cunningham_ed
Lifetime Total
1+
IMDb Member
23 years
Reviews
7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)
Run, do not walk, to the Circus of Dr. Lao
"The whole world is a circus, if you look at it the right way."
This film is an absolute gem. If you have never seen it, you are in for an extraordinary treat. The DVD release is an event which, I hope, allows the film to reach a far greater audience. A number of film enthusiasts regard this as a cult classic, a belief that I firmly share. Hopefully, you will, too.
"This circus is like a mirror. You see yourself in it sometimes...sometimes someone else."
A mysterious Chinese gentlemen appears in the midst of Abalone, Arizona, after the turn of the century. The town is facing a crisis which threatens its future. Many of the town's inhabitants are also facing individual challenges. Dr. Lao invites them to his travelling circus and promises a show which "not even the experience of a lifetime spent in Abalone could conceive of." And he delivers! Characters from mythology, dreams, and nightmares populate his tent. Each sideshow offers something that touches and changes the lives of attendees...and quite possibly, the town as a whole.
The film will engage children and adults alike. The closes parallel I can make is to a film like Wizard of Oz. Both films offer moral lessons in terms that children can grasp, while reminding adult viewers of the importance of listening to their "inner child."
While the philosophy contained herein may strike some as overly simplistic, and the production values may leave something to be desired, the circus is an event not to be missed.
"Every time you stop and think 'I'm alive, and being alive is fantastic!' Every time such a thing happens, you are part of the Circus of Dr. Lao."
This film is an absolute gem. If you have never seen it, you are in for an extraordinary treat. The DVD release is an event which, I hope, allows the film to reach a far greater audience. A number of film enthusiasts regard this as a cult classic, a belief that I firmly share. Hopefully, you will, too.
"This circus is like a mirror. You see yourself in it sometimes...sometimes someone else."
A mysterious Chinese gentlemen appears in the midst of Abalone, Arizona, after the turn of the century. The town is facing a crisis which threatens its future. Many of the town's inhabitants are also facing individual challenges. Dr. Lao invites them to his travelling circus and promises a show which "not even the experience of a lifetime spent in Abalone could conceive of." And he delivers! Characters from mythology, dreams, and nightmares populate his tent. Each sideshow offers something that touches and changes the lives of attendees...and quite possibly, the town as a whole.
The film will engage children and adults alike. The closes parallel I can make is to a film like Wizard of Oz. Both films offer moral lessons in terms that children can grasp, while reminding adult viewers of the importance of listening to their "inner child."
While the philosophy contained herein may strike some as overly simplistic, and the production values may leave something to be desired, the circus is an event not to be missed.
"Every time you stop and think 'I'm alive, and being alive is fantastic!' Every time such a thing happens, you are part of the Circus of Dr. Lao."