Ed Wood

Ed Wood.



It's not likely a great many people would have heard of Edward D Wood Jnr, unless he was voted the worst Director of all time. Then Tim Burton would never have made this biopic and we'd all be a lot worse off without it.

As I said, the film is a true-life depiction of Ed Wood's life in movies. Wood (Johnny Depp) was an Angora fetishist, cross dresser and an inherent movie lover, whose belief in himself outstripped his skills by a country mile. He made films on the thinnest of shoestring budgets, taking half the time by only getting one shot for each scene. Even if that meant leaving in missed lines and shoddy sets falling over.

But, such is Wood's enthusiasm and raw energy that he instils belief in all those around him, including once great horror actor Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau). His commitment to his trade never overshadows his commitment to his friends. The relationships between Lugosi and Wood is not that of a star and his director, but more like a father passing his knowledge on to an eager son.

Wood starts off meagre and ends up meagre. His films are laughed out of the studios as supposed jokes, spurning him on to make his films independently. We see him trying to raise funds, even begging a TV celebrity to star in his film, so an investor will give him cash.

In the end, Wood paints his masterpiece in 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' using all his misfit actor friends and some stolen equipment. In the final scenes when they're all gathered at the film's première, you really see the effect Wood's film had on him and his friends. It makes his struggle all worth while.

Verdict 10/ 10
A great film that shows there are more important things than being the Best Director of all time.