Creation

The True Story of Charles Darwin

Lionsgate

R1 DVD

Creation is a moving biopic on the life and work of Charles Darwin. It combines a deep and insightful exploration of his inner turmoil over the ramifications of his discovery of the theory of evolution and its mechanism in natural selection and his publication of his theories in “The Origin of Species”. The film is directed by Jon Amiel who made The Singing Detective and Entrapment with writer John Collee of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World fame. It was produced by Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor, Sexy Beast) at Recorded Picture Company with BBC Films and Ocean Pictures. It is based on Annie’s Box a biography penned by Darwin’s great-great-grandson Randal Keynes using personal letters and diaries of the Darwin family. The film is unusual in that it combines science, a love story and a powerful psychological melodrama. It is well researched and based solidly on facts, historical and scientific.

Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) plays Charles Darwin, Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream) plays his religious wife, all offer superb performances as do the supporting cast including their children.

The film is insightful as it explores the great suffering Darwin went through to produce his work. While committed to his wife and local community, he realizes that the facts of science directly contradict their simple religious beliefs and slowly loses his faith. His suffering is exacerbated by the death of his daughter Annie and later his baby son Charley. Darwin’s study of evolutionary theory brings him to the conclusion, rightly or wrongly, that having married his first cousin endowed his children with certain weaknesses and this led to their death. His guilt is palpable and shown with raw intensity. Looking back from 2010 we can clearly see that the primitiveness of the medical care of the period, both mainstream and alternative (hydrotherapy) was the main cause of their death, but Darwin cannot escape the feeling of guilt and self-condemnation. The conflicts between Darwin, his wife and the local pastor are beautifully rendered on screen, you can feel with Darwin as he is tormented by the facts he knows as true in contradiction to the superstitions of those around him.

In many ways this guilt is a reflection of his fear of the shockwave his work will have on the larger society. The period was one of conflict between religion and science and Darwin’s meticulously researched work would, in the words of Huxley, finally kill off god! It is certainly a controversial film, one which had problems getting distribution in the United States. It honestly, if not brazenly, discusses the way in which the theory of evolution removes the need for a creator god. It also offers some superb scenes of nature in all its beauty and cruelty. One of the most moving scenes juxtapositions the death of Jenny the chimp with that of his daughter Annie, it is a moving and immensely sad but reminds us of our connection to the great ape family and indeed to all animals. While controversial for those of a religious persuasion, I found the scene beautiful and emotionally intense.

This is an amazing film, filled with intelligence, emotion and beauty. It is thought provoking and stimulating. The acting is superb and the cinematography excellent. It really is an amazing experience.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 4 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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