Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn (2007) (TV)

Director:

Simon Nasht

Writer:

Robert de Young (writer)

Release Date:

9 April 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

The story of Tasmanian-born actor Errol Flynn whose short & flamboyant life, full of scandals, adventures...

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Himself - Narrator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beverly Aadland	...	Herself
Deirdre Flynn	...	Herself
Errol Flynn	...	Himself (archive footage)
Rory Flynn	...	Herself
Lincoln Hurst	...	Himself
Jack Marino	...	Himself
Jeffrey Meyers	...	Himself (as Jeffery Meyers)
John Hammond Moore	...	Himself
Vincent Sherman	...	Himself
Peter Valenti	...	Himself (as Peter Velenti)

Runtime:

60 min | Australia:59 min (documentary)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Flaming Star Films

Worth a look if you only know Flynn from his films and his reputation but too mixed and unsure of itself to really stand up as a great documentary

The story of Tasmanian-born actor Errol Flynn whose short & flamboyant life, full of scandals, adventures, loves and excess was largely played out in front of the camera - either making movies or filling the newsreels and gossip magazines. Dead from the effects of drugs and alcohol by the time he was only 50 & the myths live on. But there is another side of Flynn that is less well known - his ambitions to be a serious writer and newspaper correspondent, his documentary films and his interest in the Spanish Civil War and Castro's Cuba.

I don't know much about Errol Flynn outside of the films themselves but then that is the point of this documentary because it suggests that his real life is much more interesting that his cinematic turns. Having seen the film I feel like perhaps this wasn't that well brought out because mostly I took away the impression of a tragedy rather than an adventure. At first there are a few things about his live that are unusual but quickly we move into the more sordid side of his life – the drinking and the womanising. That is not to say that it is no good because it is still interesting because it is both frank and affectionate in its portrayal.

The delivery style sort of suits this mixed approach but doesn't totally sell it. The use of animation (good photo montages) and light tone does rather jar with the dark material but it does make it a bit more accessible I suppose. As such I was quite held by it but did find myself wishing it would either have more fun or be a bit more serious and factual rather than trying to do both. Lee's narration is good of course although his distinctive voice does rather dominate the film in a way it probably shouldn't have.

Worth a look if you only know Flynn from his films and his reputation but too mixed and unsure of itself to really stand up as a great documentary.