The Man from Another Place

The Man from Another Place (played by Michael J. Anderson) is a fictional character from the television series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. He is an inhabitant of the Black Lodge, a realm of pure evil. Early on in the series, The Man gives Agent Dale Cooper clues to apprehending The Man's nemesis, BOB. He later makes recurring appearances in relation to the Black Lodge.^[1]

Twin Peaks

The Man from Another Place first appears in the series' second episode, in a dream experienced by Cooper. Although a spirit, he appears to Cooper as a dwarf in a red suit and dress shirt. In the dream, The Man gives Cooper a series of esoteric clues which ultimately prove helpful in determining the identity of Laura Palmer's killer, The Man's fellow Black Lodge spirit, BOB. One of these clues is a strange 1940s-style jazz dance, a sequence which makes repeated appearances throughout the course of the series. The series never made clear The Man's reasons for wanting to help Cooper, or his true identity, although based his claim "I am the Arm" in the series finale, coupled with "I took it right off" (Philip Gerard, referring to his missing arm), that he was formerly MIKE's arm; however, despite his linkage to MIKE and the enmity and struggle for Garmonbozia between MIKE and BOB, it is unlikely that The Man aids Agent Cooper in an effort to thwart BOB. There are a handful of scenes throughout the series that suggest that The Man and BOB are allies; this is also consistent with MIKE removing his arm, as typically this is an action taken when the appendage causes harm. Following Cooper's dream, The Man appears only a few more times: once with BOB, appearing to Cooper following the death of Josie Packard, and again at the end of the series when Cooper ventures into the Black Lodge.

Fire Walk with Me

The film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me expands upon The Man from Another Place's identity and his reasons for wanting to help Cooper.

Identity

Fire Walk with Me explains that The Man from Another Place is connected to MIKE, the faceless spirit entity who possesses Philip Gerard, The One Armed Man, in the series. The script explicitly states that the Man from Another Place is, in fact, MIKE's severed arm. In the series, the one-armed Gerard tells Cooper a story about having been BOB's partner until he cut off his own arm in an effort to relieve himself of a tattoo on the left shoulder that BOB also had. In Fire Walk With Me, The Man from Another Place tells Cooper, "I Am the Arm, and I sound like this." He then makes an indian whooping noise with his hand and mouth, which later accompanies the first appearance of Gerard. At the end of the film, when BOB enters the Black Lodge and stands beside his host, Leland Palmer, The Man From Another Place appears, standing beside Philip Gerard. At one point The Man From Another Place puts his hand where Gerard's arm used to be, linking up the Arm with its owner and making MIKE whole.

Motivation

While the motivations of the Man from Another Place have been analyzed what remains is theory. Many theorize that there was a dispute between BOB and MIKE/MFAP over garmonbozia, a symbol for pain and sorrow, that takes the form of creamed corn. This depends mainly on the belief that garmonbozia is food for the Black Lodge inhabitants. However, we never see BOB consume the corn or ask for it. In the series it only states that he feeds on fear and pleasure. In the film, it simply states that BOB stole the corn, not that he consumed it. Mrs. Tremond, another Black Lodge spirit, rejects the corn when it is offered to her, implying that garmonbozia is not desired by all Lodge spirits. MIKE/MFAP seemed the primary ones interested in it. This raises the possibility that the pain and sorrow referenced in the film could be MIKE’s own feelings for BOB's victims. MIKE has been the only one shown to feel repentant for his actions.

A common misconception towards “Fire Walk With Me” is that when BOB takes the blood from off of Leland’s shirt he is returning the stolen garmonbozia. It is widely believed that the blood is Laura’s. In truth, the blood is Leland’s. BOB is really healing Leland’s wound.

Another assumption is that BOB was MIKE’s familiar and MIKE used him to collect garmonbozia. A different possibility, often overlooked, is that when MIKE referred to BOB as his familiar he meant the other usage of the word: friend. This would coincide with the fact that MIKE and BOB were once partners, implying equals rather than servant and master.

Reverse speak

The strange cadence of the Man’s dialogue was achieved by having Anderson speak into a recorder. This was then played in reverse, and Anderson was directed to repeat the reversed original. This “reverse-speak” was then reversed again in editing to bring it back to the normal direction. This created the strange rhythm and accentuation that set Cooper’s dream world apart from the real world.^[2]

Anderson recalls that his reverse-speak was not difficult to master as, coincidentally, he had used it as a secret language with his junior high school friends. Series creator David Lynch was unaware of this when he cast Anderson in the part, and had hired a trainer to help Anderson with enunciation. When he found out Anderson could already talk backwards, he canceled the trainer and wrote more difficult lines of dialogue for Anderson to read.^[3]

References

1. ^ Little Man from Another Place (Character) on IMDb
2. ^ Confessions of an Area 51 Employee (David Lynch, Twin Peaks)
3. ^ Man from another Place teaches how to speak in the Red Room