Water For Elephants

Whether we realize it or not, the stories that resonate with us the most, that stay with us, are those that depict the themes of salvation and reconciliation. As human beings, we are hard wired to gravitate towards these; we are all in need of salvation from sin, and in turn we also possess a longing for reconciliation with God. Movies that depict these themes, whatever the context, may not always be the most “critically acclaimed”, but they are always the ones which the audience walks away from with a feeling of satisfaction. These are the two themes that make up an exceptional narrative, and they are both present in “Water for Elephants.

As excited as I was to see this movie, I still tried to remain objective going into it. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, all I knew was that the combination of Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson could either end in triumph or disaster, and though I tried to let objectivity rule, within the first five minutes I was already swept up in the story and knew I was going to love it. The story centers around Jacob, a veterinary school almost-graduate (Pattinson) living in the middle of the great depression. On the day of his last final exam and graduation, he is pulled out of the test and informed that both his parents had died in a car accident, leaving him parentless, homeless, and without a degree. That day, he decides to start walking to the nearest city which is Albany, and on his way hops onto a train in the middle of the night. The train happens to be a traveling circus, and the men allow him to stay aboard and give him work. He is soon introduced to the owner, August, who allows him to stay on as the circus vet after learning of his background. The moment he see's Marlana (Reese) who he later learns is the boss' wife, is hooked and knows he has to stay. She is not only the horse trainer, but also the main act in the show. This is where I will leave you as far as the plot is concerned, at least for the time being, because there are so many aspects of this movie to cover, and so little time...

The exposition of every character in this movie is flawless... We meet Jacob in present day as an old man who has run away from his nursing home to rejoin the circus. As he tells his story to the circus manager, we are immediately introduced to young Jacob, and made to understand the type of man he is and why he decides to "join the circus". As much as I loved this honorable, strong, endearing, and nearly perfect character, I was much more drawn to both Marlena and August and the relationship between them. August basically has built this circus from the ground up, during the most difficult era for traveling entertainment. He is a brutal, cut-throat, nearly heartless employer who doesn't hesitate to beat his animals or throw men off the train to their death if he can't afford to pay them anymore. It seems that his only weakness is Marlana, his wife. He cannot handle her being upset or angry at him, yet doesn't hesitate to beat the crap out of her on a whim. It is difficult for me to describe how fabulous the plot is without divulging a little more, so I will try to keep it to a minimum....

Because the circus business is doing so badly, August makes one last attempt to redeem his empire by purchasing an elephant named Rosie to attract crowds. He appoints Marlana to work with the elephant as the main attraction, and appoints Jacob to be the trainer. The two become close friends working with Rosie. They are united in the attempt to make Rosie ready to perform, as well as keeping August from beating her with the bull poke, usually in vain. Sooner or later Jacob figures out that Rosie understands and responds to commands given in Polish (he himself grew up the son of Polish immigrants who spoke mostly Polish... lucky turn of events for both Jacob and Rosie) All the while we as the audience are put through a painful yet exciting process of delayed gratification waiting for the honorable Jacob to finally make his move on Marlana.

The actual love story between the two starts out slow and continues as such throughout the first half of the movie, until the two escape a prohibition raid at one of August's parties and share a kiss in the alley. From then on, things get more complicated (details you will have to see for yourself, because in case you haven't picked up on it yet, I want you to see this movie).

I know I said before that the plot centers around Jacob, however the real cohesion of the story is found in Rosie and Marlana. These two are the characters around which every major decision is made, and the two who are in need of the most salvation throughout the story. As with most exceptional narratives, this one plays into the truth that humans have a natural need for salvation and reconciliation. Both Rosie and Marlana are helpless, condemned to live life in their own version of hell, and their salvation is found in Jacob, who risks everything in order to free them from their fate of living life with August and the traveling circus. At one point in the film, Marlana confesses to Jacob that she grew up in foster homes and at seventeen met August. right then and there she decided that she would not go back to the outside world. She sees him as her savior from "the outside" where she feels there is nothing for her, and puts up with the abuse because it is better than the life she know before she met him. Jacob gives her a new hope of a better life, bringing her back to the “outside”, which is infinitely better than the life she’s been enduring.

So, I MAY have given away some of the story, and you may have even guessed how the story ends at this point, but I guarantee you will miss out on an amazing story and an amazing visual experience if you don’t go see it for yourself. I have to warn you that if you are sensitive to the depiction of human or animal abuse (like I am) it will be hard to watch at times. However, it is incredibly pertinent to the story and I am sure no animals were actually harmed, but I just thought I would mention it because it did make me cringe. Also, the cinematography is spectacular. The colors and lighting really give a feel for the time period, and the candid, sometimes gruesome shots make you feel like you are in the middle of the dirty underworld of circus life. The costumes, set, etc, are great as well. There really isn’t anything I can say that is inherently bad about this movie. The one thing that was very obvious to me was that it is based on a book. I’ve come to realize that most movies that have a supporting narration throughout usually are. Unlike some other movies which depended on the narration, the one in this film serves as a supporting exposition for the most part. That aspect, as well as a few others such as time period, vivid use of color, forbidden love, and exposing the grotesque underbelly of the entertainment industry of the early 20th century, to me are reminiscent of Moulin Rouge, without the singing, of course.

It also goes without saying that the acting was superb. Reese is one of my favorites, and is great in just about everything including this. Christopher Waltz, who played “August”, is perfect in that he has the ability to create a character which is so easy for the audience to hate. His menacing smile and arrogant, smart-ass demeanor not only served him well in this film, but also as the Nazi general in “Inglorious Bastards”. I think he might be one of my top favorite perpetual villains, second to Kevin Spacey, of course. I must confess I was a little bit nervous about Robert Pattinson playing a leading role in which he wasn't a blood sucking hottie, (after all, he will ALWAYS be Edward Cullen in my mind, just a little bit) but he proved to be much more than eye candy, although he did do that exceptionally as well. Because I feel like I can call myself a fan of his, I am worried that he is falling into the type-casting trap. I didn’t see “Remember Me”, but from what I hear, he plays a tragic hero/leading man in that as well. I feel like it would be a wise career move for him to try and get a part as an antagonist, just to keep us on our toes and prove that he can be more than just a great romantic leading man….just a thought.

This movie had it all, as far as I’m concerned; a great script, amazing cast, beautiful production value, and universal themes which resonate with the audience. Go see it. Or at the very least, rent it. A+