Introduction
The Dark Tower is an American film which combines elements of science fiction, western and fantasy, and was released in 2017. It was directed by Nikolaj Arcel and is loosely based off of Stephen King’s best-selling novel series, something which the film sought to build upon rather than simply tell. This new story, which acts as a sequel to King’s novels, aims to expand the universe explored in the original literature.
Idris Elba takes on the role of a Gunslinger, the last of his kind, and Matthew Mcconaughey is cast as the Man in Black, bringing the western, sci-fi, and fantasy parts to life. With such a strong cast, the film’s reception both critically and economically is often seen as puzzling. Many reviewers however, blamed the absence of a coherent, single, cinematic theme as the reason for the low box office performance.
Plot Summary
The movie starts by showing us Earth (which we call Keystone Earth) alongside the mystical realm called Mid-World. In Mid-World, there is the Dark Tower. It is an enigmatic structure that is said to hold the universe together and protect all realities from the forces of darkness. A malevolent sorcerer, Walter Padick, also called the Man in Black, seeks to destroy the Tower by using the psychic energy of children from various realms.
We meet Jake Chambers (played by Tom Taylor), an 11-year-old boy from New York who has apocalyptic visions of the Tower, the Man in Black, and a lone Gunslinger. Walter is also known as the Man in Black. Walter the Padick, has his own goals. Padick also has his own goals. To protect the Tower, he must compete with Padick who seeks to destroy the Tower. Following all of that, Jake’s mother and stepfather believe he is “mentally ill.” What they do not know is that Jake’s drawings and dreams are not random. In fact, they are accurate visions of another world.
While escaping from the Man In Black, Jake goes through a portal to Mid-World where he meets the last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain. Roland is a vengeful warrior hunting for the Man In Black as he seeks revenge for the Man In Black’s unrelenting attacks on his family. Jake’s, at this point, a reluctant ally, begins to help the Gunslinger as he comes to realize the strong psychic abilities Jake possesses, which Walter is trying to exploit, using Jake’s ‘shine.’
As Roland and Jake’s Mid-World journey continues, the two Gundslingers face a plethora of challenges and start to trust one another. Roland’s growing affection for Jake begins to slowly melt his heart and rekindles the remnants of his lost pride to become a Gunslinger.
Walter, on the other hand, is on a man hunt for Jake. He sends his other worldly minions, creatures disguised as humans, to Earth to capture Jake. Walter is quicker on the uptake as he manages to track down Jake and captures him, bringing him to his glorified lab in an unrelenting rage to steal his energy.
As Roland and Walter face off in the final gunfight, the two slowly start to bring in their own nature to the fight, Roland infusing unshakeable resolve and high-technology while Walter infuses a ruthless western grit into the fight, using every bit of power he holds. With some fancy moves, quick reflexes, and his rekindled will, Roland possesses Walter’s abilities while concurrently unlocking the next layer to his ‘shine’ and defeating him. As a consequence, Roland rescues Jake, saves the tower and the universe.
In the final scenes of the movie, we can see Roland and Jake going back to Mid-World, this time as a bonded team. They now have a clear direction and purpose. Roland invites Jake to become his apprentice, and together they set off into the unknown, guns drawn.
Cast and Characters
Idris Elba as Roland Deschain: Elba’s character, The last Gunslinger, is known to be lost, haunted and driven by vengeance. Elba embodies the character perfectly, bringing a quiet intensity along with gravitas. We see a stoic hero Elba portrays beginning a redemptive journey.
Matthew McConaughey as Walter Padick / The Man in Black: The film’s main antagonist. Charismatic, manipulative, and sinister, Walter embodies pure evil cloaked in charm. Although McConaughey’s performance is eerie and smooth, some felt the character was underwritten.
‘’Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers: A troubled but gifted boy whose psychic abilities are key to the story’s center conflict. With Jake, the audience can enter into the world of Mid-World and experience the fantasy the world offers from the eyes of a young boy.’’
Katheryn Winnick as Laurie Chambers, Jake’s caring but worried mother.
Jackie Earl Haley as Sayre, Walter’s evil lieutenant.
Dennis Haysbert as Roland’s father in a brief, yet impactful role.
The cast earned accolades for their roles in the film, particularly Idris Elba, who was thought to be an excellent choice for the role of the Gunslinger. Despite the positive reception of the performances, critics felt that the script did not give sufficient opportunities for the actors to portray the multi-dimensionality of their characters.
Production and Development
The Dark Tower underwent a lengthy and challenging development process. From the early 2000s, several studios and producers worked to adapt Stephen King’s complex saga, which consists of eight novels and features a multitude of interwoven characters and themes, and which presented a considerable scope and structural challenge.
Finally, there was a shift in the project’s direction. Nikolaj Arcel was brought on to direct the film, with the premise of creating a film that would not linear adapt the first book. Instead, it would serve as a sequel featuring Roland’s journey as a part of a cyclical narrative. While bold in creative call, it also sparked controversy for pulling the film away from the deep-dive world-building and mythology that the franchise’s devotees anticipated.
The final cut of the film ran a mere 95 minutes. For a modern fantasy film, this length is significantly short. While a shorter runtime is often beneficial, in this case, it was critiqued for telling the story in an overly simplified manner. Leading up to the film’s release, the various reshoots and edits gave the film an inconsistent tone.
Themes and Symbolism
The movie, like the novels, delves into several main themes:
- The Good vs Evil Conflict
Walter and Roland embody opposing archetypes—the last noble knight and the decaying warlock. Their conflict illustrates the unending battle between good and evil, light and dark, civilization and disorder.
- Free Will and Determinism
The envisioned journey of Jake underscores the belief that fate, and its parameters, are quite flexible. He is heavily envisioned, but he makes the choice to act, and in doing so, he binds himself through loyalty and courage.
- Purpose and Redemption
The film portrays Roland as a deeply revenge-driven and broken man in the beginning. He eventually is able to reclaim a sense of purpose through Jake, not just to kill Walter, but in the broader context of protecting the tower and all that the tower symbolizes.
- The Multiverse and Interconnected Worlds
The idea of several realities that stem out of the tower is a crucial aspect of the narrative. This idea is particularly poignant in regard to the universe of Stephen King, in which several of his novels are intertwined, as it creates a context for many of his writings.
Reception and Legacy
The Dark Tower released in August of 2017 and had received almost exclusively negative reviews. Critics pointed to its lack of coherent plot structure, development, and all of the characters as well as its failure to portray the source material’s depth. Fans of the novels were particularly upset by the movie’s apparent lack of regard for King’s expansive vision.
Though faced with a good amount of criticism, the movie still managed to earn a total of $113 million across the globe on a $60 million budget. Even so, the financial performance is considered disappointing with the addition of marketing and reshoot costs.
The film delved into the mythology of the Dark Tower and catered to a new audience. Although most fans criticized the film for its pacing, a good number of them appreciated the fast pace and stylized action. Discussions around adapting the film into a series started circulating after the film came out, but the series has not been worked on since.
Conclusion
The Dark Tower aimed to embody a philosophical adventure film on the topics of heroism, evil, and reality while also catering to an epic audience. The execution suffered from a blend of a stretched storyline, tonal inconsistency, and the big task of fitting a multi-novel literary saga into a single movie.
For fans who have read and followed Stephen King’s novels, the movie is interesting because it offers a new perspective on the legend of the Tower. For the people new to this, it offers a new perspective on the narrative and serves as a way to introduce the captivating universe, which is better understood through the books. Regardless of its failure, The Dark Tower attempts to convert one of the most ambitious sagas of modern literature into a movie.
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