Empire of Light
Sam Mendes casts an affectionate light on a moment in time at a picture palace on the south-east coast of England.
The illusion of emotion: Toby Jones and Micheal Ward
“It is amazing,” muses Toby Jones’ projectionist. “Because it is just static frames, with darkness in-between. But there is a little flaw in your optic nerve. So if I run the film at 24 frames per second, you don’t see the darkness. It’s an illusion of life.” Toby Jones plays Norman, a rather retiring and “very particular” man who is fiercely protective of his projection booth at the Empire on England’s south-east coast. It is 1980 and the venue is showing The Blues Brothers and All That Jazz and there’s a whiff of change in the air. But the Empire has seen better times, yet it is still a magnificent showcase for the movies of James Caan and Richard Pryor, with a dedicated staff. The duty manager is Hilary Small, a plain, seemingly cheerful, dedicated woman, but as she’s played by Olivia Colman we know that still waters run deep. And then a new employee joins the ranks, a young black man called Stephen (Micheal Ward)…
Sam Mendes’ gentle, moving drama is more than just an affectionate homage to a bygone era of cinema. It weaves in many themes, but above all it is about a community spirit that binds damaged people together in spite of the adversities of an often cruel world. The year of 1980 heralded a turning point in British culture, when skinheads targeted ethnic minorities, when 2 tone music fused punk rock with Jamaican ska and when Hugh Hudson started filming Chariots of Fire. It was a time when a box of Maltesers cost just 20p and cinema attendance was in decline, in spite of the success of The Empire Strikes Back and 9 to 5. Hilary herself is feeling numb, has put on four pounds in weight and is tired of being exploited by the Empire’s manager, Donald Ellis (Colin Firth). And then Stephen turns up and nothing ever feels the same again.
The cinema is an empire of magic and Sam Mendes is one of its chief magicians. Besides revitalising the James Bond franchise with Skyfall, Mendes won a best director Oscar with his very first film, American Beauty, and garnered ten Oscar nominations for his First World War epic 1917. From the opening frames of Empire of Light, we are reminded of his mastery as the jaded old picture palace gradually flickers to life under the supervision of our leading lady. A series of still lifes of the darkened, grubby corners of the cinema make way for a palatial majesty, with the confectionary display case of mint imperials, Revels and Opal Fruits alone deserving the price of admission.
At various points heart-breaking, charming, amusing and even horrifying, the film draws in its various narrative threads with a nuance and subtlety that is irresistible. Characters suddenly emerge out of the woodwork fully formed, although at times it is uncertain where the production’s focus really lies. Just like the belts, straps, pulleys and sockets of the projection booth – the “complicated machinery” that illuminates our dreams – the film seems to be incorporating too much at times, embracing a range of themes from mental health and racism to sexism and cinephilia. But with a cast this good and with the miraculous production design of Mark Tildesley, Empire of Light sweeps all before it. And although Olivia Colman secured a Golden Globe nomination for her role, both Micheal Ward and Toby Jones are exceptional, too.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Monica Dolan, Ron Cook, Sara Stewart, Justin Edwards.
Dir Sam Mendes, Pro Pippa Harris and Sam Mendes, Screenplay Sam Mendes, Ph Roger Deakins, Pro Des Mark Tildesley, Ed Lee Smith, Music Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Costumes Alexandra Byrne, Sound Oliver Tarney, Dialect coach Miriam Lucia.
Neal Street Productions-Searchlight Pictures.
113 mins. UK/USA. 2022. US Rel: 9 December 2022. UK Rel: 9 January 2023. Cert. 15.
