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Rating:  - The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977)
Based on the H.G. Wells' 1896 novel, this film ventures into the realms of human eugenics and genetic alterations. Based on the evolutionary tenets, the film speeds up the cosmic time table in producing men from animals in a short span of days
Like all created societies, the law must be given by the lawgiver. Dr. Moreau is the creator and lawgiver. The chimeras revere him as their god.
All is harmonious until Andrew Braddock washes a shore. He falls in love with the mysterious Maria who has a strange connection to Dr. Moreau and the island. Braddock begins questioning the research of Moreau.
The tension between the two men builds until the tragic climax.
After Moreau murders Montgomery, the caretaker of the compound, the chimeras begin to question their god. Montgomery had reached his point of human morality and challenged Moreau. Sometimes, when a person takes a stand on moral principle, it results in their death.
The Sayer of the Law, played brilliantly by Richard Baseheart, is the leader of the chimeras who repeats the law given by Moreau. The cadence of their recitation is very haunting.
The ending of the film is a sad commentary on the noble scientist who wanted to benefit humanity, but in the end his own arrogance and self deification led to the tragic lost of his humanity and paradise.
Burt Lancaster is in top form as Moreau. He seems to relish the part.
Braddock, played by Michael York, is the moral compass in the film. The struggle between animal and man is brilliantly portrayed by Braddock after he is injected with Moreau's experimental biological serum.
Like most films based on novels, the novel provides a different version with rich details. Read the novel as well.
Rating:  - What is the Law?
After the 1933 horror Classic "Island of Lost Souls" starring Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau & Bela Lugosi as Sayer of the Law yet another movie adaption of H.G. Wells (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man" twisted horror novel starring the legendary Burt Lancaster as the half human half animal beast creator, Dr. Moreau & Michael York as Andrew Braddock, the shipwrecked man who is in terror on the island & beautiful Barbara Carrera as Braddocks's love interest Maria, It's a thrill ride!
Rating:  - "There is a beast in man that should be exercised, not exorcised."
An Englishman named 'Montgomery' is stranded with a lost companion on a deserted tropical island where he is rescued by Dr. Moreau, a genius in genetics, pursuing altruistic medical miracles to alleviate mankind from incurable maladies, although his methods are questioned, but it is maintained that the ends justify the means. He continues to make strides to this effect until perfidiously antagonistic organisms deem to thwart his noble efforts, who eventually become subjects themselves for his experiments, thus contributing far more to his vision rather than merely complaining about it.
Down in the jungle outside of his compound reside some of his genetic creations, man-beasts, veritable 'humanimals' of various species, from a bearman, boarman, to hyenaman, lionman, tigerman, bullman, and a monkeyman who is "The Sayer of The Law"* {small portion follows}:
"Not to go on all fours: this is the law. Are we not men?"
"Not to show our fangs in anger. Are we not men?"
"Not to snarl or roar. That is the Law. Are we not men?"
"What Is The Law? Not to shed the blood of another man. That is the law."
An obvious treatise on civility to temper impulsive feral proclivities. Those beastmen who violate this law are taken to "The House of Pain" for 'correction'... for Moreau elucidates that if this discipline is not enforced, the beastmen would run wild and surely kill their human counterparts. Much like the lion who must not be allowed to overtake the master even in jest, lest he begin to dominate the trainer.
What this film demonstrates is the necessary realization and connection to one's natural animalistic state, lest imbalance tranform the denier into a broken creature. Dr. LaVey's infamous quote comes to mind:
"There is a beast in man that should be exercised, not exorcised."
One particularly notable scene depicts the stubbornly independant bullman fighting for his mental freedom, as he denies 'the law' and questions what is so wrong with realizing that one is an animal? Out in the bush, he vanquishes tiger with the obvious shedding of blood, and thereby becomes subject to the punishments of The House of Pain, but would rather run free and even die than suffer that indignity. Sadly for him, the consequence is lethal at the gunpoint of Montgomery, which then begins to raise other questions in the minds of the beastmen, as they slowly begin to realize the double-standards and hypocrisies enacted by the humans, in a likened "do as I say, not as I do" scenario, which does not sit well with them at all, and they begin to revolt. Revolution is the first step to evolution.
Beautiful resident orphan Maria {the gorgeous brunette Barbara Carrera} who was also rescued by Moreau as a child falls in lust with Montgomery, and remains with him through his transformation into manimal at the hands of Moreau, after he displays inclinations towards betrayal, and becomes an experiment, as his senses and instincts sharpen, excellerated pilose generation, legs to haunches, with an incessant desire to kill prey for food, but he remains in control of his civility nonetheless. She helps him escape the cage, the natives from thereon become restless as the mutiny scene develops, the ingrates set the compound aflame, with their maker placed in a suspended supine crucifixion.
Montgomery and Maria finally boat off to modern civilization.
_________
* Also used as a large part of the litany comprising Dr. Anton LaVey's lycanthropic rite "Das Tierdrama" from 'The Satanic Rituals' book. The Island of Dr. Moreau is a LaVeyan recommendation.
Rating: - When the result is even major than the sum of its parts!
Burt Lancaster gave a terrific performance as the ambitious Dr.Moreau who pretends to create anew race; the "humanimals" , half beats, half man and the inexpressive Michael Yoprk as the good guy who will intend by all his means to avoid the prolongation of this horrid nightmare.
Effective sci fi movie that, despite to count with minor technologic resources, it got its aim and surmounted by far the infamous remake of 1996.
Rating:  - Use in the Classroom
I teach 9th grade English, and after reading Wells's "The Island of Dr. Moreau" in my English I class, I chose to have my students watch the 1996 remake rather than this version. Although both movies greatly deviate from Wells's story, the 1977 version would have bored my students to tears. If you intend to show a movie version of this novel, then I would choose the 1996 version since it is faster-paced and more dramatic. Plus, Val Kilmer plays a very convincing Montgomery. The redeeming quality of this 1977 version is the cave scene during which the Beast People teach Braddock "The Law," though your students will probably be asleep by the time that scene occurs.
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