William Burke and William Hare are notorious for a series of murders in 1828 in which they suffocated (later to become known as “burking” in their honor) seventeen victims and sold the bodies to Dr. John Knox, a medical professor at the renowned University of Edinburgh, for use in dissection and other scientific pursuits. They were later convicted and hung for their crimes, though their legacy lives on for aficionados of both medical science and murder history.
Not necessarily the most likely material for a bawdy comedic film, but if anyone was going to dare to do it, it would be the legendarily awesome John Landis, best known for classics like An American Werewolf in London, National Lampoon’s Animal House, and Trading Places. It had been twelve years since his last motion picture when Burke and Hare was released last year, but the film was received with little fanfare and forgotten almost as soon as it was released. There are reasons for that; Burke and Hare is certainly not a perfect film. Yet it is worth watching if you are a fan of Landis or any of the stable of British comedy stars that populate the fantastic cast.
Naturally, the script written by Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft takes many liberties with history, yet the basic premise is the same. Simon Pegg plays William Hare, portrayed as the more sensitive and reluctant one of the pair, while Andy Serkis plays Burke as a devious plotter who will do anything to make ends meet and appease his alcoholic innkeeper wife—even murder. When an elderly man staying in their home dies, his wife gives him the task of disposing of the body. Once Burke and Hare discover that a fresh body such as this can fetch them a good price on the black market, their spiral downwards into crime begins. The aforementioned wife is played by Jessica Hynes, Pegg's costar from the television series Spaced, and to see them sharing so much screen time again is a joy. Serkis is the standout performer, though; the wide, wild eyes and curling grin that he put to such good use as the CGI performer behind Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films are ideal for such a loathsome yet charismatic character as Burke. Landis says his goal was to make Burke and Hare an evil incarnation of Laurel and Hardy, and such a task would have been impossible to achieve if it hadn’t been for the immense comedic and dramatic chops of Serkis and Pegg. Dr. Knox, the man who uses the murder victims for the benefit of science and education, is portrayed by the great Tom Wilkinson, and Isla Fisher rounds out the main ensemble as a sassy actress named Ginny who captures Hare’s heart and gives him reason to do anything in order to make himself worthy of her love. Other supporting roles and bit parts are filled by Bill Bailey, Tim Curry, Ronnie Corbett, and Christopher Lee, among others, and they all seem to be having great fun in front of the camera, making them a joy to watch even when the material they are given is sub-par.
Indeed, most of the script relies on cheap gags involving sex, slapstick, excrement, and corpses, as though twelve-year-old boys produced the film. That isn’t to say that chuckles aren’t to be found; after all, with a director of Landis’s pedigree and such a great group of comedians giving their all onscreen the material is bound to be elevated a bit. Yet I also know that people with such known talents could do better. To turn such dark and gruesome material as the Burke and Hare murders into a comedy is a brave task and requires a great deal of imagination, and the writers succeed…somewhat. Yet I would have hoped for more wit and more intelligence than ended up being in the final product. The film is not rated, which makes sense, as it’s hard to figure out what target audience would most appreciate the film. Is it adults for the cast and the historical content, or is it kids for the cheap gags? In an interview included in the DVD’s bonus features, Landis says he took on the script because it took characters historically known as horrible psychopaths and turned it into a romantic comedy, albeit a dark one, which he thought was a fantastic idea. Indeed, the last words of William Hare in the film are that he did it all for love. But those starkly different tones that Landis and company are trying to combine never quite mesh. Burke and Hare is entertaining enough, but in the Landis oeuvre, it is sadly not one of the stand-outs.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The deleted scenes are more like deleted one-liners, and the behind the scenes footage is rather uneventful (as is most of one’s time on a film set, so actually, it’s quite accurate). There are also outtakes and the film’s trailer; however, the most valuable asset is the large quantity of cast and crew interviews. All of the major players in the cast are included, as is Landis, writer Moorcroft, and producer Barnaby Thompson. Landis’s interview is particularly compelling; he’s very smart, as would be expected from such a renowned figure in filmmaking, but also extremely likeable and personable. His insights about making the film make one appreciate the effort put forth more, even if one still remains unconvinced that he succeeded.
The deleted scenes are more like deleted one-liners, and the behind the scenes footage is rather uneventful (as is most of one’s time on a film set, so actually, it’s quite accurate). There are also outtakes and the film’s trailer; however, the most valuable asset is the large quantity of cast and crew interviews. All of the major players in the cast are included, as is Landis, writer Moorcroft, and producer Barnaby Thompson. Landis’s interview is particularly compelling; he’s very smart, as would be expected from such a renowned figure in filmmaking, but also extremely likeable and personable. His insights about making the film make one appreciate the effort put forth more, even if one still remains unconvinced that he succeeded.
"Burke and Hare" is on sale December 20, 2011 and is not rated. Comedy. Directed by John Landis. Written by Piers Ashworth, Nick Moorcroft. Starring Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Tom Wilkinson.
