Review of Burke & Hare (2010) by Eric S — 16 Mar 2011

'A Truly Entertaining Black Comedy'.

John Landis was once Hollywood's leading directors, which classics like Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Trading Places (to name a few) that grace his resume. Landis fell out of place for a while after directing Blues Brothers 2000 in 1998, a sequel that left a bad taste in fans' mouths (I, myself, thought the film was mildly entertaining) Landis returned when he directed this black comedy-horror remake of a 1972 British film, itself a true-story account of two of Scotland's most notorious criminals. The film was never given a wide release, but I wish it had as it's truly a funny film.

Set in early 19th Century Edinburgh, Scotland, the movie tells the story of William Burke (Simon Pegg) and his partner and friend William Hare (Andy Serkis), who have fallen a bit on hard times and need to make money quick. They discover a lucrative business when a tenant in Serkis' inn passes away and they need to dispose of the body. A brilliant surgeon (Tom Wilkinson) who is attempting to deal in modern sciences offers to pay the two men for the body and their new career is born. They start by becoming grave robbers but the pickings prove to be slim, so they resort to murder in order to supply the doctor with fresh bodies. The doctor is in a rivalry with another surgeon (Tim Curry), who deals in more old-fashioned methods and is planning on making a map of the human body with the help of a friends latest invention using heliograph (which eventually becomes the photograph). There's also a romantic angle involved where Burke falls for a local actress (Isla Fisher) who is looking to put on an all-girls production of King Lear.

The film, which toys with the notion that not only did the invention of photography play a huge part, but also that Hare founded the first funeral parlor. Whether these points are real or not, I'm not sure, but the film is plenty entertaining with a wildly fun cast. The film is plenty graphic and a bit gory, so caution those with weak stomachs. As with Landis' films, there are cameos, so look out for Stephen Merchant and Ray Harryhausen, to name a few.