JEKYLL AND HYDE
UK, 1990, 96 minutes, Colour.
Michael Caine, Cheryl Ladd, Joss Ackland, Ronald Pickup, Lionel Jeffries, Lance Percival, Miriam Karlin, Lee Montague, Diane Keen.
Directed by David Wickes.
Jekyll and Hyde is an elegantly mounted British telemovie written by its director, David Wicks - who also collaborated with Michael Caine for the mini-series, Jack the Ripper. The film was developed from the often filmed Robert Louis Stevenson story.
Once again, Dr Jekyll is the scientist playing with chemicals and the human psyche. His Mr Hyde is monstrous - with the help of special effects. Michael Caine seems rather relaxed and himself as Dr Jekyll - which may be a disadvantage because Caine seems so familiar. Cheryl Ladd is his mistress, a more permissive variation on past themes. The strong British supporting cast includes Joss Ackland as Jekyll's rival Dr Lanyon, Lee Montague as the police inspector. Despite being excellently mounted, the film moves so rapidly that it seems at times and, despite the strength of the dialogue, a rather slight variation on the theme.
However, it is an interesting addition to the numerous films of Jekyll and Hyde.
1. British telemovie, production values, interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson's story?
2. The 19th century, London, science and the laboratories, the police, the slums of London? The spectacle aspects? musical Score? The strong cast?
3. The title and the focus on the surnames without title? Two aspects of the one character? The personality from within taking over Jekyll? The split personality and the split personality of Victorian England with its surface respectability, zeal for science and progress, repressed brutality? The human and the bestial? Themes of repression and suppression?
4. Michael Caine as Henry Jekyll? Suave manner? Introduction to the monster Hyde before Jekyll? Jekyll and his students, his theories, clash with Dr Lanyon, his concern about the injured child, the success of the operation? Friendship with Geoffrey, going to the dance? The background of the death of his wife, Lanyon's hostility towards him? Sarah and her love for Henry? Her going to him, his relationship with her, the gossip? His continuing his work? The compulsion to experiment, the documents, the transformation to Hyde? His absolute brutality as Hyde, sadism with the prostitute, the callousness with the child, the brutality with the sailors? The transformation back, the chemicals? Jekyll's dependence on the experience? His inability to control - and the death of his father, his mother in hospital? His telling the truth to Sarah, her supporting him against the police after his violence? The burning? His inability to control himself, the transformations? Seeking the chemical, the transformation in front of Lanyon? return to the laboratory, his killing himself? The death of his theories and of 19th century faith in progress? The realism of the character, symbolism?
5. Lanyon and his hostility, his dead daughter, blaming Jekyll? Severity with Sarah? her leaving home? his being called in to examine the failure? The confrontation with Jekyll and seeing the transformation? the opening, with Geoffrey's visit, her hiding herself? Her place in society,
her husband in Singapore, the gossip of society, anger with her father? Leaving home? Coming to Jekyll? The brutality of the rape, the doctors and the police? The social whirl and the affair with Jekyll? The police interrogations and her shielding him after hearing the story? The collapse of Jekyll, her wanting to support him? Her retiring to the village, the child?
7. Geoffrey and his friendship, seeking out Sarah, hearing, the story, his own interventions?
8. The inspector, the police, the assistant? The investigations, the stakeouts? The clues pointing to Jekyll? The various interrogations, chases?
9. The reporter, spying on Sarah, printing the gossip, the finger pointing to Hyde, the help by the police? The role of the media and reporters?
10. The world of the prostitutes, the brutality by Hyde, the interrogation by the police?
11. The chemist and the analysis of the chemicals
12. The popularity of Stevenson's story? Symbol of the 19th century? Science and progress? human nature? Jekyll and Hyde as a symbol of the human and the beast?
