Planet of the Humanoids

By Christopher Porterfield

THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU

Directed by DON TAYLOR Screenplay by JOHN HERMAN SHANER and ALRAMRUS

It may be cinematic heresy to say so, but some things really should be heard--or heard about--and not seen. Take those creatures out there in the jungle in The Island of Dr. Moreau. To Braddock (Michael York), a shipwrecked sailor, they are at first shadowy, ominous presences, cracking twigs underfoot and growling in the gloom. What could they be? What, for that matter, are the mysterious experiments that the overlord of the island, Dr. Moreau (Burt Lancaster), is conducting in his compound? And why do all of Moreau's servants seem--well, barely human?

While it is setting up such questions, the film--based on H.G. Wells' novel --gives promise of being a fairly gripping fantasy-adventure. But it answers all the questions too soon and then has nowhere to go. Moreau turns out to be a mad visionary who, having partially cracked the genetic code, is trying to breed animals into human beings. The servants are some of his handiwork. As for those creatures in the jungle, they represent Moreau's near misses -- brut ish humanoids who cannot transcend their origins as bears, lions, hyenas.

As described by Wells on the print ed page, these figures have a certain evocative power ("Imagine yourself sur rounded by all the most horrible cripples and maniacs it is possible to conceive . . ."). But when they lope right on screen, they are too literal. They cease to be creatures of the viewer's imagination and become exhibits of the make up man's craft. It is hard, in fact, to sup press a giggle as one spots a resemblance between the Lionman and Bert Lahr on the road to Oz, or begins comparing the nose job of Richard Basehart, as the Sayer of the Law, with that of Roddy McDowall in Planet of the Apes.

York delays the film's slide into silliness with a surprisingly moving scene in which he clings to his humanity despite Moreau's attempt to use him as an experiment in reverse evolution. But the beast-people are getting restless, and a B-movie Apocalypse is in the wind. Clearly there are some cosmic ironies about God, nature, man and beast lurk ing in all this. But it is probably best to follow the film's example and not think about them.

Christopher Porterfield

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