Criterion Collection: Island of Lost Souls [DVD] [1932] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I ordered this last September (at a much lower price) and was disapointed when the release was put back by 7 months or so. Also, most if not all the "reviews here are "In anticipation" rather than an actual viewing of this Eureka Release. Well worry not everyone. This Dvd comes with a Blu Ray disc, excellent booklet (with full cast list) and extras with Simon Callow, and other items. Given this film was made in 1932 the restoration is superb (this is the DVD not Blu Ray - I don't have a player), sound and picture quality no problem at all. The photography is so classic 1930's B/W -moody and magnificent. The acting is of the period too, but don't let that put you off. Laughton is hugely creepy and very effective. The Makeup for the man/beasts is as good as many a CGI of today (well, I think so). It all moves along at a spanking pace and conveys the Horror perfectly. Highly recomended to lovers of good serious cinema (Does that sound pompous? - I do hope not). I loved it.

So much has been said about this film already, entire chapters of film books are even devoted to it.
I recommend it for the following;
- this blu-ray version is as good as this film will get (still not great though).
- Charles Laughton provides the definition of the "mad" scientist that will be emulated with little success, consistently.
- Bela Lugosi is so 'over the top' you would think it's his debut.
- Almost single-handedly led to the creation of the "Haye's Code" due to content, torture, bestiality, vivisection, madness and terror, all done with innuendo not glaring sledge-hammer-in-face.
- was good enough to initiate two other versions, which pale in comparison.
- It has CHARLES LAUGHTON in it. You need another reason?

Look, it's great. You already know the quality of film it is by noticing it was made in 1932. If you can't get past the fact it's an older film then you are missing out.

NB: As is Amazon's wont, they've lumped together the reviews for various editions of this title together. This review refers to the Spanish DVD, UK video and the Eureka Blu-ray/DVD.

"What is the law?"
"Not to eat meat, that is the law. Are we not men?"
"Are we not men?"
"What is the law?"
"Not to go on all fours, that is the law. Are we not men?"
"Are we not men?"
"What is the law?"
"Not to spill blood, that is the law. Are we not men?"
"Are we not men?"

H.G. Wells may have loathed it and the British censor banned it for nearly three decades for being "against nature," but 1932's Island of Lost Souls is still the best and most disturbing adaptation of the author's The Island of Dr Moreau. Certainly Paramount's idea of a horror film was much darker than Universal's classic monster movies of the period, and it tackles its subtext head on without appearing especially heavy-handed.

Looking like a cross between British fascist leader Oswald Mosley, a chubby Adolph Hitler and Little Britain's Matt Lucas (though he claimed he based the character's look on his dentist), Charles Laughton's white-suited vivisectionist turning animals into half-men in his House of Pain on an uncharted South seas island with the aid of Arthur Hohl's disgraced doctor is at once the worst of colonialism personified and the kind of scientist the Nazis would love to have had on the payroll. Ruling over his creations with a whip and a Law based on fear, he's not that far removed from the crazed eugenics experiments that would take place a few years later or of the patronising hypocrisy that would lead to most European colonies to fall to rebellion after the war. Unlike later versions, there's no rationale behind his experiments beyond the desire to prove they can be done, and he has no scruples about trying to mate his creations with the odd human visitor or, if that fails, create a situation that might lead to a convenient bestial rape to further his scientific curiosity. When his inevitable fall at the hands of his experiments comes when they realise man is not a god but mortal like them, it's just as cruel and sadistic, the shots of real-life amputees with cloven hoofs grafted on or mental patients transformed into animals courtesy of Wally Westmore's uncredited makeup effects still shocking today.

If Richard Arlen's human lead doesn't stand much of a chance of doing more than just about getting by against Laughton and Bela Lugosi's Sayer of the Law's screentime is limited to a couple of key scenes, Erle C. Kenton's direction is exceptionally good, with a real visual flair for camera movement that's as striking today as anything in James Whale's films, not least the fluid crane shots revealing the manimals' village or the commanding image of Moreau looking down on his worshipping creations like a malignant god. Hans Dreier's impressive art direction and Karl Struss' dramatic cinematography beautifully compliment what is still one of the best horror films of its kind.

The much-delayed Masters of Cinema Bluray/DVD combo may use the same transfer as the Criterion release, but contains different extras. Alongside the customary booklet (which includes stills of unused manimal makeup) there's an interview with Laughton's biographer Smon Callow that draws attention to the Conradian undertones of the story and the anguished sadism of Laughton's performance, while the factual background is filled in very impressively by an excellent interview with Jonathan Rigby that's one of the best of its kind that I've seen, not just covering the expected bases like Darwin and Wells but also dealing with the 30s craze for jungle movies and physical 'degeneration.'

Spanish DVD releases are pretty hit or miss - you'll either get a decent transfer (usually from the majors like Fox or Paramount) or something that looks like the worst of public domain transfers. The Spanish DVD of Island of Lost Souls isn't an official Universal release (it's out of copyright now), but it is surprisingly good quality that's comparable to the laserdisc release though the synch gets a bit wobbly in a couple of scenes. It's English language with optional French or Spanish subtitles, with the 1933 The Vampire Bat and a booklet included as extras. Compared to the pretty lousy quality on the UK video release, it's surprisingly decent.