THE SINGING DETECTIVE
US, 2003, 109 minutes, Colour.
Robert Downey Jnr, Robyn Wright- Penn, Jeremy Northam, Mel Gibson, Katie Holmes, Carla Gugino, Adrienne Brodie, Jon Polito, Saul Rubinek, Amy Aquino, David Dorfmann, Alfre Woodard.
Directed by Keith Gordon.
In the years before he died, British playwright and television drama's writer par excellence, Denis Potter adapted his British television series, The Singing Detective (with Michael Gambon) for the cinema screen and with an American setting. For fans of the series, this might well seem a very abridged version. For those who have not seen the series, the film will put audiences on the back foot at first. They will have to do some assessing of their emotional and intellectual response as they come to terms with this internal drama, with the fantasies in the imagination of the detective.
He is in hospital suffering from a virulent form of psoriosis which disfigures his face and makes his whole body alien and uncomfortable. He has written a noir detective story and finds himself retreating into his novel, into his intuitive imagination which has become suspicious of his wife and an agent, assuming that they are out to steal his manuscript. He also lapses back into destructive memories of childhood, his mother's betrayal of his father with his partner at a desert garage. The particularly Potter characteristic (which was to the fore in Potter's television series with Bob Hoskins and the Americanised film version with Steve Martin, Pennies from Heaven) is character's bursting into song and sometimes dance, a selection of songs from the 1960s. While this paragraph describes something of what is going on and how, it still does not prepare us for the experience of moving in and out of times, in and out of truth and fantasy, accepting the songs and trying to understand the character of the detective. It is further complicated when the detective begins therapy with his psychiatrist and wants to play his emotional and defensive games with the doctor.
The strength of the film is in Robert Downey Jr's screen presence and skilful performance, sometimes petulant, sometimes paranoid, sometimes pleasant. His psychiatrist is at first unrecognisable, a balding Mel Gibson. Robin Wright has a very difficult role because she has to embody the detective's wife, both devoted and two-timing in his mind. Jeremy Northam plays the suave agent as well as the seducer of the detective's mother. Then there are two imaginary thugs who keep wandering in and out of the action, murdering Wright at one stage, threatening the detective at another. They are played as an odd couple by Adrien Brody and Jon Polito.
For many the whole thing may be too confusing and demanding, but Keith Gordon's film is an intriguing challenge.
1. The work of Dennis Potter? The original television series and its acclaim? World War II London setting? Potter himself effecting the transition to film and transferring the action to LA in the 1950s? The change of songs from the 40s to those of the 50s?
2. The modern period, the modern hospital? The transition to the darkness of the 1950s in LA, the film noir tradition, Philip Marlowe and the detectives, the irony of the detective being called Dan Dark? The contrast with the open spaces and the country town?
3. The use of the hospital, the bar, homes, the desert, the garage, the open fields? Stylised locations?
4. The range of songs, the 50s, the lyrics illuminating the characters, giving a tone, contributing to the plot?
5. The title, the original novel, the detective Dan Dark? The alter-ego of the central character? The conflict between one half of his ego and the other? The confrontation, the healing of memories, the final shooting and the cure?
6. The themes of health and illness, mind and body, psychosomatic effects? The introduction, the explanation of the illness, the skin disease and its appearance? The establishing of the character with the disease, the interweaving of his past? Robert Downey Jnr appearing as diseased, appearing as healthy? The role of the fantasy, the songs, Don Dark and his actually singing in the nightclub? The role of the gangsters? Jeremy Northam as Bilney and his multiple appearances? Robyn Wright-Penn? as both Nicola and as his wife? As the call-girl Nina? Carla Gugino appearing as his mother? The nature of memories, true and false? A voyeur on one's own life and memories?
7. The establishing of Dark's character: seeing him as a little boy, the strong relationship with his father, seeing his father fix the cars, waving goodbye? His love for his mother, her sexual relationship with Bilney? Bilney being a partner? Her admitting her mistake, taking the boy to Los Angeles in the bus? His mother, suicide, the effect on him, psychologically, emotionally? His attitudes towards women? Sexuality? Betrayal?
8. The introduction to Nicole, in the club, the bath, her murder? Bilney and his authorising it? The parallel with Dark's mother drowning? The screenplay based on the Singing Detective novel? The gangsters, Bilney as suave and as a boss? Supervising the murder? His reaction afterwards? The real visits of the characters and their participation in the screenplay in the modern era? His outbursts, love?
9. The failed writer, putting himself down, his love of words, the screenplay and its inventive use of words? The doctor and his quotes from the book? The inventiveness, the word games, fencing with the doctor? Quotes and punctuation?
10. The visible aspects of the illness, like pizza? His pain, paralysis? The hospital staff and their treatment, carrying him to the bed, the doctors and their visit - and the burst into song? The nurse, her care for him, the sexual overtones of her comments? Her later coming and helping him? The physical healing, the psychological healing? The physical therapy? Nicole and her visits and his response to them?
11. Dr Gibbon, Mel Gibson in disguise, the nature of his performance, comic and serious? A dwarf character? His continued movement, challenge to Dark, his questions, quoting from the book, staring him out, wary, participation in the word games and their significance? His contribution to Dark's health? Challenging him about his boyhood, his parents, women, sexuality?
12. Dark getting better, talking, responding to the challenge - yet elements of madness? His standing, walking? How much in his imagination?
13. The sketch of the gangsters, their appearance, manner, behaviour? Way of talking? The murders? Stranded out in the fields? Their coming to the hospital, the attack? Their wanting to know what they were doing in the plot?
14. Jeremy Northam and his range of appearances, as the man ordering the murder of Nina? As Bilney working in the garage and his relationship with Dark's father and with his mother? His appearing as the executive, wanting the rights to the novel, the discussions with Nicole, sinister or not? All as imagined by Dark?
15. The character of the nurse, her presence in the hospital, her treatment of him, the sexual innuendo?
16. The portrait of Nina and Nicole, how similar, how different, Nina and her murder? His murdering his mother? Nicole, seeming ordinary, her visits, the exasperation, the clashes? The scenes with her discussing the manuscript, the rights? With Bilney? Were they plotting or not? Her visits to Dark, the discussion of the manuscript and his denials? The final healing?
17. The build-up to the finale, the shooting, Dark killing off his other self? The ending with the lights, Dark singing the song?
18. The film as a cinematic experience, its visual impact, aural impact in both song and words, physical impact, psychological impact?
