Monday, October 31, 2005
Souls
Dark, hairy, hulking creatures roam freely in Island of Lost Souls (1933), standing upright on two legs, staring out from behind feral eyes. Most of them resemble the animals they once were. By their presence they seem constantly menacing. Doctor Moreau carries a bullwhip with which he holds them at bay. And of course there is the House of Pain, to which no one wants to return. Doctor Moreau is trying to turn animals into men. He really only succeeds in making monsters.
Bela Lugosi is marvelous in this film as the most articulate of Moreau’s creations. And he looks marvelous. His recitation of The Law reminds one of Moses reciting the Ten Commandments. Lugosi’s recitation ends always in the question "Are we not men?" And of course the answer is "no." They are not men; nor are they animals. In some ways it is as if they have inherited the worst attributes of both species.
Doctor Moreau displays a huge sense of arrogance in this film. He creates monsters, grants them equal access to the jungle and to his home, and believes he can control them, like tame animals. Well they are not tame animals, they are part man. In the end they have a kind of revenge for all their suffering. In an ironic triumph for Moreau, even in the midst of his downfall, it is the sort of revenge of which only man is capable.
It is foolish for anyone to think he can create monsters with impunity. This sort of hubris has been known for millennia. Wise men have avoided it. Unwise men haven’t, and have paid a heavy price. With today’s monsters it is not only their creators who will be affected, but all mankind; and all mankind should have a choice in advance to accept or reject them.
June 2001
Bela Lugosi is marvelous in this film as the most articulate of Moreau’s creations. And he looks marvelous. His recitation of The Law reminds one of Moses reciting the Ten Commandments. Lugosi’s recitation ends always in the question "Are we not men?" And of course the answer is "no." They are not men; nor are they animals. In some ways it is as if they have inherited the worst attributes of both species.
Doctor Moreau displays a huge sense of arrogance in this film. He creates monsters, grants them equal access to the jungle and to his home, and believes he can control them, like tame animals. Well they are not tame animals, they are part man. In the end they have a kind of revenge for all their suffering. In an ironic triumph for Moreau, even in the midst of his downfall, it is the sort of revenge of which only man is capable.
It is foolish for anyone to think he can create monsters with impunity. This sort of hubris has been known for millennia. Wise men have avoided it. Unwise men haven’t, and have paid a heavy price. With today’s monsters it is not only their creators who will be affected, but all mankind; and all mankind should have a choice in advance to accept or reject them.
June 2001
