THE DOORS
A film review by Randy Parker
Copyright 1996 Randy Parker
RATING: ***1/2 (out of ****)
(Review written in 1991)
After Oliver Stone's hit-you-over-the-head antics in BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, I was skeptical about THE DOORS, fearing he would ruin another fertile subject with sledgehammer direction. To my great delight, however, I found THE DOORS to be an extraordinary technical and artistic achievement, from Stone's direction to the cinematography, set design, and sound editing--not to mention Val Kilmer's mind blowing performance as Jim Morrison.
Granted, there are some things the movie does NOT do particularly well. For example, it gives Meg Ryan (who plays Morrison's common-law wife, Pamela Courson) far too little screen time. Further, Stone is so obsessed with Morrison that he fails to shine any light on the other Doors members. But these deficiencies are inconsequential blemishes on an otherwise striking canvas. Stone's recreations of the Doors' concerts are breathtaking, and he chronicles Morrison's self-destructive descent with a chilling sense of claustrophobia. THE DOORS also provides an extremely vivid sense of the era, perfectly capturing the essence of the late '60s and early '70s. The psychedelic, drugged-out point of view makes this a film for the time capsule.
In short, all of the qualities that I hated about BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY I admired in THE DOORS. In this case, Stone's over-the-top direction is appropriate to the subject matter--even integrated with it. A counter example is GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, in which the light comic tone is completely at odds with the controversial nature of Jerry Lee Lewis' life. Stone's flamboyant and portentous visual style, on the other hand, perfectly suits Morrison's excessive personality and his group's foreboding music.
If THE DOORS is a stylistic victory for Stone, then it's a monumental triumph for Val Kilmer. After playing bubble gum heroes in forgettable movies, such as TOP SECRET, WILLOW and KILL ME AGAIN, Kilmer has stepped into the major leagues with his seamless performance as the Doors' tormented, death-obsessed lead singer. You forget that it's Kilmer you're watching; all you see on the screen is Jim Morrison. Kilmer has completely transformed his image as an actor; there's nothing lightweight about him.
You may also get a kick out of seeing Kyle MacLachlan shed his clean-cut Dale Cooper persona from "Twin Peaks" to play Ray Manzarek, the laid back hippy who became the Doors' keyboardist. And in a priceless cameo as Andy Warhol, Crispin Glover is not to be missed.
The icing on the cake is the wall-to-wall soundtrack of classic Doors songs. The group's evocative music and Stone's potent visuals combine to form a wild ride--for your eyes AND ears.
--- Randy Parker rparker@slip.net http://www.shoestring.org
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