SEVENTH SON
US, 2015, 102 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Bridges,Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Antje Traue, Olivia Williams, John De Santis, Kit Harrington, Djimon Hounsou, Jason Scott Lee.
Directed by Sergei Bodrov.
What fans to do now that The Lord of the Rings cycle and The Hobbits cycle now complete, after 14 years? Television viewers are already hooked on Game of Thrones, and for several seasons. Seventh Son is a kind of interim filler. It is based on a young adult novel by Joseph Delaney, The Spook’s Apprentice.
A great deal of money has been spent for the budget of this film with plenty of colourful sets and vigorous action up there on the screen, especially with a 3D version. With mediaeval castles, isolated and lonely villages, flying dragons, evil witches, seventh sons with power to cast out the witches and demons who are instantly and spectacularly cremated, there may be enough to satisfy those who really love this kind of thing.
But it is not quite enough, even though one of the contributors to the screenplay was the British Stephen Knight (Dirty, Pretty Things, Locke). Despite a lot of high flying, it is much more on the pedestrian side, imaginative and creative language not one of its strengths. And then there is the question of Jeff Bridges’ half- swallowed voice and semi-English accent which may mean that he was trying to channel Ian Mc Kellen as a new Gandalf. And then there is the British star and the Danish star affecting some kind of American twang.
The film opens with the Master Gregory (Bridges) imprisoning what seems a forlorn victim beneath a domed metal grate. When time passes and the grate melts, we realise that he had a point. He has tried to imprison mother Mother Malkin, truly a malevolent black-clad witch who, inevitably, once loved Master Gregory but who is into incantations, spells, destroying enemies – and in the meantime transforming herself into a vicious dragon sweeping through the skies. Mother Malkin is played by Julieanne Moore which seems to remind us that many actresses (think of Meryl Streep recently in Into the Woods, or Julia Roberts, or Charlize Theron, or Angelina Jolie) feel that a wicked witch should be part of their repertoire. (Now, with a well deserved reputation and Oscar, Julianne Moore can do what she likes).
Master Gregory has apprentices who are seventh sons but fail to serve out their time, being destroyed by witches or Mother Malkin. He finds another apprentice in the form of Tom Ward, Ben Barnes, who has mysterious prophetic dreams and feels called to his mission, despite all the attacks, pursuits, his having to jump off a very high cliff with Master Gregory, going over waterfalls, falling from another cliff, all kinds of endurance and confrontations, including the attraction of Alice (Alicia Vikander), daughter of a witch, who loves him but is not above bewitching him to steal his protective metal, given to him by his good witch mother, Olivia Williams.
In many ways, the action is the old Saturday Matinees style, chases, confrontations, battles, and even a literal cliffhanger. Which means that audiences who have a reasonable tolerance for this kind of adventure might find it entertaining while it is up there on the screen – and then forgotten.
The director is a Russian, Sergei Bodrov, the Russian director who has made interesting films in the past, Prisoner of the Mountains, Bears Kiss and Mongol, the rise of Genghis Khan.
1. An entertaining fantasy? Young adult novel? Drawing on the token imagination?
2. The title, the special gifts of a seventh son, the search for such sons?
3. The medieval setting, the village, the mountains, the waterfalls, cliffs? Castles, exteriors and interiors? Costumes, decor, the school?
4. The special effects, the Dragons, the transformations, flight, battles?
5. The action, the confrontations, power, magic?
6. The initial imprisonment of Mother Malkin? The melting of the bars over time? Her getting free?
7. Master Gregory, his imprisoning the witch, the confrontations, his task, eliminating demons and witches? his assistant, awkward, being caught in the cage, his death? Gregory and his age, status in the village? His going to the good witch, seeing her children, Tom and his visions? His destiny? Following Gregory? His apprenticeship and experiences?
8. The dragon, Mother Malkin, in herself, the past, the relationship with Gregory? Followers, the other witch, the daughter? The power, evil, transformation? The confrontation? The destruction?
9. The disciple witch, the daughter, half-human? The attraction to Tom? In love? Yet the influence of her mother, stealing the medallion? Changing, rescuing Tom, love?
10. Tom, his mother, allowing him to go with Gregory? The confrontation with Mother Malkin, her death? Tom and his character, loyal to Gregory?
11. The range of adventures, the large ogres, Jim on? The fights, flight, jumping from the Cliff, on the ledge, the rescue? Radu as a foe?
12. The final confrontation, Gregory retiring, Tom becoming the master, and an enjoyable adventure?
