So You Want To Conquer Death?

With Hallowe'en coming, I thought I would review three films appropriate for this time of year. This is the first.

“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.” ~ The Creature

“There was something at work in my soul which I do not understand.” ~ Victor Frankenstein

“Lives come and go. If we succeed, our names will live on forever. I will be hailed as the benefactor of our species.” ~ Captain Walton

"I'm here to become a mere doctor. I'm told that has something to do with healing the sick, which is a pity, really, because I find sick people rather revolting." ~ Henry Clerval

“I’m frightened that if I tell you the truth, I’ll lose you.” ~ Victor Frankenstein 

“You’ll lose me if you don’t.” ~ Elizabeth

In 1994, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein came to theatres, as something of a companion film to the earlier Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The first film had been directed by Francis Ford Coppolla with a screenplay by James V. Hart, and both men were producers for this adaptation of Shelley’s classic horror novel. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, who starred as the overly ambitious scientist trying to conquer death by creating life, the film is overwrought and operatic at times, but also faithful to the source material, presenting a different take on the monster and the man who created him.

The film travels back and forth in time, much of it as an extended flashback, a story told in 1794 by a depleted Victor Frankenstein (Branagh) to Robert Walden (Aidan Quinn), a ship’s captain in the Arctic obsessed with reaching the North Pole. He reveals his tumultuous history, growing up as the son of the Baron Frankenstein (Ian Holm) and his wife Caroline (Cherie Lunghi), along with the young girl they took in when he was a child, Elizabeth, who grew to be the woman he loved (Helena Bonham Carter). The death of his mother in childbirth becomes the great shattering blow for the young Frankenstein. He vows that no one ever need die.

At medical school, Victor makes friends with a classmate, Henry Clerval (Tom Hulce), challenges his professors, including Professor Waldman (John Cleese), who harbours his own murky secrets about experiments in life and death. Victor begins to conduct his own experiments, heedless of the consequences, determined to cheat death by creating life. Assembling his creation by stitching together body parts, he brings it to life, but finds it to be a failure, renouncing the course of action he took. His creation (Robert De Niro), however, has other ideas.

The screenplay by Frank Darabont and Steph Lady closely adapts the novel (though Darabont himself has stated his own issues with the finished product). It weaves together themes like madness, selfishness, obsession, ambition, the meaning of existence, and the consequences of actions- or disregard for consequences- all of which run deeply through Shelley’s narrative, which is one of the reasons it resonates so deeply as a classic. Including the framing device of Captain Walton’s presence as a bookend for the beginning and ending of the film was something that hadn’t been done before- the character appears in the book, but not the various movies. It gives a different structure to the film and different nuances than earlier versions.

The story also presents the creature in a different way. He’s been presented in films as a sad wretch or a killing machine (and truthfully those can be seen here), but the script gives the creature depth, showing him as a new life trying to understand his place in the world, and driven to destruction because he’s been rejected by the world. As time goes on, the creature shows himself to be a mixture of intelligence and puzzlement, scarred by a horrible appearance and capable of profound thought. His relationship with his creator is a contrast- Victor fears what he created but also is capable of pity for him, while the creature both hates the man who rejected him but also views him as a father.

Branagh’s directing and cinematographic style throughout the film tends to be grand, dramatic, over the top, and frantic at times, perhaps best expressed in the creation sequence, with rapid edits, swooping camera shots, and Gothic set pieces. The film has an operatic quality, perhaps to the point where we wonder if the film itself has become something of a monster of the director’s creation. And yet the film is also rooted deeply in horror, as it should be. Branagh effectively brings to life an eighteenth century setting in terms of the locations chosen for filming- the Frankenstein manor feels like quite a grand place. The same applies to the costuming and props the crew contribute to the film, giving an authenticity to the film. Even the machinery Frankenstein uses feels plausible for the era.

And the look of the creature, essential to the story, is well rendered through make up and prosthetics- De Niro looks stitched together and scarred, limping along, as his legs are uneven; he does look like a nightmare. The film got an Oscar nomination for its makeup effects, and that’s well deserved. The score by Branagh’s frequent collaborator Patrick Doyle matches the mood of the film: occasionally intimate, but often Gothic, brooding, and operatic, rising to the point of nightmarish at times.

The cast is well chosen. Ian Holm, who had worked with Branagh before, is well cast as Baron Frankenstein, a wise and kind man, the patriarch of his family. Cherie Lunghi plays his wife- at least until her death early on in the story, and they make a believable, grounded couple; the viewer might wonder what Victor might have turned out to be like had his mother lived. Would Victor have ended up following his dark obsession without heed of the consequences?

John Cleese, who’s known as a comedic actor, instead plays the professor Waldman with gravity and seriousness, no trace of the wink in the eye that you’d expect of the actor. Tom Hulce takes what could be a cliché character and works well with it. Henry is loyal to a fault, an intelligent man who’s something of a bumbler at times. He befriends Victor early on, stays friends with him, and in fact acts as a voice of conscience to him. Even if Victor isn’t heeding Henry’s warnings of the course he’s chosen- Victor listens too often only to his obsessions- that voice is needed, and Hulce brings that across through the film.

Aidan Quinn’s presence at the beginning and ending of the film, providing a framework for the story, restores Shelley’s narrative flow from the book, and his character provides a counter balance to Victor’s obsessions. When we first meet Captain Walton, we see a man driven by ambition to make his place in history, so much so that he’s disregarding the discontent of his crew, all of whom are worried about being trapped in Arctic ice and their prospects of reaching home again. After hearing Victor’s story, and seeing with his own eyes the creature that was the result of his obsession, Walton is able to do what Victor could not- turn back from his ambitions before it’s too late. He’s humbled by what he sees, takes lessons to heart, and treats the creature with sympathy, treating him as a human being, something that the creature has rarely experienced. It’s a good touch for the character, and the actor conveys that personal shift- from obsession to epiphany- in the right way.

Helena Bonham Carter is well cast as Elizabeth. The character is a mix of seriousness, spirit, and enjoying life. There is intelligence, life, and energy in her, in a way that you might not expect out of a woman in the 18^th century (a nod to the author herself). Carter’s performance gives Elizabeth depth and makes her complete in and of herself. That shows itself in how she deals with Victor- the romantic bond is certainly believable, but she is also able to give Victor enough of an ultimatum to pull him back from the edge. And where she ends up by film’s end shows another side of the theme of consequences to actions- her choice demonstrates to Victor that disregarding consequences only ends in destruction.

De Niro has the strongest performance of the cast as the Creature. He first appears as a criminal about to be executed, but spends most of the film as what is supposed to be a monster, and yet turns out to be a mix of terror, pathos, and ultimately humanity. The Creature comes into a world not knowing where he belongs, finds himself driven out by society, and out into the wilderness. Gradually his intelligence asserts itself and he learns how to read and speak, but his fleeting encounters with humanity tend to end badly. The audience can feel for him- and does when we see his pain, both physical and emotional. De Niro conveys that strongly, as well as the sense that the Creature is ashamed of his appearance. When he is finally drawn back to the life of his creator, we see him as something of an intellectual equal to Victor, capable of asking deeply philosophical questions- the question as to if he has a soul certainly is something that resonates deeply. De Niro plays the role as a mix of pity and rage, driven by revenge over his rejection by the world. Ultimately, however, the rage is spent, and his final act is one of compassion and humanity- which makes the character all the more compelling.

Branagh’s take on Victor matches the film itself- Gothic and over the top at times. His best work is opposite De Niro and Carter- especially a conversation Victor and the Creature have amid an ice field in which Victor is trying to make amends. It’s a quiet moment in a film that’s often frantic, and yet it’s one of the best scenes in the film, two master actors in very different positions having a philosophical discussion. The character though is inherently selfish- brilliant but obsessed with his goal to the point of shutting out everything else. At a pivotal moment late in the film, he asks not “are you okay”, but to “say my name”, a telling sign of his selfishness. Victor is so bound in his ambitions and his experiments that he fails to take into account the consequences of his actions- which is one of the things that makes the character and book so compelling. It’s the pursuit of knowledge without taking everything into consideration that continues to make it a classic. Instead Branagh’s Victor learns the lessons far too late of what his obsessions have cost him. It’s only after everything he’s valued has been destroyed and taken from him that Victor understands the penalty of ambition.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein does follow the book closely, for the most part, and strongly delves into the themes. Two centuries plus on, the book remains a classic because it asks difficult questions, profound questions that challenge us. In a world with cloned sheep and the acceleration of artificial intelligence, we would be wise to heed its lessons. This film adaptation captures the era well, featuring strong performances in a narrative that does go over the top and completely operatic in its scope at times, but presents the characters with depth and humanity- especially a vengeful Creature who has far more empathy than his creator could have imagined.

The Beard Means Tristan Is Going Crazy

“Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness, and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends.” ~ One Stab

 “Forever turned out to be too long.” ~ Susannah

“Indians were the issue in those days. I can assure you, gentlemen, there is nothing so grotesque as the meeting of a child with a bullet, or an entire village slaughtered while sleeping. That was the government’s resolution of that particular issue and I have seen nothing in its behaviour since then that would persuade me that it has gained either in wisdom, common sense, or humanity.” ~ Colonel Ludlow

“I followed all the rules... man’s and God’s. And you.... you followed none of them. And they all loved you more. Samuel, Father, and my... even my own wife.” ~ Alfred

“You know, when Samuel died... when Samuel died, I cursed God. Did I damn everyone around me as well as myself?” ~ Tristan

In late 1994, director Edward Zwick (Glory) brought the sweeping epic Legends Of The Fall to the big screen. Based on a novella by the writer Jim Harrison, the story follows a family in the American West over years in the early Twentieth century, depicting their conflicts, relationships, and story against the sweep of history. It’s a brooding tale of madness, love, loyalty, family, and the sprawling landscape of home, and it ended up making a very big star out of its lead.

The story is narrated by One Stab (Gordon Tootoosis), a Cree warrior at the end of his life, telling visitors about the Ludlow family he’s been tied to and their tale, years earlier, in the era between the First World War and the 1930s. We meet Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins), a former U.S. Army officer who left the military out of disgust in the wake of the Indian Wars. He’s established a home in the wilds of Montana for his wife and sons- though his wife soon becomes a distant presence, unable to adapt to the rigours of the mountains. His sons grow up, the eldest being the responsible Alfred (Aidan Quinn), followed by the wild hearted Tristan (Brad Pitt), and the youngest being Samuel (Henry Thomas), who is watched over carefully by his brothers. Their ranch is also home to One Stab, as well as a ranch hand, Decker (Paul Desmond) and his wife, Pet (Tantoo Cardinal) and their young daughter Isabel Two (Sekwan Auger).

Samuel returns home from college with a fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond). She makes quite an impression on both of his brothers and even his father, brightening up the ranch and shaking up their lives. Samuel’s ideals, however, in the face of the building war in Europe, bring the brothers to a turning point. He wishes to go off to war against the Germans. Tristan and Alfred resolve to follow him- more or less out of the same impulse to protect him from harm. This being a film about the darkness of the heart and struggles between brothers, nothing good can come from that decision.

Harrison’s novel was published back in 1979, and explores the dynamics of family against the backdrop of history. The themes of the story play strongly throughout the script, written by Susan Shilliday and William Wittliff. While it might well have been marketed as an epic romance at the time, the story really is about the dynamic of family, and the complicated relationships between a father and two of his sons. Themes of loyalty, love, revenge, the darkness of the mind, the madness of war, and ultimately reconciliation play out during the film. I like the narrative style- much of the story is narrated by One Stab, whose voice comes across so strongly, but there is also narrative in the form of letters from one character to another, speaking across time.

Edward Zwick was an ideal candidate to direct the film. He had previously directed the Civil War epic Glory, and its sweeping battle sequences are reflected here in the World War One sequences in the trenches, the sheer horror of battle. Zwick handles that well- something he would repeat later in Courage Under Fire, for instance, but he also has a fine grasp of working with actors and bringing out the best in them, which happens with this film as well. 

Filming was done on location in Alberta and British Columbia primarily, filling in nicely for Montana- and even for the trenches of France- and the jaw dropping beautiful landscape is captured in just the right way. I particularly like the way he cross cuts several characters late in the film in a sequence involving revenge, carried out by two of those characters. The cinematography by John Toll won the Oscar that year- and deservedly so. The score, by James Horner, is one of my favourites, a mix of darkness and serenity, perfectly fitting the mood of the film.

The cast was well chosen. That includes small parts for antagonists. Kenneth Welsh, the Canadian actor who’s been in countless television and film roles, often as a villain, plays the corrupt local sheriff Tynert, clearly taking orders from criminals and not really bothering to hide it. The criminals in question are the O’Banion brothers, John (Robert Wisden) and James (John Novak). Both actors are known for playing not terribly likable characters, and that applies here. Their characters are Irish immigrants, presenting themselves as somewhat respectable on the surface, but they are in fact bootleggers and gangsters, capable of ruthlessness and brutality, and as the film goes along, they make for unpleasant company. The O’Banions might be seen as the dark reflection of the Ludlows, sharing the same family loyalty, but no scruples.

Paul Desmond appears throughout the film as the ranch hand Decker. He’s well established among the family, but we don’t know that much about his background- aside from the fact that he’s on the run from the law. He’s content to hide out in the mountains of Montana making a reasonably honest living, and comes across as a strong support for Colonel Ludlow. Tantoo Cardinal plays his wife Pet, the Native woman and eventual mother-in-law to Tristan, giving her warmth and a sense of strength in her performance.

One character gets divided into two actresses. Sekwan Auger is the young Isabel Two, named after Colonel Ludlow’s wife, and daughter of Decker and Pet. As a child, she comes across as outspoken, mischievous, and sure of herself. Isabel is certain that one day she’ll marry Tristan- and in fact that does happen. The character is later played by Karina Lombard as a young woman, and though the marketing of the film seems to push the Tristan-Susannah relationship to the forefront, the more believable couple is Tristan and Isabel. They seem better suited to each other, both people of the West and the wild. Isabel seems to quiet the inner storms of Tristan, and as an adult has a personality that seems self assured and at peace.

Julia Ormond gets a big role as Susannah, who we first meet when she steps off a train. She’s seemingly cheerful, though we get a hint of things to come in a preceding letter from Isabel Ludlow to her husband- that Susannah’s suffered losses and seems fragile. It’s a complicated role, one that Ormond plays well. We can certainly see why the brothers would each in turn feel drawn to her, and even why the Colonel would be pleased by her presence in a home that hasn’t had a “civilized woman” in a long while. She relates to each brother- and by extension each love interest- differently. There’s the idealistic romance she shares with Samuel, the deep passion she finds with Tristan in the wake of grief, and the more responsible- yet unhappy- marriage she has with Alfred. The character is fragile, becoming all the more so as the film goes on, and the actress plays to that, giving Susannah a growing anxiety and frayed edges in her personality.

Gordon Tootoosis has a terrific role as the Cree warrior turned faithful friend One Stab, something of a second father to Tristan, and a loyal friend to Colonel Ludlow. He’s a man of the land, strongly influential in Tristan’s upbringing particularly. The character understands English- though he wouldn’t lower himself to speak it- and his voice comes across strongly throughout as he narrates the story. One Stab is a man of great personal strength and dignity, given a lot of depth as the story unfolds, and it’s a wonderfully memorable character for the actor to play.

Henry Thomas was first known as a child actor in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Years later he got this part, and it’s a good one. Though the character dies relatively early in the film, Samuel’s fate is the driving force for everyone else through the rest of the movie. Samuel is idealistic, smart, but also naive and not all that sure of himself. He sees the growing storm of war across the ocean as a cause worth fighting for, not regarding the warnings of his father, who has seen the madness of war. He learns too late just how terrible war can be, and that naive quality of the character has to give way to the realization that he was wrong. The audience can see why Tristan and Alfred are so protective of him, so loyal to him- and so with his passing, a huge wedge comes between the two surviving brothers.

Anthony Hopkins gets a great role in a career filled with great roles as Colonel Ludlow. One Stab’s narration makes mention of a curious phrase- the Colonel wanted to lose the madness over the mountains. Disgusted by what he sees as the dishonour of the military towards Indians, he walked away from his army career and sought sanctuary. The character is educated and refined in his own way when we first meet him, a man accustomed to being in charge and running his family that way. And yet he also loves them fiercely. His grief over Samuel perhaps feeds into the way he responds to his surviving sons- a strong estrangement with Alfred on the one hand, while excusing Tristan’s moods and long absence on the other. As the film goes on and the character suffers physical ailments that leave him a broken shell of the man he was, the Colonel still has that fierce quality lingering below the surface, and where things end, in reconciliation, gives the role great poignancy.

Aidan Quinn gets the toughest role of the cast as the eldest brother Alfred. He is a man of principle and ambition, sharing some of Samuel’s idealism about the war, and yet it seems when he decides to go overseas and be part of the Great War, it’s less because of idealism and more out of wanting to keep Samuel safe. Alfred believes in the law- and yet associates with men whose criminal enterprises are just beneath the surface. His ambitions lead him into a place of responsibility- and further away from his family, the estrangement with Tristan and Colonel Ludlow taking different shapes. The wounds seem to run deepest between Alfred and Tristan, in part because of the death of Samuel and in part because of Susannah, who’s been loved by both of them. Quinn gives the character a mix of authority, inherent decency, and brooding moods- and ultimately brings him full circle. It’s an excellent performance.

This was one of Brad Pitt’s breakout roles- along with Interview With A Vampire, A River Runs Through It, and a small but memorable role in Thelma And Louise. In this case, Legends Of The Fall firmly established him as a romantic leading man. Tristan is wild and rebellious, untamed in personality, seemingly restless and wandering even before the War. He comes across as charming and enjoying getting into trouble, but at the same time as strongly loyal to his family and the life he’s been brought up in, and as someone who internalizes a lot. Fighting in the War changes him profoundly- the death of Samuel in such a way is soul shattering for Tristan, and we can pretty much see him as a soldier suffering from the effects of PTSD for the rest of his days. That explains a lot about where Tristan goes as the film carries on- whether that’s on long journeys seeking to quiet the storm inside, or giving into the madness within him. And that madness is certainly there- Tristan descends into the darkness more than once, broods with great regularity, and comes across as broken in many ways (you just know he’s going off the deep end when he stops shaving). The way he relates to the two women in his life is an interesting one- the passion he shares with Susannah is nonetheless fraught with melodrama and doomed from the start, while the marriage he has with Isabel (doomed though it is by a trick of fate), comes across as much more grounded and healthier. Pitt brings out a lot in the character, and makes it an exceptionally compelling performance by the end of the film.

Legends Of The Fall is a wonderfully filmed epic that tells an intimate tale about family against the backdrop of history. Strong characterization in the script is reflected in the memorable performances of the cast. The cinematography and scenery is breathtakingly captured, and the era of the early 20^th century certainly feels authentic throughout. While the film is violent at times, and deals with dark themes like revenge, death, insanity, and family conflict, its ultimate resolution is uplifting, and satisfying.