If someone had told you that Tim Burton was set to direct a remake of a gothic soap opera in which a vampire is buried for almost 200 years before being unearthed in 1972, you’d probably say “That sounds about right.” Your response would be valid for a couple of reasons: Firstly, “gothic soap opera” is probably Burton’s secret phrase, a calming mantra he repeats to himself on stressful days at the office. Secondly, it’s a remake of an existing property, something Burton knows all too well. In fact, the last film he directed that wasn’t based on an existing property was Edward Scissorhands, back in 1990 (you could technically make a case for 1994’s Ed Wood, but given that it’s essentially biographic in nature, I’m going to disallow it. Awesome movie though). In that time Burton has become one of cinema’s foremost stylists, adding his unique aesthetic to properties ranging from comic books (Batman [1989]) to movies (The Planet of the Apes [2001]) and literature (the surprisingly un-Burtonesque Big Fish in 2003). So you then wouldn’t be surprised that Burton did, in fact, direct this film, and that it was called Dark Shadows. Glad we got that sorted.
Working from screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) from a story by Grahame-Smith and frequent Burton collaborator (there are a few of those in this) John August (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Burton has assembled a highly talented ensemble to bring the world of 1972 to life! Frequent Burton collaborator Johnny Depp (working with Burton for the eighth time) stars as Barnabas Collins, who we are introduced to in 1760, in the town of Collinsport, Maine, where his family runs the fishing industry around which the town is built. He runs afoul of the witch Angelique (Eva Green), jealous of his love for Josette (Bella Heathcote). She bewitches his love, forcing her to her doom, before turning him into a vampire and turning the townsfolk against him. They bury him, chained up in a coffin, where he is left to deal with his torment for all of time. Or until 1972, when he is dug up by some construction workers. He returns to the family estate, home to family matriarch Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer, in her second collaboration with Burton), her brother Roger (Johnny Lee Miller), her 15-year-old daughter Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz), Roger’s 10-year-old son David (the awesomely named Gulliver McGrath), Dr Julia Hoffman (frequent Burton collaborator and gloriously, ridiculously bewigged Helena Bonham Carter) as David’s psychiatrist, Willie Looms (Jackie Earl Haley) as the manor’s caretaker, and Victoria Winters (Heathcote again), David’s governess and Josette’s reincarnation.
Barnabas’ return is a wonderfully minimalist sequence, his rescuers being picked off and fed upon one-by-one with a series of quick cuts. He returns to the modern day to find the witch Angelique has used her powers to start a rival fishing business to that of his family’s. At the same time, Dr Hoffman is trying to get her hands on Barnabas’ blood, under the guise of helping him become human again, so she can turn herself into a vampire and stop the ageing process. There’s a lot going on in this film. And the cast does a great job with the material. There isn’t really a weak link. Depp is admirably restrained in a role that could have been purely for laughs, and Pfeiffer, Bonham Carter and Green are all fun to watch, and Heathcote, who I’d not seen before this film, had an otherworldly, wide-eyed sweetness that I found very watchable.
The film has met with very much mixed reviews. I’ll admit to being disappointed by the tone.I was expecting much more of a comedy, and what little there was I found enjoyable. Particularly a set piece revolving around a passionate love scene, which is just as destructive as you’d imagine when a couple of supernatural entities get it on. It’s also visually interesting and incorporates some nice wirework to really sell the fact that these two aren’t just regular folk having a good time. As a family drama, one based on a soap opera, it’s entertaining enough, the message that love and family can help even the most tortured soul find a bit of peace, and that no matter how freaky you are, you’ll always have family, is simple and effective.
The biggest failing of the film is probably that it didn’t find the right mix between camp silliness and the gothic creepy spooky that Burton usually does so well. Which is a shame, because as is usually the case with Tim Burton, the film is wonderful looking. Frequent Burton collaborator Rick Heinricks once again knocks it out of the park, particularly the old mansion set itself, which is beautiful in its gothic other-worldliness, and the pre-credits sequence set in 1760, which is a gorgeous, moody, atmospheric piece, utilising every bit of the gothic sensibilities you’d expect to be on display perfectly. It’s not enough to save the film from being little more than average though. Perhaps a little less reverence to the material (both Burton and Depp were huge fans of the TV show) and a little more willingness to have fun could have made for a vastly more enjoyable film.
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