ED WOOD
A film review by Raymond Johnston
Copyright 1994 Raymond Johnston
Dir: Tim Burton Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones, Bill Murray
There are may ways to approach the life of down-and-out independent producer/director Edward D. Wood, Jr. The story of his life has all the scope of a tragedy- hopeful young actor and writer declines into writing porn novels and dies penniless on a distant friend's couch. That Tim Burton and his screen writers could take this tragic life and make a comic biopic film so full of joie de vivre is somewhat of an accomplishment.
The film centers on Wood's best years, those with his big star, Bela Lugosi. Depp is fine as Wood, managing to look like him and boldly presenting himself in angora sweaters and high heels. Martin Landau, perhaps the most underrated actor, steals the film completely as Bela Lugosi, the near death former horror star. At the New York Film Festival screening, Landau got endless applause. He said that he studies twenty-five Bela Lugosi films, plus interview footage. Landau described differences in their acting styles, kindly referring to Lugosi as "minimalist." His makeup was designed by Rick Baker. Johnny Depp claimed his preparation included watching Ronald Reagan videos for part of the voice. Bill Murray said he was unfamiliar with the concept of preparing for a role. Vincent D'Onofrio gave a good stab at portraying Orson Welles (don't ask), but he seems to be dubbed by an impressionist.
Director Tim Burton abandoned the saturated color and expressionist sets of his Batman films. Ed Wood is in stark black and white, with a lot of real dingy Hollywood locations. Much of the film is lit like Ed Wood's real productions, and played out on sparse barely decorated sets. This blends the reality of Wood's life into the fantasy of his films. Scenes from his three big classics are matched perfectly. The black and white sunlit crumbling facades of the minuscule studios are a Hollywood that is seldom depicted.
The film falls into the recent genre of energetic independents trying to raise money for a film like MY LIFE IS IN TURNAROUND, or IN THE SOUP. The extent that Ed Wood goes to make his films, and the truly bizarre raft of Hollywood would-be's that he accumulates transcends the bounds of the making a film genre. If these characters were not certifiably real, they would not be believable.
Almost all biopics of Hollywood stars soft step the stars true faults. ED WOOD is no exception. While Bela Lugosi's addictions are played up in the film, Ed Wood's real life alcoholism is not mentioned. Wood is treated as with an amount of reverence that he certainly never received in his real life. Tim Burton also injects an amount of optimism into the film by showing the production and premiere of his films from Wood's own hyper enthusiastic perspective.
The real irony of the film is that some of the acting and technical elements of the film are so good that there might soon by Oscars with the name ED WOOD engraved on them. Landau will certainly be nominated for playing Bela Lugosi, something that Bela could never hope for. Can posthumous Lifetime Achievement awards be far away?
Those who enjoy the work of the great cinematic individualist Ed Wood can also check out his recent biography that is the source of the screenplay, "Nightmare of Ecstasy" by Rudolph Grey. BRIDE OF THE MONSTER is the best of Ed Wood's real films. Bela Lugosi finished that one. The much-hyped PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE really does suffer from the fact that it is constructed around a few short unused clips of Bela. GLEN OR GLENDA, also featuring Lugosi, cannot be described but must be seen to be believed.
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