Creation

Despite the misnomer of a title and at least one misleading trailer, this film is not a pleasant, idyllic look at a significant man’s relationship with his daughter. It is, in fact, a full-fledged biopic, at times a compelling and disheartening tale of an individual whose life’s work would indefinitely change the fields of science. That man, of course, is Charles Darwin. At times quasi-expressionistic and even borderline documentary, Creation attempts to pull back the veil on a man whose whose surname has taken on epic manifestations. Yet his name is known far better than he is, and this film tries (key word) to disabuse us of any misconceptions we may have, but, more so, to humanize this now deified figure of human history.

Darwin’s life seems to have been spent in pursuit of the truth, whatever that may be, following wherever it led, regardless of the repercussions. After decades of research, he discovered what he perceived to be the truth – common descent through variation by natural selection – what we call today “evolution”. He was certainly not alone. Alfred Russell Wallace  came to the same conclusion on his own, much like Leibniz and Newton each discovered calculus, with no ostensible help from the other – this seems to recur throughout history: individuals, working on their own, uncovering the same principle or idea at the same time. It seems that some ideas’ have waited for too long – their time has come. Regardless of its veracity, the idea of evolution seems to be no different. Having realized the import of his finding, Darwin struggled psychologically and emotionally for, it seems, quite a long time. His wife and community apparently considered him a heathen, and they clearly said so in no uncertain terms. Alone and delusional, Darwin set out to write his treatise, his magnum opus.

Played expertly – under the circumstances – by Paul Bettany, Darwin becomes a man. In Creation, he is a man plagued by all the uncertainty and existential angst of a Hamlet. In a lab coat. His burden was a heavy one, and he shouldered it as best he could, swimming through years of psychological torment and hallucinations of his deceased daughter (though I can’t find any corroboration on this). Unfortunately, the film plods on and on and hits the same note over and over, somewhat like Aviator did with Leo several years ago. Brooding and malaise fill the screen time and again, but a certain sense may pervade audiences that this dead horse has perhaps been beaten enough. The supporting cast is fitting, including a momentarily compelling performance from Jennifer Connelly as Emma, Darwin’s wife.

Throughout it all, one can’t help but be thankful that a film has finally humanized Darwin, to some extent, anyway. Bettany’s Darwin does struggle, and he learns that he must follow the truth wherever it leads. But, his Herculean montaged triumph near the end is a bit overwrought and sentimental. Kitsch aside, the film isn’t bad. Jon Amiel (The Tudors, Entrapment) unfortunately allows (if not welcomes) the comparison to Hamlet, and it simply doesn’t work. Darwin certainly grappled with the truth and with his understanding of it as it related to the religious tones of his day (Huxley tells Darwin, “You have killed God.”), but he was no Prince of Denmark. Had it been more straight-laced and less ruminative, it would have improved drastically, and, concomitantly, found itself to be more compelling. A strong effort that ultimately comes up a bit short, Creation is a peculiar biopic that is worth seeing – but, as a caveat: don’t take all of it at face value.

Rating: 2.5/4 Stars