Spiderman’s Norman Osborn as Dr. Jekyll Friday, Aug 22 2008

One of the requirements of great fantasy and comic book stories is a great villain. The villain must be as strong as, or even stronger than, the hero to create a compelling conflict in which the hero must use all his or her resolve, cunning and strength to prevail. While the Green Goblin from the first Spiderman film will might not keep company with the likes of Darth Vader or Count Dracula in the villain hall of fame, he he definitely fits the bill of a worthy adversary for Spiderman. What makes him compelling, however, is the allegorical nature of Norman’s struggle against his inner demon. This struggle is instantly familiar as a variation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story of Jekyll and Hyde, Dr. Jekyll develops a drug which gives birth to Mr. Hyde, who immediately engages in all manner of nefarious activity including a murder. At first, Mr. Hyde only appears when Dr. Jekyll takes the drug. Gradually, however, Mr. Hyde is able to appear without aid of the drug. Jekyll is less and less in control, and it becomes Jekyll who can only appear with the aid of the drug, rather than the other way around. Supplies of the drug run out and Jekyll and loses all hope of regaining control of himself. He is completely destroyed by Hyde.

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Faramir’s Choice in the Tale of Two Towers Friday, Aug 22 2008

For the record, the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books are fantastic. They are visually stunning, well acted and well paced (especially for such long movies). The defects of the theatrical releases were largely remedied in the extended DVD releases, which feature much need character development and several plot developments. Despite their excellence, however, they are not above criticism. If the movies falter, they do so where they have departed from the books.

One of the most egregious changes from the book occurs in the character of Faramir. Tolkien deliberately contrasts him with his brash older brother, Boromir who was destroyed by the rings temptation. Faramir, on the other hand, resists the ring. His noble character echoes that of the great kings of Gondor, from whom he is distantly and indirectly descended. His character exemplifies the wisdom and nobility of character which is so strong a theme in the story.

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Kitty’s Second Chance: Love and Character in The Painted Veil Friday, Aug 22 2008

The Painted Veil beautifully presents the story of a young society woman named Kitty and her redemption from a shallow and self-centered life through her growing ability to love. While there are several significant changes in how her journey toward a better life is portrayed and the particulars of her circumstances, the film nevertheless captures the essential change in Kitty’s character and so remains remarkably true to W Somerset Maughm’s book.

The first half of the film tracing the events taking Kitty from the high society of London to a remote, cholera-stricken village in China contains only minor changes from the book. Her marriage to Walter, move to China, her affair with Charlie Townsend and Walter’s discovery of it and the terrible choice Walter gives Kitty to accompany him to the village or face a scandalous divorce are all very similar. Not surprisingly, the book offers more detail, but the movie admirably portrays the details of the book. (1)

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Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring: Catholic “Tragedy” Friday, Aug 22 2008

Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring are so tightly connected that they could be considered two chapters of the same film. Jean de Florette portrays the Soubeyran’s cruel treatment of Jean, an idealistic middle class man who has resettled his family on a farm he has inherited in Provence, France. The treatment eventually leads to Jean’s death, after which Cesar and his nephew, Ugolin Soubeyran are able to cheaply buy his property from his widow. Manon of the Spring takes place some ten or twelve years later.

Manon of the Spring is a tragedy in the truest understanding of the genre. It unfolds with a relentlessness usually witnessed in plots by Shakespeare or Sophocles. This tragedy, however, is set in a deeply Catholic culture. As Cesar’s tragedy becomes the catalyst for his return to faith, the film turns the the tragic genre upside down, reflecting Christian belief in the supremacy of hope and life over despair and death.

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The Lives of Others: Art and Authentic living Friday, Aug 22 2008

The Lives of Others follows a playwright, Georg Dreyman, and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland, as they struggle through life in the authoritarian state of 1984 East Berlin. The government maintains tight control of artistic activity, blacklisting or otherwise silencing artists who are critical of the political system.Dreyman’s plays are sympathetic to communism and he is generally liked or tolerated by those in power. When even he comes under full surveillance, however, he achieves in his life what the censors will not allow him to achieve on the stage; he touches the soul of an audience he doesn’t even know he has, and opens that soul to possibilities it had never before conceived.

Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler is the stazi (secrete police) official tasked with spying on Dreyman and Christa-Maria. As the movie unfolds, Wiesler’s naive idealism and belief in the communist project is challenged on the one hand witnessing the blatant corruption and hypocrisy of powerful party officials, and on other hand by a growing sympathy with the targets of his surveillance.

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Thank You for Smoking: A Fine Satire that Falls Short Friday, Aug 22 2008

After seeing Thank You for Smoking, I unhesitatingly recommended to my friends. It is an intelligent satire and a highly entertaining movie that avoids the too-easy tricks of vulgarity and shock. (Though there are a couple sexual encounters in the film, they are actually relevant to the plot.)

So after such praise, why did I title this post as I did? Because as good as it is, the film holds its punches. The satire works because Nick Naylor and Heather Hathoway are deliciously unscrupulous. They are the kind of characters we love to hate. In a satire like this, their moral poverty is precisely their virtue.

But the film tried to have it both ways: Nick is despicable, but he’s really a good guy at heart. He tries to be a good father. We see a touching montage of Nick taking his son to Los Angeles on a business trip with him. And after his world falls apart, it is his son who inspires him to get back in the game. Their relationship is clearly intended to be authentic and loving, which is exactly what is wrong with the whole thing.

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Roman Holiday: the Quintessential Coming-of-Age Romantic Comedy Friday, Aug 22 2008

Royalty, forbidden romance, and the charm and romance of Rome all rolled up in a film that is funny and tender and spectacularly acted Audrey Hepburn – what more could one possibly ask for? Roman Holiday is a light-hearted, gem of a romantic comedy. The story follows a stifled and somewhat bored princess who escapes her gilded cage for a care-free day in Rome. She is guided in her adventures by Joe Bradely (Gregory Peck), a scheming newspaper reporter looking for the scoop of a lifetime, and his photographer friend, Irving.

The film is first and foremost simply a delight to watch. The chemistry between Princess Ann and Joe sparkles. The wild plot certainly stretches credulity, but in the light of an excellent script and marvellous acting it doesn’t much matter. It is also a gorgeous portrayal of Rome, filming all the major attractions from the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, to the Colosseum and the Vatican, ending with Joe and Ann’s final adventure on the river near San Domiano’s.

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