Review: The Extraordinary Voyages of Jules Verne

Written and Directed by Philip Gardiner
Distributed by Reality Entertainment Films (www.reality-entertainment.com)
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOKZzaTyeZY
Release Date: June 1, 2008
Running Time: 60 minutes
Format: DVD

In a world of secret societies and hidden knowledge, one man struggles against an oppressive church and his inner demons to reveal the ultimate truth of human existence. It sounds like the plot of a Dan Brown novel, but this is the incredible real-life story of legendary author Jules Verne. From Philip Gardiner (Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple) comes The Extraordinary Voyages of Jules Verne--an in-depth analysis of the life and works of one of the most influential writers of modern times.

Content

The film is split into four parts, each detailing an important facet of the enigma that is Jules Verne.

In Part 1, "Jules Verne," Verne's childhood is explored. From his troubled upbringing by a strictly religious, self-flagellating father to his teenage years and introduction to Freemasonry, Gardiner paints a portrait of a rebellious young man fascinated with esoteric--and often heretical--arts.

Having written such universally well-known novels as Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne is a household name. The release of Walden Media and New Line Cinema's 3D movie adaptation of Journey to the Center of the Earth is further evidence of the far-reaching impact Verne's ideas have had on Western society. Still, I would venture a guess that few of us that are aware of his work are as familiar with the man's past. In the opening minutes of Extraordinary Voyages, Gardiner does an admirable job of diving into the story behind the stories, showcasing the key points in Verne's childhood that lead him down the path of Gnosticism and Freemasonry. This biography with an esoteric twist is what I feel to be the film's strongest and most interesting aspect.

The bulk of the film's content can be found in Part 2, "The Works." In these scenes, Gardiner details Verne's need to encrypt hidden messages within his writings. Although brimming with ideas about anti-materialism, Gnosticism and the meaning of human existence, Verne, Gardiner argues, was forced to include them as a subtext in his fiction to avoid the wrath of the church and various secret societies. By providing specific examples of Verne's use of Freemason values such as brotherhood and death/rebirth allegory, Gardiner lays out a convincing and unique array of evidence that goes against the grain of other Verne biographers. Without question, the hidden symbolism Gardiner reveals adds a new layer of depth to Verne's writing. For those well versed in his work, it may inspire you to go back and re-read them with new eyes.

Parts 3 and 4, titled "Hetzel" and "The Circle" respectively, felt like more of an afterthought compared to the first two. Considerably shorter, they elaborate more on the final years of Verne's life and his decent into poverty and depression. The highly speculative and rather out-there Part 4 stood out for me as the film's low point. Without providing any more evidence than the cryptic words of a madman, Gardiner puts forth the theory that Verne's nephew--who shot him at point-blank range with a pistol--did so because he was under the spell of a secret society mind control technique. Such a theory would make for a great work of fiction, but ultimately I feel it did little else but detract from the film's overall credibility.

To bring the movie to an end, Gardiner adds an epilogue as well as an "Interesting Facts" montage. The latter of these is set to the oddly memorable song, "The Next Time That I see You On The Moon" by Kenneth L. King. It's worth sitting through the credits for and serves as a wonderfully lighthearted conclusion. 

DVD

Displayed prominently on the DVD case's backside is the promise of "...stunning computer generated recreations, in-depth analysis, beautiful music, and original archival footage." I would agree on all of these points but for the first one. For this kind of production, the computer generated effects are above average, but "stunning" they are not. On a whole, they look like video game cinematics circa 1999. At their best, the graphics are laughable. At their worst, they're distracting and overbearing. Though as an unintended side effect, the spiraling animations set to the film's classical score can often turn scenes into a hypnotizing collage akin to a media player visualization. Often this will help you through the film's slower parts.

Narration fidelity is top notch, coming through crisp and vibrant. Moreover, the film's eclectic mix of techno and classical score is well timed and of high quality.

Missing from the DVD is an attractive menu system and any special features. The barebones menu allows only for scene selection, lacking any kind of language or subtitle options. Also, I would have liked to at least have access to stills of the footage taken at Verne's home as a special feature. The complete absence of any extras is disappointing.

Final Thoughts

A biography with an Illuminati and Freemason twist, The Extraordinary Voyages of Joules Verne: An Odyssey from the Air to the Sea, from the Earth to the Moon is an entertaining fusion of facts and reading between the lines. For those interested in secret society studies, you'll come away with more insight into the methods employed by their members to convey ideas to the masses. And for science fiction fans, it will give you a greater understanding of the inspiration that drove the genre's father.

Ratings

Information: B+
Editing: C
Audio/Video: C
Special Features: F

Overall (not an average): B

~Khyron, 2008