Crowley at Cannes
While a large amount of press coverage for the Cannes Film Festival has focused on the screening of a new Indiana Jones film, it isn’t the only occult-laced thriller to debut at this star-studded event. The Bruce Dickinson-penned film “Chemical Wedding”, a movie starring Simon Callow as a Cambridge scholar who becomes possessed by infamous occultist Aleister Crowley, also premiered.
“Metal god, actor, novelist, swordsman, pilot, DJ – and now screenwriter. Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is a man of many parts, and this weekend he showed up in Cannes to show off a new film called Chemical Wedding. Dickinson, a registered commercial airline pilot, flew himself to the south of France, along with a bunch of journalists, fans, and suitably attired hangers-on (they carried tote bags bearing the legend “Bruce Air Flight 666″).”
So how was the film? Early critical response is mixed. Andrew Pulver, who covered the Cannes screening, admires Dickinson’s drive to see the film made, but finds the final product somewhat lacking.
“Without Dickinson, Chemical Wedding would have remained one of the submerged nine-tenths of gunk films clogging up the Cannes film market. Hampered by ropey performances, it never reaches the levels of weirdness and humour it is aiming at.”
Meanwhile, the website Den of Geek calls “Chemical Wedding” formulaic, and quite dull outside the electric performance of Simon Callow as the Crowley-possessed Haddo.
“…the film isn’t entirely without merit. Callow, as I said, is phenomenal, some of the photography is pretty, it’s evidently well-researched and there are one or two very funny scenes. In fact, the film is at its strongest when playing up the comedy angle (a sick gallows humour that the Mega Therion himself would have guffawed at) but weak when it tries – and fails – to be scary or thrilling. A shame because the ideas are sound – it just feels like it was shot from an unpolished first draft. Do what thou wilt probably shouldn’t be the whole of the law when it comes to writing coherently…”
The most damning review comes from Ivor Davies, who decries the treatment of Crowley (or at least his spirit) as uncontrollably evil and amoral.
“Numerous examples of exactly “just how evil could a person possessed by Aleister Crowley be” continue in a procession of visual and conceptual shocks ranging from relatively innocuous excrement deposited on an office desk to the crucifixion of a prostitute. Now, controversial a character as Crowley was, I really must ask what Bruce Dickinson is up to here. I listened to Callow emphasise that his portrayal of Haddo was “Playing the part of someone possessed by Crowley… and not actually Crowley Himself” but I see this as a pre-emptive excuse on his part for what we saw on screen and some of the issues that we might have with it.”
So, taken together, not a very flattering portrait of the film. You might want to wait for the DVD, if you see it at all. It’s too bad. A drama, even a horror film, involving Aleister Crowley could have loads of potential. A shame that “Chemical Wedding” seems to make Crowley just another murderous rampaging spirit, instead of a nuanced and complex figure.
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