The print of 'Island of Lost Souls' that we saw was extremely fragile -- in fact, the start of the performance was delayed by some twenty minutes while the opening titles were repaired! As warned, the first reel was in consequently poor condition, to the extent that it was hard to distinguish at times more than blurred outlines of figures and faces. However, I don't *think* this influenced my overall reaction to the film...
I have to say that this classic version of the Dr Moreau story, like the original 'King Kong', largely failed to live up to its reputation so far as I was concerned. However, unlike 'King Kong' -- in which the human elements caught my interest up until the actual ape appeared, whereupon it descended into a repeated chase-and-escape sequence with all character development forgotten, and the famous set-pieces, alas, all robbed of their impact by over-familiarity beforehand -- it was the end of this film that I found the most effective, with Moreau's final fate on the operating table truly frightening in its undepicted horror.
The rest of the film I'm afraid I found slow going, with the Apiah sequences in particular just going through the motions necessary for the plot, and none of the characters especially enthralling. Montgomery, with his half-scruples, I found perhaps the most interesting; the hero is a complete blank, while Moreau himself, for all Charles Laughton's efforts, is too obviously the power-crazed lunatic. The two bibulous ship's captains are virtually indistinguishable save that one is 'good', the other 'bad', and Ruth has no attributes whatsoever other than her engagement to the hero. Only Lota, the child-like 'panther woman', arouses any real sympathy. For my part I'd have liked to see more 'feline' behaviours from her, as when she thrusts her face up against Parker's in affection; however, the script does specify that Moreau considers her almost perfectly human.
Whereas Lota is arguably not quite animal enough, the behaviour and make-up of the other beast-men is convincingly disturbing -- aided, of course, by the poor quality of the print! M'Ling's furry ear, by its very artificiality, make less of an impression than his odd gait and subtly distorted features, and others of his fellows -- at least, those not entirely covered in fur -- betray a variety of different unhuman traits. The sequence at the end, when the whole pack is seen individually and en masse advancing on their defiant creator, is justly celebrated.
All the same, as a whole this film really doesn't come to life for me. The touches of humour worked well, but the characters failed to engage, and the long-drawn-out plot revelations no longer hold their contemporary shock-value: the overt miscegenation angle has lost its knee-jerk revulsion on which the film largely depends. I think it's the human element -- ironically -- that I found lacking. Only in the final scenes does a character's fate concern me, and then it's Moreau himself, the villain of the piece...
I have to say that this classic version of the Dr Moreau story, like the original 'King Kong', largely failed to live up to its reputation so far as I was concerned. However, unlike 'King Kong' -- in which the human elements caught my interest up until the actual ape appeared, whereupon it descended into a repeated chase-and-escape sequence with all character development forgotten, and the famous set-pieces, alas, all robbed of their impact by over-familiarity beforehand -- it was the end of this film that I found the most effective, with Moreau's final fate on the operating table truly frightening in its undepicted horror.
The rest of the film I'm afraid I found slow going, with the Apiah sequences in particular just going through the motions necessary for the plot, and none of the characters especially enthralling. Montgomery, with his half-scruples, I found perhaps the most interesting; the hero is a complete blank, while Moreau himself, for all Charles Laughton's efforts, is too obviously the power-crazed lunatic. The two bibulous ship's captains are virtually indistinguishable save that one is 'good', the other 'bad', and Ruth has no attributes whatsoever other than her engagement to the hero. Only Lota, the child-like 'panther woman', arouses any real sympathy. For my part I'd have liked to see more 'feline' behaviours from her, as when she thrusts her face up against Parker's in affection; however, the script does specify that Moreau considers her almost perfectly human.
Whereas Lota is arguably not quite animal enough, the behaviour and make-up of the other beast-men is convincingly disturbing -- aided, of course, by the poor quality of the print! M'Ling's furry ear, by its very artificiality, make less of an impression than his odd gait and subtly distorted features, and others of his fellows -- at least, those not entirely covered in fur -- betray a variety of different unhuman traits. The sequence at the end, when the whole pack is seen individually and en masse advancing on their defiant creator, is justly celebrated.
All the same, as a whole this film really doesn't come to life for me. The touches of humour worked well, but the characters failed to engage, and the long-drawn-out plot revelations no longer hold their contemporary shock-value: the overt miscegenation angle has lost its knee-jerk revulsion on which the film largely depends. I think it's the human element -- ironically -- that I found lacking. Only in the final scenes does a character's fate concern me, and then it's Moreau himself, the villain of the piece...