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In two films, Terror by Night and Voice of Terror, the device is used of having the identity of Watson's school chum become an important part of the story. Is it possible for a person to mistake a former close acquaintance or even a former mate? Aging changes people's appearance, voice, and behavior, but a fundamental identity is usually recognized. Sommersby and The Return of Martin Guerre try to make this credible. These are cases in which Coleridge's willing suspension of disbelief might be necessary if the film is to be tolerated as entertainment.Lestrade (talk) 04:28, 25 November 2008 (UTC)Lestrade[reply]

Yes, it is certainly possible, and we actually discussed this topic in the History class that I mentioned below. Since both Sommersby and Guerre (essentially the same character, but of different nationalities and time periods) had impostures who had returned after they had been gone for quite some time, people assumed they aged in a normal fashion. Guerre, for example, was thinner, darker, and had a slightly different face than de Rols. However, since they had been gone for so long, the human mind may forget slight imperfections. In Guerre's case, they were peasants who could not afford mirrors or paintings. Long story short, people tend to forget minor details about someone's appearance, who they knew in the past, if they have not seen him or her for quite some time. Human growth further complicates this. The Return of Martin Guerre is actually a true story, but parts of the film stray from the truth. The book, however, by Davis, contains the true storyline.TheCaitiffChoir (talk) 22:21, 4 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

There are many websites classifying "Sommersby" as a remake of The Return of Martin Guerre (1982). As a History major, I was required to watch the film and it is nearly identical to Sommersby, aside from the fact that it's set about 300 years after The Return of Martin Guerre and in The United States. There are also quite a few websites labeling it as a "remake" in Google results of "Sommersby remake Martin Guerre." TheCaitiffChoir (talk) 22:15, 4 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]