classic.

Something is wrong here ?

[adabsiz · 4/10 · 11 October 2019]

We are asked to believe that a 30 year old man who has been in a coma since BIRTH can speak English and converse with a female on a train ? Or understand what his doctor or anyone else is saying for that matter ... including the word "germs" !! The whole story premis is wrong somehow ...

A sleeper about a sleeper

[Wizard-8 · 27 January 1999]

An underrated, pretty much forgotten movie that deserves to be better known. The premise - a 30 year-old man in a coma since birth suddenly awakened - had me hooked from the start. Terence Stamp gives an excellent performance as a baby in a man's body. How do you treat such a patient? Scientist Vaughn believes Stamp deserves a proper childhood, including play and affection. Scientist Davenport thinks that it's important that that Stamp be given an intense regular schedule of learning to catch up. It turns out both men are right (AND wrong). What happens in the second half of the movie will be foreseen by many viewers, but it's handled with intelligence and believability. Some viewers today may not be pleased with the ending, which is not cut-and-dried and sweetly happy. But it's not without hope, and it feels more real than any artificial ending that would probably be tacked on if the movie was made today.

Great talents, disappointing film

[moosish-628-965954 · 7/10 · 14 June 2015]

Robert Vaughn and Terence Stamp are two of my all-time favorite actors, and they never give disappointing performances. However, even their prodigious talents couldn't save this film. The film descends into hackneyed clichés and ultimately disappoints. It wound up being a cross between "Charly" and "Frankenstein."

I should add that it was great seeing Judy Parfitt (currently one of the nuns on "Call The Midwife" on the PBS series) in her much-younger days, and Nigel Davenport, an under-appreciated actor who should have been given more leading roles during his long career, imho.

In summary, I think it's worthwhile to see this film once, if only for the great cast.

A thirty year nap from birth prevents a lot more than growing up.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 9 October 2020]

Young Terrence Stamp is a marvel in this movie, a character whose innocence is completely misunderstood when he somehow gets out into the world, having been in a coma since entering life. With the help of the psychiatrists sent to help him when he comes out of his stupor, he learns enough in a short period of time to advance to the mentality of a young boy, and curious to see the world, escapes with the help of his adult sized strength, knocking out a guard. Stamp makes his way around society, obviously perplexed why people treat him coldly or with fear. His doctors (which includes Robert Vaughan) try to find him, and hopefully before it is too late as he is labeled a dangerous psychotic pervert by the law enforcement searching for him, a belief far from the truth.

Stamp's performance goes from the basic grunts and cries of someone with the mentality and fear of an infant to the curiosity and friendliness of a grade school boy. It is easy to see why he is feared yet you can't help but lose your sympathy for him because he is in a situation that he is in no way responsible for. This is a very unique film that takes the character past Cliff Robertson's Oscar-Winning performance in "Charly" (which dealt with mental retardation and arrested development) and is closer to the more recent classic "Benjamin Button", and that makes the story all the more heartbreaking. This is something that even the science of psychiatry couldn't figure out, and thanks to Stamp's brilliant performance, wins over the audience with adoration for this loving adult with a six year old brain.

Man runs around in pink bunny suit

[malcolmgsw · 6/10 · 10 December 2018]

Starts off quite intriguingly with a reasonably novel premise about a man having been in a coma since birth but grown up nevertheless. Once they bring him out of the coma is when the fun begins.He gets free wearing what looks like a pink bunny suit.You would think that everyone would notice particularly when he goes into a pub and pinches a sandwich.Eventually he is caught and we'll that's it.

Booooooooooooring!

[d_m_s · 1/10 · 26 April 2019]

Re-reading the synopsis I'm not sure what made me think this film was worth watching in the first place.

It's very moralistic, with heavy-handed messages about the treatment of Mr Soames. Robert Vaughn's character is an annoyingly perfect human being.

It's all rather dull though. Mr Soames is awakened via brain surgery and then rapidly educated to the mental age of about a 3-4 year old. And that's it really. Lots of montage sequences of him having lessons and developing and messing about and playing games. Boring. Really boring.

Ultimately he escapes, runs away (nothing interesting happens during these sequences), hides out and is captured again and that's where it ends.

Also, there's something really nauseating about watching a grown man pretend to be a baby and a toddler.

Surprisingly intelligent and engaging.

[MOscarbradley · 8/10 · 3 November 2019]

A new take on the Frankenstein myth. Terence Stamp is the man in a coma since birth but kept alive in a kind of oxygen tank, who is awakened after 30 years. Alan Cooke's "The Mind of Mr. Soames" is an unusually intelligent piece of sci-fi which, like Mary Shelley's novel, is really about the relationship between the doctor who 'awakens' him and his 'creature' , the unfortunate Mr Soames who might have been better off had he been left in his tank. In these roles Robert Vaughan, (the doctor), and in particular Stamp, (Soames), are excellent. If the plot proceeds along a somewhat predictable path, the superb handling and good performances all round, more than redeem it. Not really a success when it came out, it is now destined for cult status.

Manbaby At Large

[thalassafischer · 7/10 · 17 December 2023]

I viewed this 1970 science fiction drama because the atmosphere was similar to what I look for in an older film, and didn't really know what to expect. The Mind of Mr. Soames is surprisingly touching and expertly acted, very much a well-written drama instead of silly exploitation cinema.

While the original set up is wildly unrealistic (by age 30 this man would, in the real world, be developmentally disabled and certainly wouldn't learn like some kind of precocious genius toddler) the actor who plays John Soames for all intents and purposes seems just like a small child. His acting is superb, his facial expressions are uncannily that of an innocent three year old which is no easy feat.

By the end of the film I very much empathized with poor Mr. Soames and I appreciate the underlying message about how children and the mentally ill are treated by authority figures and doctors.

An odd curio for Amicus

[vampire_hounddog · 4/10 · 8 August 2020]

Asleep for 30 years since he was a baby, an institute for neurology wake their subject (Terence Stamp) up under the glare of publicity. Behaving like a baby, he must learn from the beginning as though he were still a baby, but the man grows a yearning to escape which would make him a danger to himself and others.

With this film Amicus moved away from straight horror into psychological sci-fi drama; in fact there are few elements or vestiges that would tie it to the studio's previous output. Although this film could have so easily gone wrong, it does do a fairly decent job in spite of its quirkiness and numerous plot holes.

Provocative and brave

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 25 October 2020]

Unusual and intriguing tale of a man in a coma since birth being brought back to life after 30 years in front of TV cameras. Directed with little visual flair by TV man Alan Cooke this really makes little, ironically, of the TV aspect, perhaps his sympathies were on the wrong side here. Terence Stamp plays the man child here to great affect and I must say that whatever it was that drew him to this distinctly non-glamourous role, he really puts in a fine and believably odd performance. He is well supported by Donal Donnelly, Nigel Davenport and particularly so by Robert Vaughn, who despite some strange facial hair is the best I've seen him apart from his much loved TV work. I do feel more could have been made of the TV aspect here and introduced the home audience as another dimension to help develop a broader sense of community interest and concern. As it is this is more or less a two part ensemble with Stamp and Vaughn battling the rigidity of Davenport and his traditions with Donnelly sidling up as the caring nurse. Provocative and brave and if it looks more like TV than an expose of TV then to some extent I imagine that is as much down to the limited resources of the Amicus production people even if this was picked up by Columbia

an updated Frankenstein

[trevorandrewmillar-70769 · 3/10 · 26 January 2020]

Basically, this movie is Frankenstein updated to the present; all it lacked was a blind hermit to teach him how to talk. John is at least more sympathetic than the monster; although the tabloid press does its best to turn him into one (screaming headline WILL THIS BABY KILL? in the Daily Maxwell of all papers!). Fortunately it wasn't made by Hammer; they would have burned John to death in the barn at the end!

not your run-of-the-mill movie

[rover-9 · 20 February 2000]

If you are looking for something out of the ordinary,this movie is worth watching. It tells a deeply moving story of a man who has awakened from a coma that he has been in since birth and has 30 years of catching up to do. Terence Stamp plays the lead and is well suited to the part. He is a fine actor who has not recei ved enough accolades.