Ask teenage and twenty-something film fans to name one of their favorite actors, and very often Johnny Depp will be the response. This is not surprising, considering his solid body of work and his current status as one of Hollywood’s leading men. But it was before he became a big star that he turned in one of his finest performances in the lesser-known Tim Burton film “Ed Wood.” This small gem of a biopic wasted away on VHS until this autumn, when it was finally released on DVD.
“Ed Wood” is the true story of eccentric filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr., a man who liked dressing in women’s clothing and who after his death earned the title of worst director of all time. The film does not cover his whole life, but instead chronicles the pinnacle (though the term seems inappropriate) of his filmmaking career in Hollywood. Wood (Depp) gets his big break when he is given the opportunity to write and direct “Glen or Glenda,” a semi-autobiographical story of a man who attempts to hide his transvestism from his wife. Upon reading the script, Wood’s girlfriend and lead actress, Dolores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker), discovers his secret. She reluctantly accepts his fetish.
About the same time, Ed meets aging actor Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), and the two quickly develop a friendship. Wood and Lugosi then go on to make several grade-Z horror movies together in the midst of much emotional and financial turmoil. Wood is perpetually broke and must convince financiers to invest in his movies, while Lugosi’s drug addiction grows and begins to interfere with his work. It is Wood’s undying love for making movies that drives the narrative, but Wood and Lugosi’s friendship forms the film’s backbone.
Tim Burton, whose films have on more than one occasion lacked character development, proves to be the ideal director for this tale. He clearly has an affinity for Edward D. Wood, Jr. and his cheesy sci-fi horror films (in fact, he says as much on the audio commentary track), and this is very beneficial. Wood could easily have been portrayed as a bumbling buffoon and inept filmmaker. Instead, Burton plays things straight, and depicts Wood as a man with a singular vision and a passion for filmmaking. On the other hand, Burton also isn’t too shy to paint Wood as an opportunist.
Depp must also be praised for his role in bringing Wood to life. He keeps Ed grounded in reality and yet, at the same time, makes him larger than life. His performance is terrific. However, the true standout in the film is Martin Landau, who earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in this film. The acting by the rest of the cast is solid, though not extraordinary.
The DVD contains a fair amount of bonus features. There are four featurettes, though only two of them are worth watching. “Making Bela” features an interview with Landau, who talks about the process of getting into a character and his respect and admiration for the real Bela Lugosi. The other worthwhile featurette, “Pie Plates over Hollywood,” is an interview with production designer Tim Duffield, who talks about creating the look and feel of the film. There are several deleted scenes, including one that requires a little searching to find. The audio commentary track, which features Burton, Landau, co-writers Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, and several other crewmembers, provides a lot of insight into the making of the film. There is also the obligatory theatrical trailer and a bizarre music video cut to Howard Shore’s score.
“Ed Wood,” ten years after its initial release, still feels very fresh, and is a solid film that takes the biopic formula and turns it on its ear. Those who consider themselves Johnny Depp fans especially need to see his turn as Edward D. Wood, Jr. It is further proof that Depp truly deserves his leading man status.
Film grade: A, DVD grade: B