STORYLINE & PLOT:
When an urgent plea from Gwen Conliffe, fiancé of his brother, Ben, reached thespian Lawrence Talbot in London, he responded by journeying to his ancestral home, Talbot Hall, at Blackmoor, where he learned that his brother had been found dead, apparently killed by some kind of lunatic or beast. Lawrence met Gwen and his father, Sir John, and he vowed to investigate this strange event further. This was a fateful decision the consequences of which were life-changing. The Talbots became the central attraction in a three-ring circus featuring villagers, gypsies, and Scotland Yard.
The movie opened with a shot of a tombstone and a female narrator reciting the lines chiseled on it, to wit:
Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf, when the wolfbane blooms and the moon is full at night.
The time period was shown to be about 1890. There was a camera cut to a foggy woodland at night.
A man was seen carrying a lantern, while simultaneously his voice sounded, “Who’s there? I know you’re out there! Show yourself!” The movie viewer briefly saw his face. Although he was unknown to viewers at this time, the face was that of Ben Talbot. Soon, a flash of shadow was glimpsed. Then, a slashing wound occurred to Ben’s abdomen. He tried to flee but succumbed to the continuing attacks of the “beast.”
There was a cut to a young woman writing a letter to Lawrence Talbot in regard to her fiancé and his brother, Ben. She alluded to his career as a dramatic actor, and there was a brief cut to Lawrence on stage performing the role of Hamlet in the scene at the grave pit involving the skull of Yorick. The woman pled for Lawrence to return to Talbot Hall to help her discover his missing brother. She signed off as Gwen Conliffe. Her letter is revealed through her narration.
Presented the letter by courier in London, Lawrence decided to accept her plea, and he journeyed to Blackmoor and to the nearby Talbot Hall estate. He found his way inside the large structure. The interior was filled with the emblems of a man’s man: elephant tusks, mounted tiger head, firearms, swords, etc.
He encountered his father, Sir John, who greeted him, citing the Biblical verse involving the prodigal son’s return to the house of his father. The greeting was proper but not markedly warm.
He stated his interest in finding his brother’s whereabouts. Sir John replied that “unfortunately your brother died. His body was found.”
At that point they were interrupted by Singh, who said loudly, “Master John!” Sir John noted him and advised his son, Lawrence, “Singh, my servant.” The viewer might initially think having a Sikh valet at a British country estate odd, but Sir John had a singular trait that had first become evident in India/Kashmir, of which Singh had knowledge, as well as an awareness of the proper method for its treatment. Further, Singh was loyal.
Lawrence also made a brief visit to see Gwen Conliffe, who was still lodging at Talbot Hall.
He also entered the old bedroom which he and Ben had shared. He has a flashback of that night when Ben awakened him to express fear that someone was inside, and Lawrence set forth to investigate. He walked outside and along rows of huge bushes, trimmed like giraffe, elephant, etc., until, at the far end of a reflecting pool, in the luminance of the full moon he saw his father cradling his dead mother. A large pool of dark red flowed from her body. In her outstretched hand he saw a straight razor. Her neck gaped in a raw, red scream.
“It is well that you are here for the funeral service,” Sir John declared.
“I want to see Ben,” replied Lawrence. Learning where he could find the remains of his brother, he rode into town. The body of Ben was being kept at a butcher’s meat house. Lawrence arrived and inspected the ghastly, shocking remains. [The overuse of darkening pencil/mascara along the prominent bone structures of Del Toro was equally shocking.] He removed an odd medal from his brother’s neck. It appeared to be a bust of a saint with wolves circling on the outer rings. The central, patron saint was a gypsy.
From the meat house Lawrence visited the local pub, where he took a seat at a table to the rear. A group of townsmen were talking about the recent killings, which now numbered three. One declared that the killed were torn apart. They debated if a beast or a lunatic might have done it. Another ventured that the killings didn’t begin until the Gypsies came to Blackmoor a couple of weeks back. Another speculated that Ben Talbot had gone out to have his way with a Gypsy woman. He noted that the Gypsies had a dancing bear that could have killed Ben Talbot. All of the Blackmoor slain might have met their fates at the tooth and claw of the bear. A parson was also present, and he raised the issue of something evil and devilish. The townsmen booted the issue here and there, clearly heated, excited and fearful. Finally, one mentioned an event of some twenty years past in which an individual was torn up. A relative was so shaken by it that he melted down the family silver plate to make bullets, and he locked himself in his house on a full moon and refused to go out.
Lawrence listened but said nothing. He went back to Talbot Hall. He spoke to Gwen again. There was an attraction. Upon hearing of his father’s desire to have him near, he alluded to the fact that he had been sent to an asylum soon after his mother’s death. He indicated that it was an aunt’s home in America.
Meeting thereafter with Sir John, he enquired if he thought the Gypsies might be involved in Ben’s death. Sir John did not seem to put much credence in their involvement. “Perhaps it was as you suggested Lawrence,” mused Sir John. “Maybe it was a madman or lunatic roaming the moor.”
That night he visited briefly with Singh, finding him cleaning his firearm and sharpening his knife. “A Sikh is a warrior of God,” noted Singh. After viewing Singh’s shotgun shells that appeared to be silver shot, Lawrence said, “I didn’t know that you hunted monsters.” Singh responded, “Sometimes monsters hunt you.”
Concluding his visit, Lawrence decided to ride to the Gypsy encampment. He showed one of the Gypsy people the medal he had removed from Ben. He was advised to see Maleva. About the same time Blackmoor villagers rode toward the encampment, seeking the dancing bear. There was also glimpsed streaking about the foggy, moonlit night a low-profile creature.
About the time Lawrence left his audience with Maleva, the first casualty occurred. He was clearly the victim of a beast. Quickly, there were several more, and the nature of the beast was fairly apparent. A lad ran from the encampment into the foggy woodland. Lawrence spotted him and fired several shots at the fleet wolf-like creature that appeared to be tracking the lad. Pursuing, Lawrence finds himself alone amid large, stone stele. Warily eyeing the terrain for boy or beast, he was jumped upon by the beast lurking atop a stone. The beast seriously wounded Lawrence’s neck, before armed Gypsies drove the beast away.
Maleva overruled her daughter, who thought Lawrence should be left to die, and had the wounded Talbot returned to her wagon, where she treated his wound. Tellingly, her daughter warned that, if he lived, he would be doomed by his bite to a lycanthropic curse. Maleva stared at her daughter, “Where does the man end and the beast begin?” She sewed his wound closed.
Lawrence was retrieved to Talbot Hall by Sir John, where he recuperated. A Dr. Lloyd was called upon to treat him. He thought Lawrence was in need of a lengthy period of healing. By the next day he was well enough to get up from bed. His wound was well-healed.
Lawrence himself knew that something strange had entered his “space” – something that caused him fear for Gwen. He noted horses shying from him, and dogs growling – then turning tail. Distraught, worried by bad dreams, and bewildered by his physical changes, he interrupts Gwen in her bed chamber at night to demand that she leave Talbot Hall at once. “You are not safe here!” It was clear to her that Lawrence’s concern was heartfelt. “I could not forgive myself if anything should happen to you,” he continued. She indicated that the hour was not fit, but her eyes made clear that her attitude toward Lawrence was different, as a spark had been kindled within her, intriguing and lushly warm with promise for the future.
The next day they walk to a spot where he and Ben had skipped rocks and played. He taught Gwen to skip rocks too, and it was clear that they were drawing romantically closer. Suddenly, Lawrence stopped and seemed to hear an unsounded sound. “Horses!”
Soon, villagers rode up to Talbot Hall and attempted to seize Lawrence. He was known to have been bitten by the beast. They thought that maybe he had killed all the dead villagers of Blackmoor. They wanted to hold him so that they could view any change during the full moon that night. While Lawrence struggled with a gaggle of villagers with surprising success, Sir John entered the fray, firing a shot and demanding that they leave Talbot Hall at once. He bluffed that his man Singh was a crack shot hiding on the overlooking roof and that he would kill them all, if ordered. The bluff worked.
Alluding to his son’s career, Sir John quipped, “you are not the only actor in the family.”
Father and son returned to their home, chatting about events. Suddenly, an unexpected visitor knocked at the door. It was Abberline of Scotland Yard. He wanted to speak to Lawrence about his late brother and the violence at the Gypsy camp – and certain related Blackmoor murders. “There are no beasts still living in England capable of inflicting these injuries.” Given to direct, frank talk, Abberline alluded to Lawrence’s boyhood stay at an asylum, at which time he had terrible fantasies of a beast killing his mother, as well as his career on stage where he was known to have acted Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Richard III, etc. “I’m just wondering what others might be in that head of yours.” Lawrence expressed indignation. Abberline would have none of it, but did retreat under the urging of Sir John. There would need to be an examination of Lawrence’s neck wound in Blackmoor by his specialist.
There was a chance for Lawrence and Gwen to get together again. They kissed. He suddenly found himself captured by her neck. It was the pounding life-force rushing just beneath the surface that drew him so strongly. He put her aside and abruptly went into the night.
He saw light coming from the mausoleum where generations of Talbots had been laid. He found his father in a candle-lit chamber where his wife had been buried. “When she died, I died, Lawrence. Look into my eyes. You can see that I’m quite dead.” He advised his son to be free. As the moon climbed the sky, Sir John closed the iron-grated door and locked it. “The beast will have its day; the beast will out.”
As Lawrence tried to exit the mausoleum, changes began to occur to his body. He became a beast. He became a werewolf.
During the day villagers had gone through the woodland near Talbot Hall, setting traps of rope nets and deep camouflaged pits. That night, they captured a beast. Somehow, it managed to kill most of them. It was Lawrence, whose transformed body killed.
Near dawn the following day, Sir John discovered his son sleeping in a hollow of a tree. His son’s clothes were ripped and bloody, as was his face. “Lawrence, wake up! You’ve done terrible things.” Suddenly, villagers on horses rode up, led by Abberline. They arrested Lawrence. “Be strong, Lawrence,” said Sir John encouragingly.
The camera cut to Lambeth Asylum, where Lawrence was seen to be strapped to a heavy chair. The chair was rigged so that it could be submerged under icy water in a small pool. A shrink talked to Lawrence, expressing regret that his prior treatment had not produced a complete cure of his delusions that his father was a monster who had killed Lawrence’s mother. However, advised the precise Dr. Hoenneger, psychiatric treatment had advanced a great deal since then, and he was confident that the new series of treatments would produce a complete cure. With that he singled his creepy orderly to lower the gagged Lawrence into the icy water. Other treatments such as injections in the neck and electric shock soon followed.
There were many brief flashbacks and images composed in a rapid editing that in toto suggested a montage. The “feral boy” image - almost devilish – was a constantly recurring image for Lawrence in this film.
Lawrence had visitors. While providing additional information to him regarding lycanthropy, Gwen Conliffe came by to comfort and support. She had a shop in London apparently not far from the asylum.
Sir John also had a long visit with Lawrence. It was in this visit that Sir John shared with his son a story of his adventure in the Himalayan Kush. There had been local rumors of a strange creature that lived high on a mountain in a cave. He wanted to see it. Alone, he climbed to the location where the cave was said to be. He found it, and inside, there was the strangest “feral boy” he had ever seen. Suddenly, the “feral boy” attacked Sir John. The strength of the “feral boy” was amazing. Sir John paused to recall to Lawrence’s mind that he was quite a strong man himself and a champion bare-knuckle fighter in San Francisco for a period. Continuing with his story, he stated that the creature had bitten his forearm. Freeing himself, he fled the cave and returned to his fellow adventurers as soon as possible.
“You killed my mother!” blurted out Lawrence.
“Yes, I suppose I did,” replied Sir John, rather at one with his situation. He then related that Ben had been determined to leave Talbot Hall with Gwen. Sir John stated he was not happy to hear that. It angered him. In a mood he knocked out Singh with one blow. Now, with no one to lock him up, he ran free. He killed Ben that night.
“It’s a sin to lock up the beast, Lawrence. I should have let it run free,” mused Sir John.
There was a camera cut to the asylum. Dr. Hoenneger was lecturing a gallery of “shrink sages” about the case of Lawrence Talbot. After providing them with a history, he discussed the success that his modern treatments had produced. Meanwhile, as the full moon rose over London, Lawrence screamed at them that he would kill them all that night. They chuckled. A few latent delusions, perhaps. Dr. Hoenneger was in rare form that night. His creepy orderly guffawed.
“The Luna has its mysterious power,” mused Sir John early in the film. Indeed! Things got really crazy. Lawrence transformed as the doctor, his back to Lawrence, lectured an increasingly amazed and terrified audience. Easily breaking free of his bonds, the wolfman killed orderlies, Dr. Hoenneger, and sundry witnesses, escaping through a window onto the roof.
As Abberline and Scotland Yards were at hand, an extended chase through London occurred.
Dawn found Lawrence under a bridge near the Towers of London spanning the Thames River. He’s coated with blood, and his clothes were torn. He managed to get to Gwen’s shop, seeking help. He found a way inside, where Gwen, arriving at work, discovered him.
“What have they done to you?” she wondered.
“They were right. I’m a monster. So is my father. He killed my mom. And Ben, too,” Lawrence howled.
Trying to comfort him, Gwen said that if such things happen, then everything is magick – and God. I can find an answer,” she assured him. “Lawrence, please let me help you.”
He replied, “You already have.” They kissed.
Suddenly, Abberline and a few bobbies appeared. Lawrence was able to flee. However, before leaving the shop, Abberline made a thorough check of the shop. At one point he stood before a tall floor mirror. He thought he saw Lawrence Talbot standing behind it. He demanded that Talbot step out. When he did not, Abberline fired. The floor mirror broke, and its glass came crashing down. Behind it was revealed a statue of Pan. A bobbie passed by, paused, and observed, “Now, there’s some bad luck, sir.”
The camera cut to Gwen seeking Maleva among the Gypsy campers. She hoped to find an answer for Lawrence. When they meet, Maleva can only speak of his fate, which can’t be undone. Still, she offered a Gypsy blessing for Gwen’s sake and safety.
The camera cut to Abberline and a stout body of Scotland Yards’ finest arriving at Blackmoor.
“Shoot him on sight!” ordered Abberline.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Talbot had found his way to Talbot Hall. Inside, he found the body of Singh. He secured a few of Singh’s shotgun shells with the silver shot. [“The monster killed my Mom,” he’s probably thinking.] He continued his search inside the house. He spied a lit room, a study, where Sir John liked to play the piano on occasion. Entering, he saw his father at the piana, playing, and each ivory key his fingers sounded left a bloody print. Sir John looked up. “The Prodigal Son,” he noted in welcome. To Lawrence’s side by the blazing hearth was an inspector, assigned by Abberline to guard Talbot Hall, dead in a chair.
“The beast is the beast. Let it run free,” Sir John advised.
Rising from his seat at the piano, Sir John confronts Lawrence. Lawrence leveled his shotgun at his father’s chest. It won’t fire. “I removed the gun powder years ago,” chuckled Dad. He then commenced to cane and kick Lawrence. Finally, they both transformed into werewolves for an “Alpha male” thing. Sir John got kicked into the fiery hearth and promptly exploded in fire. When Lawrence tore his head off with a single blow, the heir of Talbot Hall – now ablaze – was at hand to claim his den.
At that moment both Ms. Conliffe and Abberline arrived at the study and were shocked by the scene. Seizing a handgun with silver bullets, she fled, and the werewolf followed. Following the pack, Abberline pursued.
After jumping the pursuing Abberline and giving him a neck bite, leaving him as the Scotland Yard pack closed on them, the wolfman sought the woman he savored.
Things came to a head at the falls area where Lawrence had played as a boy. The trapped Gwen looked at Lawrence and pleaded, “Lawrence! You know me!” He stared intently at her, as if remembering vaguely – something. Abberline and his men were drawing close to the spot (he’s holding a neckerchief to his neck wound). Suddenly, the wolfman turned beast again and renewed his attack on Gwen. She aimed her pistol at his chest and fired. It was magick. The heart of the werewolf melted before the mystical power of silver. He transformed again to Lawrence.
Resting in Gwen’s embracive arms, Lawrence said his last words, “Gwen, it had to end this way. Thank you.” She cradled him.
The Blackmoor villagers watched quietly.
Abberline clutched Singh’s silver-headed wolf cane-sword with one hand and his kerchief with the other. He had been gazing at the unbelievable denouement, as were the others. Slowly, his eyes turned upward to his left at the moon.
There was an epilog narration given by the voice of Maleva, “There is no sin in killing a beast, only in killing a man; but where does one end and the other begin?”
COMMENTARY:
I liked this film quite a lot. It was a generally faithful adaptation of the classic Wolfman flick, starring Lon Chaney, Jr. Its tones and textures were very good. Danny Elfman is good at handling the musical support for this sort of film story. I thought that the story elements were well-packaged. Anthony Hopkins brought a lot of amusing nuances to his role as Sir John Talbot and was at times a “howl.” Del Toro was very good at transitioning from a somewhat jaded sybarite to an engaged human investigating an increasingly daunting, disturbing revelation involving murky Talbot family secrets amid ghastly external events. The contributions of Hugo Weaver as the dour, blunt Abberline of Scotland Yard cannot be over stated. Also, Geraldine Chaplin’s Gypsy, Maleva, was surprisingly effective, although not the equal of Maria Ouspenskaya’s rendering in the Lon Chaney, Jr. version.
The overall presentation of Gwen Conliffe by Emily Blunt was proper and solid, but she was able to be alluring as well – with a little help from the cinematographer.
Blackmoor, Talbot Hall and London all seemed well-captured set designs. However, the use of “big game” imagery was a bit overdone.
The final rendering of the Wolfman, whether Sir John or Lawrence, was true to the original style in the Lon Chaney Jr. version, but I thought it was better done by far. Hence, the trend of modern renderings of Wolfmen, where excessive elongation of snout occurs, was avoided. This allowed the “man part” to still be suggested. Although the special effects involved with the excessive elongation of snout were initially interesting to see, I found this version to be the best approach to the transformation.
Parenthetically, I did not care for the rendering of the “feral boy” as the sire – so to speak – of the Talbot wolfmen, but I suppose that it was justified by the fact that a boy is not typically very hairy. His lurking in dreams/halluci- nations of Lawrence is decidedly curious, and it suggested that the “seed” (virus?) of the “feral boy” imagery can pass through the “infection” of a wolfman’s bite.
The rendering of the Blackmoor villagers was a familiar but satisfying study of the making of a mob. The Gypsies, while denigrated by outsiders throughout the movie, were actually presented as strangely bland – almost middle-class. Of course, they dressed a little “funny.”
To show how non-contemporary this film is in terms of the Horror genre, the village pastor, Reverend Fisk, while contextually exaggerated, is not blatantly mocked. His Biblical citations aren’t ludicrous. This film is rooted in the classic concepts of “evil” and fate.
This might be contrasted with the psychiatric approaches in the Lambeth Asylum, in which both para-campy doctors and orderlies labored using crudely modern technologies of torture to “help” the patients. The asylum appeared to be medically led by a Dr. Hoenneger, who appeared to be a stereotypically Jewish shrink. By means of him and his creepy guard assistant, the “science” of mental health was gloriously lampooned.
There were no characters in this film that were clearly outré, but Singh, Maleva, and the asylum “creepy guard” collectively achieved this Horror film constant.
Most transitions came out of blackness. This was handy, as much of the film occurred at night or within gloomy buildings. Nevertheless, the action was not difficult to see and follow. Some credit is due to the cinematographer here.
PRODUCTION KEYS:
Joe Johnston – director, Andrew Kevin Walker/David Self – screenplay, Danny Elfman – music director, Shelly Johnson – cinematographer, Walter Murch/Dennis Virkler – film editing, Priscilla John – casting, Christopher Gordon – stunt double (Anthony Hopkins), Gabor Hortobagyi/Spencer Wilding/Bruce Cain (Benicio Del Toro), Richard Bradshaw/Curtis Rivers (Hugo Weaving)
CAST KEYS:
Benicio Del Toro (Lawrence Talbot), Emily Blunt (Gwen Conliffe), Anthony Hopkins (Sir John Talbot), Hugo Weaving (Abberline), Art Malik (Singh), Simon Merrells (Ben Talbot), Geraldine Chaplin (Maleva), Cristina Contes (Solana Talbot), Roger Frost (Reverend Fisk), Anthony Sher (Dr. Hoenneger), Ian Peck (creepy guard)
