Director Asif Kapadia makes slick work of Akram Khan’s ballet in CreatureThe film, which was world premiered at BFI London Film Festival, is called. Based on Khan’s original concept and choreography, the English National Ballet Production is produced by Uzma Hasan for Little House Productions, and brings an intense cinematic sensibility to the bleak story exploring power, nature, connection and more.
Jeffrey Cirio is the Creature, and he takes center stage. He was able to make a star of the stage production that was delayed by the pandemic. He twistsand slinks across the set with a performance that’s both animalistic and tenderly humane. This is an old Arctic research station where Creature was brought in to be tested by a Doctor (Stina Quagebeur). Marie (Erina Takahashi), a cleaner, catches Creature’s attention. Also, Fabian Reimair, Major, a strong presence dressed in a military uniform, a serious presence. The peril grows as Creature becomes closer to Marie.
The parallels with Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein are clear, and the story also takes inspiration from Georg Büchner’s tragedyWoyzeckThe story is about a soldier stationed at a provincial town. But there is also an aspect of apocalyptic sci-fi: there’s a suggestion that this may be one of the last inhabitable places on earth, and that Creature’s resilience to harsh environments might hold the key to survival. Sometimes the characters point towards the sky to suggest that their only hope is an alien planet.
While the set-up is clarified by reading the film’s synopsis, the diverse cast and crew do a terrific job of communicating the story through expressive choreography and acting as well as staging, lighting, editing and sound. While none of the performers speak, the occasional whispered phrase is heard in audio, performed by Andy Serkis, and the film opens with the audio of Richard Nixon’s telephone call to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin after they landed on the moon. When Creature is suffering from painful episodes, images of space travel appear in the frame. Meanwhile, the contemporary score from Vincenzo Lamagna reflects the characters’ unease and at one point pays homage to Ravel’s “Bolero,”As if precious bits of a harmonious past were all that are left.
Kapadia and Daniel Landin, cinematographers, take a different approach to the dramatic single setting.We are closer to the characters than in a theatre, and this is why the film of CreatureIt really shines. Close-ups of the performers’ faces help color their characters and their emotions, from Creature’s adoration of Marie to the Doctor’s conflicted reaction to the Major’s behavior. Marie is a tragic character who deserves sympathy but whose joys are bound to fade. As the Major’s actions escalate, the story invites reflection on power dynamics, bullying, abuse and moral responsibility.
CreatureIt is a bittersweet love story, which allows the viewer fill in the gaps with their imaginations. It is clear that it is intended to appeal to a thoughtful arthouse crowd but dance feels accessible and intimate. Kapadia could achieve his goal of bringing dancers to new places, and ballet lovers to the theaters, when this tour comes to them in February.