Review: 'Immortals'

(Dir. Tarsem Singh)

As soon as I see that something is directed by Tarsem Singh, I know exactly what to expect: a stunning set of visuals but a sub-par storyline. This was no exception, but I don’t think that it’s necessarily a bad thing. It was beautiful to look at, and every single image was carefully constructed to be as visually engaging as humanly possible. Singh has a good use of colour too, particularly in the final fight scene between the Olympian gods and the titans. The costumes were designed to contrast and complement each other at the same time, a nice visual sign of the dichotomy between good and evil which the two sides represent. They are in opposition, but one can’t exist without the other. There are few directors who really exploit visual opportunities in this way, but Singh has an excellent command of the subtle symbolism which allows him to infuse story and theme into the picture itself.

The masks worn by Hyperion and his troops are a nice touch, as they have a good dual meaning. Hyperion says to Theseus that his men wear them because all are equal in his army (which is a bit rich coming from a man whose masks increase in opulence and flamboyance as the film progresses, rivalling any hat worn at the royal wedding).  However, in the battle scenes, it serves to provide the enemy with a nameless and faceless persona, thereby increasing our empathy for the Hellenics, as their opposition is barely human as we can’t see any facial features.

He uses music well too, which undercuts the scenes, not just as background noise but working with them. For example, before the battle in the tunnel, the music has a strong, steady rhythm, and as Theseus stirs up the army, they begin to hit their shields in time with the beat. This was a nice touch, as it added aurally to the sense of unity rather than relying on the impression of the dialogue.

In terms of the story, though, the film wasn’t exactly Oscar-worthy. It is very consciously not giving us a version of the Theseus myth, but the nods towards it were at least a little entertaining, if slightly confusing. We had a Minotaur which was just a man in a mask, and a virginal Phaedra, without all of her mythic attributes. The gods were also limited to the ‘big names’; there were only five or six of them and they were all ones which would be widely recognised. However, the fact that they included the gods and showed them interfering with the lives of mortals put it above certain other mythic adaptations (yes, I’m looking at you, Troy, taking the gods out of The Iliad indeed!). 

To be fair, my expectations of the writing quality for this film were low, but I found it to be no worse than any other film of its genre. The dialogue was less than impressive, but it wasn’t so bad that I really noticed. It’s a fairly simple good against evil plot, but the hero’s choice of allegiance isn’t completely arbitrary. Even though his situation and motivations are by no means unique in the film, and they are drastically underdeveloped, much like all the inter-personal relationships, but those reasons are still there – he’s not just good for the sake of it.

Look at it this way, you wouldn’t expect the plot of a melodrama to make much sense realistically, and it’s much the same thing in a film that’s been made to be beautiful to look at. Not to say that I wouldn’t like a film that accomplishes both ends of the spectrum, it’s just that it’s rare. If we can accept a film that has amazing plot and character to drive it, even if the shots themselves are boring as hell, then we have to accept a film that is stunning to look at and has a mediocre plot.