Review: Gods and Monsters (1998)
Luke Buckmaster
Cast: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich
Director: Bill Condon
Screenplay: Bill Condon based on the novel Father of Frankenstein by
Christopher Bram
Reviewed by Luke Buckmaster
On the Buckmaster scale of 0 stars (bomb), to 5 stars (a masterpiece):
4 and a half stars
Gods and Monsters is a vividly sketched character portrait of a man
whose inner demons were as real to him as the monsters that he graced
the world with. Director James Whale, whose emotional battles
encompassed memories of trench warfare and an unsatisfying homosexual
lifestyle, directed such film noir as Frankenstein, The Invisible Man
and The Bride of Frankenstein. Whale, however, never became one of
Hollywood's celebrated success stories, as he chose to leave the
movie-making business after studio tampering made his expected
masterpiece, Hello Out There, a laugh stock of the industry. He tried
to isolate both his memories and his contacts, but was always remembered
as the horror God who brought his memorable monsters to life.
In capturing Whale's deteriorating mind but vigorous spirit, director
and writer Bill Condon (who adapted the screenplay from the novel Father
of Frankenstein) succeeds magnificently, not without the essential
central performance from Sir Ian McKellen, who was last seen in an
equally impressive but slightly less captivating performance in Apt
Pupil. Gods and Monsters wholly succeeds in being a character study and
an examination of different levels in society. As Whale searches for a
reason to either live or die, Condon doesn't fall into the trap of
sensationalizing or simplifying. Like in life, all of his problems
won't resolve themselves when he dies, and a life will not always end
with redemption and courage. This is a very humane tale told with
compassion and elegance, cynicism and poignancy, and the result is a
film that has been created for those who want to take something with
them when they leave the cinema.
Whale (Ian McKellen) is an elderly homosexual nearing the end of his
life. He lives a solitary existence with housekeeper Hannah (Lynn
Redgrave), heeding the pain of the after affects of a stroke. His
memories are equipped with visions of happier times, as well as
nightmares of the past that have not completely vanished. Whale
befriends his new gardener Clay Boone (Brendan Fraser), and their
relationship becomes a complicated comparison between the homosexual and
the heterosexual, the rich and the poor. Boone is fascinated by Whale's
experiences but at times repelled by his manipulative personality,
admiring him but approaching their friendship hesitantly. Whale's
motivations behind his relationship with Boone gradually become evident,
whilst recollections of the movie-making business seem more and more
distant.
It is easy to underestimate the depth of Whale and Boone's relationship.
Social status and sexuality are two of the primary issues that are
effortlessly studied, but Bill Condon had more in mind than that. The
very reason behind Whale's existence is challenged again and again, not
only by his disturbing recollections of terrible times, but mainly an
emotional-by-play that allows McKellen and Fraser to play off each other
beautifully. McKellen's powerhouse performance is definitely an
entertaining one, and he also handles his darker, more provocative
material with the care and skill that only experience can generate.
Fraser gives an exceptional performance in his first dramatic role,
working as a counterpart to Whale's complicated personality, and
delivers charisma as though it were something second nature. Although
his very masculine appearance was no doubt a prerequisite for his
casting, there is also a non-sexual seductiveness in his performance
that makes his character entirely likable but never typecast or
stereotypical.
The screenplay seamlessly integrates stories of power, reliance,
individual growth, and so much more. Perhaps most impressive is the
way that Gods and Monsters develops its protagonist. The film carefully
shapes Boone as a person that we are not entirely at ease with, yet his
social mannerisms and eccentric personality are developed with startling
realism. It is hard to criticize a film that works on as many levels as
this one, and delivers the goods on so many different occasions, ranging
from its bizarrely comic opening to its unsettling and thought-provoking
climax.
One dream sequence near the film's conclusion, in which Fraser and
McKellen play Frankenstein and his evil master, is amongst one of the
most effectively staged scenes I've seen this year. Like this powerful
metaphorical moment, Gods and Monsters not only gives its material the
wit and intelligence it deserves, but rises above expectations by
generating a curious fascination from its characters. Although James
Whale's reputation has never been completely intact, Gods and Monsters
goes to the heart of one of Hollywood's greatest misfits with
unflinching detail.
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Review © copyright Luke Buckmaster
Read more of my reviews at In Film Australia
http://infilmau.iah.net