The BFG (2016) – directed by Steven Spielberg
Ronald Dahl’s novel – “BFG” (1982) comes to life in the Walt Disney film released July 1 to the general public but which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Director Steven Spielberg using motion capture translated the emotion and wit of actor Mark Rylance (as BFG) to the screen with exceptional clarity, even more than Jackson did with Andy Serkis playing Gollum. Rylance performance is nuanced within shots that go long to close-up while they retain a continual presentation. This lends exceptional realism to the part in a way no motion capture performer has previously translated to the big screen. The result is that BFG is a believable fun, fantastic emotional ride through a realm of London backstreets, giant country and the land of dreams. Weta Workshop pulled out all the special effects stops to add great depth and detail to each scene, as if we were watching a 3D 4K version of Pinocchio inside Geppetto’s cozy home. Primary to Rylance’s nuanced giant face is young Ruby Barnhill’s amazed but calculating orphaned adolescent, Sophie. Accepting in nature, she befriends the giant as soon as she learns she’s not on the menu and they form a strong bond in their quest for dreams (the giant’s hobby).
Dahl’s story is a delightful one. His main character, the giant known as BFG (big friendly giant, named by Sophie) journeys to the land of dreams where he captures and inserts them into people’s sleep. Not all dreams are good ones and some who deserve it are given nightmares and feelings of remorse for doing bad things. Dramatic tension arises when Sophie discovers BFG must serve the real giants in giant country – big mean odious creatures who eat “beings” (sounding more like beans), especially fond of children. Sophie means to stop their deadly romps into the land of people by devising a plan with the help of BFG. The story, while simple with few surprises, does satisfy enough to make the plot resolution anticipatory. Laced with base humor and dotted with dramatic tension, BFG is a delightful romp into Dahl’s world of imagination. Dahl’s work is well known to many people – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The Witches, and many others.
Spielberg goes into his hatful of talent and pulls out names from his cinema past – written by Melissa Mathison (ET) who perished before the film’s premiere; Michael Kahn (editor of Tin Tin and many other Spielberg pictures, btw, the most nominated and winning editor in the history of film); John Williams (his scores are renown); Janusz Kaminski (shot Schindler’s List); and Frank Marshall (who has produced nearly all of Spielberg’s films). Academy Award winning Rick Carter (Forest Gump) did the production design. Every bit of their talented contributions are up there on the screen. BFG has a richness in every shot, a quality of music, sound and emotion that carry from scene to scene. I found the 3D version richly rewarding when the camera moves through London streets and pans through the giant tree of dreams or into BFG’s private collection of dreams. This film brings out the child in me and the child is happy, very happy with the results. Spielberg has made a film for the ages that will last far into the future and stand up to repeated viewings. I can’t wait to see it again.
