DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

UK, 1981, 115 minutes, Colour.
David Hemmings, Lisa Harrow, Diana Dors, Toyah Wilcox, Leo Mc Kern, Desmond Llewelyn.
Directed by Alistair Reid.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson's classic 19th century novel about the split personality - the inner evil and the exterior good (with reminiscences of Wilde's The Portrait of Dorian Gray) - has been filmed many times. John Barrymore, Fredric March, Spencer Tracy have all portrayed the Doctor. There have been various parodies as well as horror versions. This B.B.C. made tele-version has a very good performance by David Hemmings. The screenplay approaches Jekyll's transformation to Hyde with parallels to Dorian Gray. Dr. Jekyll is older and when transformed turns into a younger, more dapper Mr. Hyde.

The film also plays with the two women in a similar psychological way. The refined Anne is revealed as being very similar to Dr. Jekyll with her inner passion. The prostitute becomes a fourteen-year-old flower-seller who though on the exterior is a whore, interiorly is innocent. This provides the film with novelty as well as more psychological tension. The supporting cast is made up of regular British B.B.C. and movie character actors. Direction is by Alastair Reid - with production collaboration of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

1. The popularity of the novel? The familiarity of the audience with the story and issues? The tradition of the various cinema versions? The direction of the film towards the home television audience? Adaptation for the television audience? A psychological Jekyll and Hyde for the '80s?

2. The television style? The expertise of the special effects - with echoes of such films as Altered States? The adaptation of a novel to the screen? The atmosphere of Victorian England, London, society, scientific advancement, psychological development, morality?

3. The perennial themes taken by Stevenson: the two sides of the one personality, a dualistic theory of an origin of good and an origin of evil and their war? The good and evil within the human being? The allegory of human life? The symbolic nature of the plot? Its psychological insight?

4. The Victorian atmosphere: period, detail, language? The Victorian era as a Jekyll and Hyde age: respectability, Jekyll and his religious background, Stern father and his injunctions, his portrait in the laboratory, standards imposed on his son, Jekyll's prayers, propriety? His work in charity? Education? Science? The advances of these in the Victorian era? Yet the background of Jekyll and his inner drive to evil, Anne and her interior passion, Oliver and his drinking, Lanyon and his ambition, the poverty, the prostitution? The role of the police?

5. David Hemmings as Jekyll and Hyde? The parallel with The Picture of Dorian Gray? Audiences expecting the special transformation effects? The style of the changes? The use of psychedelic style effects? The handsome monster?

6. Dr. Jekyll as a character? The voice-over, his scientific background, his obsession and drive, his idea and theory? Relationship with Anne, his friends, peers? His charity and being on the organising committee? The significance of his visit to the area for prostitutes and poverty? The prison sequence and his compassion? The build-up to the experiments? His experience of being Mr. Hyde - his delight as Hyde in his new, younger self? His arranging the household to convenience Mr Hyde? Moving in and out? His changing his will and his colleagues' surprise and regret? The mixture of propriety and impropriety? His regrets, the experiences of reversion? His experiences as Hyde? With Janet and the seduction, her pregnancy, her suicide and his responsibility? The encounter with Mary and his degrading her - and her innocent response? The eventual attraction for Anne and her lust? His boldness, confronting people? The sudden changes? The growing agonies? The police chasing him? The crawl through the slime? Dr. Jekyll's attempts to destroy Hyde - the key, the formula? The build-up to the marriage and Dr. Jekyll's inability to go through with it? Mr. Hyde spending the night with Anne? The device of his recording his experiments? The voice and the two endings? The failure - and his asking forgiveness for his arrogance?

7. Anne as a proper Victorian widow? Social concerns? The encounter with Hyde - the sensuality? Her shock at the discovery of the truth? The confrontation of herself by the image in Jekyll and Hyde?

8. The presentation of Mary - as the innocent flower-girl yet needing to be a prostitute for support? Her being degraded by Hyde's suggestions?

9. The Victorian background with Mrs. Winterton - and Diana Dors' style? Her establishment, the girls, the soliciting, the sensuality? The beneath-the-surface atmosphere of Victorian London?

10. Oliver and his friendship? His drinking? The changing of the will? Concern about Hyde? Lanyon and his snobbery?

11. Janet and her place within the household, the tidying of the laboratory, the seduction by Hyde? Dr. Jekyll's kindness? Her appeal to Dr. Jekyll? Her death?

12. Poole as the Victorian butler? His managing Dr. Jekyll's life? Suspicions? His wanting everything to be just so - and the impossibility of his actually being able to control the Victorian Jekyll household?

13. The film's attention to detail: Victorian London, society, prison, the police, the mother bringing her boy as a patient for Dr. Jekyll's kind treatment?

14. The effectiveness of Stevenson's drama? The Victorian melodrama? A fable of torment and conflict?