Lifeforce

Based on the novel The Space Vampires by Colin Wilson, Lifeforce is the story of space crew who find a spaceship inside Haley’s Comet where they unleash a trio of space vampires on the streets of London. Directed by Tobe Hooper and screenplay by Dan O’Bannon and Don Jakoby, the film is sci-fi horror film that explores the mysteries of the universe and what happens when humans come in contact with alien vampires. Starring Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and Patrick Stewart. Lifeforce is a dazzling and enthralling film from Tobe Hooper.

A joint American-British space crew find a mysterious ship inside Haley’s Comet as they bring in a monster plus three living bodies inside a case home unaware of what they unleash as one of them in a young woman (Mathilda May) has caused mayhem around London. It’s a film that is a sci-fi horror film of sorts where space vampires have been unleashed as Scotland Yard has to find and stop them with the help of a surviving astronaut from that mission as well as a British colonel and a scientist. The film’s screenplay by Dan O’Bannon and Don Jakoby, with additional work from Michael Armstrong and Olaf Pooley, showcases what the American space commander Col. Tom Carlsen (Steve Railsback) found as well as the mind connection he had with the vampire girl he fell for in space. With the aid of Col. Colin Caine (Peter Firth) and Dr. Hans Fallada (Frank Finlay), Col. Carlsen do whatever to find the woman but also deal with the two other vampires who had been captured but also learn exactly what they’re dealing with.

What the vampires are doing is taking away the essence of humanity in their need to survive instead of blood as they can also possess people to live. Adding to the stakes is that Col. Carlsen is infatuated with the girl as he has trouble trying to do his duty while revealing some truths about what happened in his space shuttle where his entire crew were killed by the vampires. The script also has this unique narrative that uses some flashbacks from Col. Carlsen’s perspective but also moments that has him seeing what the girl is doing. Even as his attempts to free himself from her would have some dire consequences as it relates to events in the third act.

Tobe Hooper’s direction is definitely grand from the scenes set inside the spaceship as the usage of the wide shots help play to the large scales of the scenes in space as well as what Col. Caine and his crew would discover. While much of the film is shot on location in London and other parts of England, Hooper does maintain something is grounded but also has an air of mysticism as it relates to the space vampires. The usage of the medium shots and close-ups help play into the way characters interact as well as some of the chilling moments in the film where the girl would wake up and create chaos while walking around naked. There is a bit of humor considering that the guards who are wanting to go after the girl are a bit excited considering that she is naked but are unaware of what she is capable of.

Hooper also create these moments that do play into a sense of terror where Col. Carlsen tries to find the girl in a body she has possessed as it leads to this chaotic third act where London is in a state of panic as the people are being plagued as zombies of sorts. The direction has Hooper going all out in terms of what is happening as well as creating moments that are gory but not overtly as it’s more about that air of mysticism. Especially in what Col. Carlsen has to do to save London and the world in general with the aid of Col. Caine who would fight one of the male vampires who would wreak havoc all over London. Overall, Hooper creates an exhilarating and compelling film about humans fighting space vampires on Earth.

Cinematographer Alan Hume does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from some of the interiors set in the shuttle as well as in the science building along with some unique lighting for some of the exterior scenes set at night as well as the few set in the day. Editor John Grover does amazing work with the editing with its usage of dissolves to play with some of the flashbacks as well as other stylish cuts to help create some of the rhythm in the suspense and horror. Production designer John Graysmark, with set decorators Denise Exshaw and Simon Wakefield along with art directors Robert Cartwright, Terry Knight, Tony Reading, and Alan Tomkin, does brilliant work with the look of the interior of the mysterious spaceship as well as the building interiors including the setting of the film‘s climax. Costume designer Carin Hooper does terrific work with the costumes from the clothes that many of the men wear as well as the uniforms.

Prosthetic makeup effects creator Sue Higgins does fantastic work with the look of the vampires in their decayed states as well as the humans who become infected by the vampires during the plague in the third act. The special visual effects work of John Dykstra is superb for the way some of the visuals look for some of the scenes set in space as well as the way some of the mystical moments look for the scenes in the third act. Sound designer Vernon Messenger does nice work with the sound in creating some sound effects for the moments involving the vampires taking the energies of others as well as other moments that play into the suspense. The film’s music by Henry Mancini is great as it has these amazing orchestral flourishes with the string arrangements that play into suspense and terror as it‘s one of Mancini‘s more underrated scores.

The casting by Maude Spector and Ann Stanborough is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Chris Jagger and Bill Malin as the two male vampires, Nancy Paul as a nurse the girl had possessed, Sidney Kean as a guard who tried to kill the two male vampires, and Nicholas Ball as a middle-aged astronaut who was part of Col. Carlsen’s crew that got sick early due to the first encounter with the vampires. Aubrey Morris is terrific as Sir Percy Helestine as a royal official who tries to help Col. Caine in making sure none of these events go public. Michael Gothard is superb as Dr. Bukovsky as a scientist who would have an encounter with the female vampire as he becomes aware of her powers as he helps the men of Scotland Yard. Patrick Stewart is excellent as Dr. Armstrong as an asylum doctor who has been possessed by the girl as he tries to maintain his own self despite being possessed. Frank Finlay is brilliant as Dr. Hans Fallada as scientist with an interest in vampires and mortality as he would also find a way to kill one of the vampires for good.

Mathilda May is fantastic as the girl who is this space vampire that often appears in the film naked as she is this unique presence that is just fun to watch while not saying much in the film which makes her more interesting. Peter Firth is amazing as Col. Colin Caine as a British special Air Force officer who helps Col. Carlsen in finding the alien as well as try to make sense of everything as he would also deal with zombies and vampires roaming around London. Finally, there’s Steve Railsback in a marvelous performance as Col. Tom Carlsen as this American astronaut who survives the mission as he copes with the guilt over the loss of his crew as well as being in love with the vampire where he has a psychic connection with.

Lifeforce is a sensational film from Tobe Hooper. Featuring a great cast, amazing visuals, a bombastic score from Henry Mancini, and a crafty premise. The film is definitely a sci-fi horror film that manages to be interesting as well as create something that is scary and provocative. In the end, Lifeforce is a phenomenal film from Tobe Hooper.

Tobe Hooper Films: (Eggshells) - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - (Eaten Alive) - (Salem’s Lot) - (The Funhouse) - (Poltergeist) - (Invaders from Mars) - (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) - (Spontaneous Combustion) - (I’m Dangerous Tonight) - (Night Terrors) - Body Bags - (The Mangler) - (The Apartment Complex) - (Crocodile (2000 film)) - (Toolbox Murders) - (Mortuary) - (Djinn)

© thevoid99 2016

The Pianist

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/22/04 w/ Extensive Revisions & Edits.

Based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, The Pianist is a film about Szpilman's life where he tries survive the ghettos of Warsaw, Poland during Germany’s occupation in World War II. Throughout all the hardships, starvation, attempted attacks, and punishment, Szpilman’s story of survival and triumph is amazing, especially what was going on for Jews at the time of the Holocaust. Adapted into a script by Ronald Harwood and directed by Roman Polanski, The Pianist is an in-depth look into the Holocaust where Polanski portrays all the characters as human beings including the Jews, Poles, and the Nazis. With a cast led by Adrien Brody as Szpilman in his Oscar-winning performance, The Pianist is a gripping, harrowing tale of survival told by Roman Polanski.

Wladyslaw Szpilman is a Jewish pianist at a recital for a Polish radio broadcast in 1940 whose life is to change because of the ongoing violence following Germany's invasion of Poland. Living with his wealthy family that includes his parents (Frank Finlay & Maureen Lipman), sisters Regina & Halina (Julia Rayner & Jessica Kate Meyer), and brother Henryk (Ed Stopppard), they hope that they can endure once the British and French arrive to help. Instead, they're moved to ghettos as they had to endure the prejudices of German occupation. Wladyslaw tries to get things to help his family as he even bails out Henryk with help from a Jewish officer (Roy Smiles).

With the occupation of the ghettos becoming more trouble and hiding from the Germans, Wladslaw's life is changed when his family are taken to concentration camps as he is left alone in the ghettos. With an old friend in Jurek (Michal Zebrowski), Wladyslaw makes an escape seeking refuge in his friend Dorota (Emila Fox) who gives him a house to stay for two years. When Dorota has disappeared and no word about his family, Wladyslaw uses the piano to comfort him despite his health. Even as he tries to survive against the Germans as he becomes desperate for food one night where he meets a German officer named Hosenfeld (Thomas Krestchmann). Wladyslaw realizes he might be in trouble as he uses his only talent that would save him.

For a film that runs for two-and-a-half hours long might seem a long ordeal to watch for moviegoers. Thankfully for a master filmmaker like Polanski, the pacing and length of the film is attentive in its story not with just strong, intense dramatic moments but also elements of details of the cruelty that was going on at that time. The Oscar-award winning adapted screenplay by Ronald Harwood is filled with a linear and timeline structure that makes sure when did this happen what flaws the characters they have as they’re presented in a human light. It’s not just the Nazi Germans that Polanski wanted to portray as monsters that is already known but he also gives light that it was Polish people as well that were prejudice as well as Jews as they kill their own race just to survive. Polanski’s masterful direction definitely makes his movie not be another Schindler’s List but a film of its own, gripping power.

With Polanski trying to play this film, as true to the story, he makes sure the film doesn’t have an entirely bleak look. With a vast look from cinematographer Pawel Edelman, the film’s look shows elements of grayish colors to convey the bleaker, oppressive tone while there’s elements of sunlight in moments of despair but also in the film’s final moments, a sense of reflection from Wladyslaw Szpilman. In the scenes of battle and violence, they’re very intense with its effects as Polanski tries to play true to the time of the film and the weapons that were used. From the elements of detail in production design, costumes, art direction, and all elements of making a film look like 1940s Poland, Polanski indeed gets it right and with an immensely strong script, he got what he wanted.

The film’s cast is wonderfully used from the roles of Szpilman’s parents and siblings to the array of Warsaw residents including Emilia Fox’s enchanting performance as Dorota. While it’s a cast that includes many people, they all have their moments including the Nazi German soldiers and officers as they play up to the monstrous, vile tone of what they were. The biggest standout in the supporting roles easily is Thomas Kretschmann as Captain Hosenfeld. Kretschmann delivers a subtle performance as the German officer who spared Szpilman’s life with ease and intelligence as he proved that not all Germans were vile and evil.

The film’s central protagonist and probably the best performance overall in the film is Adrien Brody. Prior to this film, Brody was a talented, enigmatic actor who appeared in small indie films like Harrison’s Flowers, Six Ways to Sunday, Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill and Love the Hard Way to big films like Spike Lee's Summer of Slam and Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line. In this film, he delivers a gripping, heartbreaking performance as Wladyslaw Szpilman. Brody plays the role with ease and intelligence while not giving up any hope to the film’s character. Brody’s sympathetic performance is the heart of the film while he perfectly mimics the piano playing throughout the film that includes a lovely score from Wojciech Kilar and compositions from Frederic Chopin.

The Pianist is a welcoming return-to-form film from Roman Polanski after a period of films that didn't live up to his revered reputation. It is definitely one of Polanski's most heartbreaking and ambitious film of his career that features a towering performance from Adrien Brody. Audiences wanting a film that is different from a lot of World War II films or Holocaust-dramas will find this to be a very different yet personal take on one of the most harrowing periods in history. In the end, The Pianist is a gripping, harrowing film from Roman Polanski with a spellbinding performance from Adrien Brody.

Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)

© thevoid99 2011