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| Jekyll becomes Hyde |
Starring John Barrymore, Charles Lane and Brandon Hurst
Produced by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation
Dr. Henry Jekyll is a paragon of virtue. When he's not seeing to his experiments in his laboratory, he is operating a free clinic to take care of the poor. His fiancee, Millicent Carew, is in love with him, but finds herself playing second fiddle to his other pursuits. Her father George believe that Jekyll is suppressing his baser instincts and that resisting temptation is ultimately unhealthy. He takes the idealistic doctor out for a night on the town, and, after meeting the exotic Gina, Jekyll finds his faith shaken.
However, he channels that into a new quest. He wants to separate the good aspect of man (the soul) from the evil traits inherent in all men. Jekyll formulates a drug that turns him into the embodiment of carnal lust and rage, a creature he names Mr. Hyde. Jekyll's alter ego can do all of the things the doctor dare not, including loving and leaving Gina. But as the villainous Hyde begins harboring more murderous feelings, Dr. Jekyll begins to lose control over his transformations. Can the good doctor put his evil doppleganger under wraps or is it already too late to save his soul and the woman he loves?
I love Victorian era dramas and horrors. Not just any, but those that ping pong between the upper crust of society and the foreboding gas-lit shadows of a dreary London. This movie oozes atmosphere in a way that you cannot get from any other period or any other place. The interiors are lush and opulent and the exteriors are dingy and menacing. A perfect setting for the strange case of Jekyll and Hyde.
John Barrymore plays both the good doctor and his alter ego and he is fantastic in both. Early on, when he transforms into Hyde, it is all a trick of facial contortion and the way he sets his eyes. The make-up comes later and only accentuates the look Barrymore gives the character. Unlike later versions, the monster he creates seems human and that makes him all the more frightening.
Barrymore is also very good as the doctor. Understated at first, the viewer can feel his desperation and frustration as he loses control over Hyde. The evil aspect of his role is more showy, but he carries off the more subtle aspects well.
The rest of the cast does well in their roles, with the exception of Martha Mansfield as Millicent. She does a lot of staring at nothing with little to no emotion. When she finds out about the death of a loved one, she does not look sad as much as annoyed, as though someone just informed her toilet paper was stuck to her shoe.
The movie poses some interesting if simplistic food for thought about the nature of good and evil. Jekyll is good, Hyde is evil. Yet Jekyll's desire to experience evil without repercussion is what sets the drama in motion. Hyde may ultimately fail in his relationships, but at least he puts forth some effort. Jekyll's work may be altruistic but it ultimately keeps those would love him at arm's length. Jekyll's vision is clearly not right. Should we yield to temptation to keep our sanity as George suggests. Or is it better to simply not dabble in such supernatural thoughts as Jekyll's friend Lanyon admonishes him at the outset.
Needless to say, I loved this movie. Much better than the 1912 version. Definitely recommend.
****1/2 out of *****
Watched on Netflix Watch Instantly
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