The Island of Dr. Moreau
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Movie Reviews of The Island of Dr. Moreau
Movie Review: What is the Law?
Summary: 3 Stars
After the 1933 horror Classic "Island of Lost Souls" starring Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau & Bela Lugosi as Sayer of the Law yet another movie adaption of H.G. Wells (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man" twisted horror novel starring the legendary Burt Lancaster as the half human half animal beast creator, Dr. Moreau & Michael York as Andrew Braddock, the shipwrecked man who is in terror on the island & beautiful Barbara Carrera as Braddocks's love interest Maria, It's a thrill ride!Movie Review: "There is a beast in man that should be exercised, not exorcised."
Summary: 5 Stars
An Englishman named 'Montgomery' is stranded with a lost companion on a deserted tropical island where he is rescued by Dr. Moreau, a genius in genetics, pursuing altruistic medical miracles to alleviate mankind from incurable maladies, although his methods are questioned, but it is maintained that the ends justify the means. He continues to make strides to this effect until perfidiously antagonistic organisms deem to thwart his noble efforts, who eventually become subjects themselves for his experiments, thus contributing far more to his vision rather than merely complaining about it.
Down in the jungle outside of his compound reside some of his genetic creations, man-beasts, veritable 'humanimals' of various species, from a bearman, boarman, to hyenaman, lionman, tigerman, bullman, and a monkeyman who is "The Sayer of The Law"* {small portion follows}:
"Not to go on all fours: this is the law. Are we not men?"
"Not to show our fangs in anger. Are we not men?"
"Not to snarl or roar. That is the Law. Are we not men?"
"What Is The Law? Not to shed the blood of another man. That is the law."
An obvious treatise on civility to temper impulsive feral proclivities. Those beastmen who violate this law are taken to "The House of Pain" for 'correction'... for Moreau elucidates that if this discipline is not enforced, the beastmen would run wild and surely kill their human counterparts. Much like the lion who must not be allowed to overtake the master even in jest, lest he begin to dominate the trainer.
What this film demonstrates is the necessary realization and connection to one's natural animalistic state, lest imbalance tranform the denier into a broken creature. Dr. LaVey's infamous quote comes to mind:
"There is a beast in man that should be exercised, not exorcised."
One particularly notable scene depicts the stubbornly independant bullman fighting for his mental freedom, as he denies 'the law' and questions what is so wrong with realizing that one is an animal? Out in the bush, he vanquishes tiger with the obvious shedding of blood, and thereby becomes subject to the punishments of The House of Pain, but would rather run free and even die than suffer that indignity. Sadly for him, the consequence is lethal at the gunpoint of Montgomery, which then begins to raise other questions in the minds of the beastmen, as they slowly begin to realize the double-standards and hypocrisies enacted by the humans, in a likened "do as I say, not as I do" scenario, which does not sit well with them at all, and they begin to revolt. Revolution is the first step to evolution.
Beautiful resident orphan Maria {the gorgeous brunette Barbara Carrera} who was also rescued by Moreau as a child falls in lust with Montgomery, and remains with him through his transformation into manimal at the hands of Moreau, after he displays inclinations towards betrayal, and becomes an experiment, as his senses and instincts sharpen, excellerated pilose generation, legs to haunches, with an incessant desire to kill prey for food, but he remains in control of his civility nonetheless. She helps him escape the cage, the natives from thereon become restless as the mutiny scene develops, the ingrates set the compound aflame, with their maker placed in a suspended supine crucifixion.
Montgomery and Maria finally boat off to modern civilization.
_________
* Also used as a large part of the litany comprising Dr. Anton LaVey's lycanthropic rite "Das Tierdrama" from 'The Satanic Rituals' book. The Island of Dr. Moreau is a LaVeyan recommendation.
Movie Review: When the result is even major than the sum of its parts!
Summary: 4 Stars
Burt Lancaster gave a terrific performance as the ambitious Dr.Moreau who pretends to create anew race; the "humanimals" , half beats, half man and the inexpressive Michael Yoprk as the good guy who will intend by all his means to avoid the prolongation of this horrid nightmare.
Effective sci fi movie that, despite to count with minor technologic resources, it got its aim and surmounted by far the infamous remake of 1996.
Movie Review: Use in the Classroom
Summary: 2 Stars
I teach 9th grade English, and after reading Wells's "The Island of Dr. Moreau" in my English I class, I chose to have my students watch the 1996 remake rather than this version. Although both movies greatly deviate from Wells's story, the 1977 version would have bored my students to tears. If you intend to show a movie version of this novel, then I would choose the 1996 version since it is faster-paced and more dramatic. Plus, Val Kilmer plays a very convincing Montgomery. The redeeming quality of this 1977 version is the cave scene during which the Beast People teach Braddock "The Law," though your students will probably be asleep by the time that scene occurs. Movie Review: Island of the Damned
Summary: 4 Stars
If you saw this as a kid, you always thought it was a classic. Although it doesn't hold up when one is an adult so much, it is still a decent flick to watch if you sprained your ankle and can't get out of the house. The plot concerns a stranded engineer (York) of a freighter that lands on a remote island that is inhabited by strange creatures. Lancaster is superb as the ingenious Dr Monreau who is a gifted geneticist and biologist who wants to merge animals with man to get the perfect creation that only science can manufacture. He is obviously a disciple of Nietzsche and Spencer. There is a creepiness about the island that the film manages to sustain throughout. The make-up is excellent and the beast men are rather frightening (not recommended for children under 7). Basheart plays the sayer of the law, who as an aged and wisdom filled creature whom attempts to dissuade complete anarchy amongst the beast men. Not a bad production.