The Dominators feels very much like a Hartnell story, purely because it doesn’t follow the ‘base-under-siege’ model that cropped up so many times in season 5. This makes for a refreshing change, as does the fact that this is a story that exists in its entirety. The story is simple- the planet Dulkis has had no wars or conflict of any kind for centuries. Dulkis is invaded by the warlike Dominators who find that the Dulcians’ pacifism makes them ripe for exploitation.
The main message of this story is that pacifism can lead to weakness. However, the way in which the story does this is extremely unsubtle. The Dulcians are all portrayed as indolent and lacking in initiative or creative thought. Knowledge is learned by rote, even by adults. The Councillors are depicted as being impotent and silly. This would be acceptable in a drama (if a bit reactionary) but the Dulcians are portrayed by actors who give some of the most listlessly awful performances I have ever seen. The Dominators, on the other hand are far more successfully realised. Ronald Allen and Kenneth Ives put in very good performances, with Allen’s glowering Rago being especially memorable. There is also an interesting dynamic between the two of them. Toba is sadistic, seemingly wanting to kill the Dulcians for sport. Rago does not see any value in killing the harmless. This dynamic does sometimes dissolve into mere bickering, but the fact remains that the Dominators are far more interesting than the Dulcians, who come off as being annoying. This is a big problem, as we are not meant to cheer every time an annoying Dulcian is killed. The script (mercifully truncated from a proposed 6-episode length) clearly has the same contempt for the Dulcians as the Dominators do. If you compare the treatment of pacifism between this and The Daleks, The Dominators comes off as merely pointing and laughing at pacifism, rather than taking any time to ponder its advantages and effectiveness.
Morris Barry does some very good work visually, with lots of quick zooms being made on location. However, as said before, he doesn’t manage to get good performances out of the Dulcians, which seems to suggest he found them as annoying as we do. The set design is very good- I like the contrast between the forbidding Dominator ship and the airy Dulcian locations, but the costumes leave a lot to be desired. The Dominators’ exaggerated shoulder pads are forgivable, but the Dulcians all seem to be clad in a mixture of togas, bathing suits and maternity dresses. The Quarks are very well realised, but come off as being too cute to be really threatening. Also, it’s hard to understand what they are saying.
The regulars work excellently together and Wendy Padbury meshes seamlessly with the established dynamic between Troughton and Hines. The Doctor’s attempts to appear stupid are funny without being over the top. However, this doesn’t stop this story being something very few Doctor Who stories are- run-of-the-mill. It’s not bad as such, but there is no reason to watch it other than for the sake of completeness.
NEXT: The Mind Robber
Showing posts with label Henry Lincoln. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Henry Lincoln. Show all posts
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Saturday, 8 November 2008
The Web of Fear
After the refreshing break of The Enemy of the World, it’s back to the monster story, with the Yeti returning after a gap of a whole two stories. There is one thing, however, that makes The Web of Fear stand out from the ‘monstrous’ fifth season of Doctor Who- it’s brilliant.
The script is packed with great dialogue and memorable characters and, very importantly, does not feel padded. Again, Haisman and Lincoln know the value of an arresting image- the TARDIS being covered in the web, the pulsating fungus, the contained explosions. The only surviving episode is wonderfully atmospheric, excellently directed by Douglas Camfield and boasting some very effective lighting, which adds a sense of claustrophobia and spookiness. There are moments of real horror- the body of the old man covered in the web is still a great shock today and there is great tension in the scenes where the Doctor is hiding from the Yeti. The body count is huge, with wholesale massacres taking place (these are not done justice by the soundtrack or telesnaps, making the loss of this story all the more tragic). The telesnaps indicate that this quality is maintained throughout. The set design is exemplary and it is not surprising that London Underground thought that the programme had secretly filmed at Covent Garden.
Jack Watling’s performance as the older Professor Travers is completely convincing. The age make-up is basic, but Watling’s performance sells it. Anne Packer is memorable as his take-no-nonsense daughter. There are also some memorable minor characters. Chorley, the journalist, is brilliantly odious, recording the dying screams of a soldier, but not having the courage when faced with the menace itself. There’s the cowardly Welsh driver Evans, who remains likeable (although he is saddled with a few too many ‘boyos’). If there’s one flaw in the story, it’s the character of Julius Silverstein, a disturbingly caricatured Jew (‘You vant to rrrob me!’) that is almost as embarrassing as Toberman in The Tomb of the Cybermen.
Troughton and Hines are brilliant, as ever -I especially enjoyed the interplay between the Doctor and Travers- and Deborah Watling puts in an extra special performance- like in The Evil of the Daleks, she is surrounded by death in a hopeless situation. There is also the appearance of a Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart. The Brigadier (as he was to become) is such an integral part of Doctor Who, that it’s easy to ignore the fact that we are led to mistrust him in this story. He appears mysteriously and he could be the traitor who is controlled by the intelligence. Nicholas Courtney brings the character to life instantly- a no-nonsense soldier who is not devoid of humour and intelligence.
The Web of Fear is, perhaps, the archetypal Doctor Who story. It is a real shame that most of it is lost.
NEXT: Fury From the Deep
The script is packed with great dialogue and memorable characters and, very importantly, does not feel padded. Again, Haisman and Lincoln know the value of an arresting image- the TARDIS being covered in the web, the pulsating fungus, the contained explosions. The only surviving episode is wonderfully atmospheric, excellently directed by Douglas Camfield and boasting some very effective lighting, which adds a sense of claustrophobia and spookiness. There are moments of real horror- the body of the old man covered in the web is still a great shock today and there is great tension in the scenes where the Doctor is hiding from the Yeti. The body count is huge, with wholesale massacres taking place (these are not done justice by the soundtrack or telesnaps, making the loss of this story all the more tragic). The telesnaps indicate that this quality is maintained throughout. The set design is exemplary and it is not surprising that London Underground thought that the programme had secretly filmed at Covent Garden.
Jack Watling’s performance as the older Professor Travers is completely convincing. The age make-up is basic, but Watling’s performance sells it. Anne Packer is memorable as his take-no-nonsense daughter. There are also some memorable minor characters. Chorley, the journalist, is brilliantly odious, recording the dying screams of a soldier, but not having the courage when faced with the menace itself. There’s the cowardly Welsh driver Evans, who remains likeable (although he is saddled with a few too many ‘boyos’). If there’s one flaw in the story, it’s the character of Julius Silverstein, a disturbingly caricatured Jew (‘You vant to rrrob me!’) that is almost as embarrassing as Toberman in The Tomb of the Cybermen.
Troughton and Hines are brilliant, as ever -I especially enjoyed the interplay between the Doctor and Travers- and Deborah Watling puts in an extra special performance- like in The Evil of the Daleks, she is surrounded by death in a hopeless situation. There is also the appearance of a Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart. The Brigadier (as he was to become) is such an integral part of Doctor Who, that it’s easy to ignore the fact that we are led to mistrust him in this story. He appears mysteriously and he could be the traitor who is controlled by the intelligence. Nicholas Courtney brings the character to life instantly- a no-nonsense soldier who is not devoid of humour and intelligence.
The Web of Fear is, perhaps, the archetypal Doctor Who story. It is a real shame that most of it is lost.
NEXT: Fury From the Deep
Monday, 3 November 2008
The Abominable Snowmen
The Abominable Snowmen, like The Tomb of the Cybermen, takes an old legend and breathes new life into it. Unlike The Tomb of the Cybermen, it does not strangle it halfway through. This is mainly due to the fact that Haisman and Lincoln are far better writers than Pedler and Davis and realised that they were writing for people with attention spans longer than a few seconds and that they come up with some truly intriguing concepts.
This is the first time that Doctor Who presented a super-intelligent incorporeal entity that wished to be incarnated, and the fact that it was contacted when a Tibetan lama was meditating is inspired. The use of robot Yeti is the icing on the cake. This is backed up by some memorable imagery- the pyramid of spheres, the manoeuvring of Yeti figures over the map. The surviving episode shows that the monastery set is very well designed and lit and there is good location filming in Snowdonia
The main fault with the story is one common to the era- it is too long. A four-part Abominable Snowmen would have been a true Troughton classic, but the padding is very obvious. It takes a whole episode for the sphere to reach the deactivated Yeti, and the rest of the episode has nothing in it that couldn’t have been cut out or placed elsewhere. This is another story where white actors play Asian ones but, despite the taped back eyes and a ridiculous moustache on Khrisong, this is done sensitively. There are some bizarre hats on show, but it appears that the Doctor has lost his fetish for headgear.
The supporting cast is excellent, particularly Wolfe Morris as Padmasambhava. The character is at first realised through voice alone- one voice, that of Padmasambhava, is benevolent and calm. The other, that of the Great Intelligence is harsh and rasping. As the story goes on, the fact that Padmasambhava is a man aged beyond the limits of humanity and is hopelessly awaiting a death that may never come becomes very obvious. This is a very thoughtful way of treating alien possession, and is put across brilliantly. Mention must also be made of Jack Watling’s excellent portrayal of Travers, a character that could easily have slipped into the staid eccentric explorer cliché.
The regulars are also on excellent form. Troughton and Hines’s fantastic rapport makes any scenes between them sparkle and Victoria is a lively enthusiastic presence, staying just the right side of being annoying. The direction, ‘cinematography’ and design create a great atmosphere. Although this is not the great classic of repute, it is highly enjoyable.
NEXT: The Ice Warriors
This is the first time that Doctor Who presented a super-intelligent incorporeal entity that wished to be incarnated, and the fact that it was contacted when a Tibetan lama was meditating is inspired. The use of robot Yeti is the icing on the cake. This is backed up by some memorable imagery- the pyramid of spheres, the manoeuvring of Yeti figures over the map. The surviving episode shows that the monastery set is very well designed and lit and there is good location filming in Snowdonia
The main fault with the story is one common to the era- it is too long. A four-part Abominable Snowmen would have been a true Troughton classic, but the padding is very obvious. It takes a whole episode for the sphere to reach the deactivated Yeti, and the rest of the episode has nothing in it that couldn’t have been cut out or placed elsewhere. This is another story where white actors play Asian ones but, despite the taped back eyes and a ridiculous moustache on Khrisong, this is done sensitively. There are some bizarre hats on show, but it appears that the Doctor has lost his fetish for headgear.
The supporting cast is excellent, particularly Wolfe Morris as Padmasambhava. The character is at first realised through voice alone- one voice, that of Padmasambhava, is benevolent and calm. The other, that of the Great Intelligence is harsh and rasping. As the story goes on, the fact that Padmasambhava is a man aged beyond the limits of humanity and is hopelessly awaiting a death that may never come becomes very obvious. This is a very thoughtful way of treating alien possession, and is put across brilliantly. Mention must also be made of Jack Watling’s excellent portrayal of Travers, a character that could easily have slipped into the staid eccentric explorer cliché.
The regulars are also on excellent form. Troughton and Hines’s fantastic rapport makes any scenes between them sparkle and Victoria is a lively enthusiastic presence, staying just the right side of being annoying. The direction, ‘cinematography’ and design create a great atmosphere. Although this is not the great classic of repute, it is highly enjoyable.
NEXT: The Ice Warriors
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