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20 years worth of story condensed into 108 glorious minutes

posted 13 years ago by greg-233
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Creation has roughly 20 years worth of story content, which is condensed into 108 glorious minutes.

For much of those 20 years Darwin agonised over a theory that would shatter previously established certainties. He did this over and over, putting his energies into other studies (e.g. barnacles), all the while gathering more evidence. At one point in the film his daughter Annie asks "What does procrastinate mean?" To which Darwin replies "Putting things off".

Darwin's reluctance at the time was quite understandable, considering the implications of natural selection.

But the film isn't purely about Darwin publishing a book that would change the world. It is also an incisive drama about family and friendship, dealing with loss, and finding the strength to move on. At 108 minutes, Creation is a handomely presented, well-acted period piece.

[–] graham-167 13 years ago

Well said.

[–] tieman64 8 years ago

But the film isn't purely about Darwin publishing a book that would change the world. It is also an incisive drama about family and friendship, dealing with loss, and finding the strength to move on.

You can also say that the film is about how Darwin's findings changed Darwin himself.

Darwin becomes alienated from his wife, a Christian, because of his theories. His daughter's death affects him deeply precisely because he now sees her death in very cold, materialist terms. There's no resurrection of heaven waiting for her.

Darwin even begins to see his own illness in religious terms. Is God punishing him for sacrilege? If there's no God, is there only nothing but flesh and suffering? The film's almost like a Bergman movie, in the way it treats Darwin as a kind of tortured, reluctant agnostic.