ISLAND
OF DR. MOREAU (1977)Director: Don Taylor
MGM
ISLAND
OF DR. MOREAU (1977)The greatest drawback of this second film adaptation of H. G. Wells classic, "Island of Dr. Moreau" is that it must stand up to the towering performance of Charles Laughton (ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, 1933) and the pre-Code sensibilities which make the original definitive.
Burt Lancaster is just as capable of chewing the scenery as his predecessor but lacks the undercurrent of sadistic glee and sexual ambiguity that came quite naturally to Laughton. Lancaster's Dr. Moreau is a visionary not unlike Elmer Gantry which brought him the Oscar. The rest of the cast, Michael York, Nigel Davenport and especially Richard Basehart are fine actors and suited to their various roles. Basehart, in particular, as The Sayer of the Law, a part played in the original by Bela Lugosi enlarges the role and gives it pathos.
The make-ups by Tom Burman and John Chambers are well-done but the camera lingers on them a bit too much (which is the director's choice) as the original took great care to conceal as much as it showed for shock value. Michael York plays the role originated by actor Richard Arlen and is an odd choice as heroic characters did not come easily in York's career. His decadent persona makes him an unlikely casting choice for the lead yet he gives a competent performance in a difficult part.
Director Don Taylor (Mr. Hazel Court) is the real problem with the material here. Mr. Taylor, a former actor (FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950), STALAG 17 (1953), MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1954) seems ill at ease with this rich tableaux of horror film clichés. More at ease with action films like ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1971), he is not a character-driven director. And ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU requires character development especially with the doctor himself. There is no explanation for why this Dr. Moreau would want to change the York character into an animal for his menagerie. This situation occurred once before when Taylor replaced a young auteur named Michael Apted on the sequel to the hugely successful THE OMEN (1976). The first director, knowing the film would be successful regardless of the body count was attempting to build atmosphere and suspense and was promptly sacked in the endeavor. Mr. Taylor then proceeded to do a rather gory series of deaths leading up to the Antichrist walking out into the next sequel.
This version is entertaining if you forget about the first one altogether and enjoy these talented character actors going through their paces without restraint. The action sequences involving Lancaster on horseback surveying his animal kingdom is lots of fun and the man-creatures themselves frightening enough for the pre-teen market.
The transfer of MOREAU enhances the enjoyment of watching this film that hasn't looked as good since its original release over 20 years ago. This widescreen 1.85:1 anamorphic presentation is as good as it gets. The sound quality is quite good for a pre-Dolby film. The extras include the trailer and the audio soundtrack is available in English, Spanish and French. All in all, THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU in its second incarnation is a guilty pleasure to be enjoyed by those who like to see every version of their screen classics. This writer realizes that younger audiences will appreciate this version far more than its black and white original.
One final question: why hasn't anyone attempted a faithful rendition of this brilliant novel? Time will tell! (Christopher Dietrich)