Did you know that James Whale, the Universal Studios film director behind Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, was actually a homosexual?
Odds are, this trivia is not of any particular interest to you. Whale began his career as a director while held in a German prisoner of war camp during World War I. This is of much greater interest, but is this what Gods and Monsters delivers? No, instead the viewer must suffer through one hundred and five minutes of James Whale, the sickly aged gay lecher.
I am familiar with the running time of Gods and Monsters because I had to stop the tape halfway through the film to look it up. Like an inmate in a prison, I had to learn how much longer my sentence would be. I've had tougher sits before (The Last Emperor, City of Angels) but for me the glacial pacing seemed like staggering steps to an obvious conclusion. It doesn't come as a surprise how badly things turn out for Mr. Whale.
Our society has come far enough that it is no longer unusual for a film's central character to be gay. It hasn't come far enough, however, for him to be much more than the commonly held stereotype. Whale might as well be Oscar Wilde: British, frail, educated, witty, intelligent, effeminate, and self-destructively obsessed with seducing young men. 1997's entry into the genre was John Hurt in Love and Death on Long Island. Ian McKellen has his star turn in Gods and Monsters.
The other notable gay character is even worse; a hyper and obnoxious sissy who seems to be a human version of those annoying animal sidekicks of villains from Disney cartoons. Apparently, the viewer is to believe that gays transform from James Carrey to Alec Guinness once they hit middle age, no doubt the result of watching too many episodes of "Masterpiece Theater" on PBS.
Surprisingly, Gods and Monsters is a pretty good film despite all of its problems. Previously unheralded writer/director Bill Condon may be taking his time, but it allows for the character of Whale to be made more sympathetic. Sure, he's an unsavory old lecher, but his career is long since over, and an unfortunate stroke has left him suffering from headaches, blackouts, and uncontrollable flashbacks. As does Clay, we feel sorry for the old coot, and even try to understand how he got to this sad state.
Clay (Brendan Fraser, who seems out of place in an art house film) is the new gardener for Whale, hired in his absence. Whale wastes no time hustling out to the yard, telling the easily confused ex-Marine that he is welcome to go skinny dipping in his pool. Soon Clay is posing for Whale, at least until Whale reminiscences about past orgies at the estate during better times.
For those familiar with Bride of Frankenstein, it is fun to see the old clips appropriately interspersed into the movie. There is a brief flashback scene taking place during its production, and it is remarkable how much Rosalind Ayres resembles Elsa Lanchester and Matt McKenzie looks like Colin Clive.
Vanessa Redgrave has a standout comic supporting role as Whale's housekeeper Hanna. It is perhaps the most unglamorous of her career. Her 'Hungarian' accent reminded me of Cloris Leachman from Young Frankenstein. I half expected horses to whinny when her name was mentioned.
Gods and Monsters created enough of a stir to land three Oscar nominations. Condon was a surprise Oscar winner for Best Screenplay. McKellen and Redgrave were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. (66/100)
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