Editor's Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on May 2, 2003, and we're proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
Before I get to talking about Revelation, I really need to point out one unfortunate element of First Look Pictures’ DVD packaging. Among the extras promised on the back of the case is “Director Commentary,” which turns out to refer only to filmmaker Stuart Urban’s onscreen comments and voiceovers in the documentary featurettes. Memo to First Look (and, to be fair, other companies that have used this sort of misleading wording): “commentary,” when it comes to DVD extras, is understood to refer only to a full alternate audio track in which a person or persons talk about the movie as it’s playing, and not to sound bites contained elsewhere in the extras. Any other use of the word is deceptive and unfair.
With that out of the way, more talk about the film would have actually been appreciated on the Revelation disc, whose supplements are more concerned with the real-life religious/scientific subject matter than the making of the movie. And that’s a fair reflection on Revelation itself, which has clearly been very heavily researched but hasn’t had all the facts assembled into a coherent narrative whole. The basic plot concerns the pursuit of the Loculus, an ancient relic of tremendous power and importance that is coveted by both billionaire Magnus Martel (Terence Stamp) and the Grand Master (Udo Kier), a villainous sort who has existed in various guises throughout the centuries (he witnessed the Crucifixion, etc.). In the present day, the GM races with Magnus’ estranged son Jake (James D’Arcy) and alchemy expert Mira (Natasha Wightman) to claim the Loculus, leading to all sorts of theological/magical intrigue, occasional bloody murder and a hot sex scene in the midst of an ancient chamber that is absolutely necessary to the plot.
The whole thing comes off as a sort of combination of The Omen and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and while it has the required international scope and high-class production values, Urban’s pacing lacks urgency and his script seems too impressed with its own density of detail to deliver the horror/thriller goods. I’m usually a sucker for this kind of religious-intrigue story, but too often Revelation comes across as a slicker variation on the Omega Code school of filmmaking, complete with thunder, lightning and whinnying horses backing important pronouncements in at least one scene. At least Kier is as fun to watch as ever as the lead baddie, though Stamp unfortunately exits the movie at the half-hour mark.
On disc, the 2.35:1 transfer bears solid colors and clarity, though there’s a bit more dirt, speckling and grain on view than one expects from a film of this recent vintage and budget level. Better overall are the fine, very sharp Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 Surround audio tracks. Five featurettes (totaling about 70 minutes) are led off by a documentary that sets the tone for the rest by largely exploring the film as a historical/religious drama, not a thriller. Among the sadly typical too-brief-to-really-see-anything on-location clips, Urban, his cast and crew discuss the spiritual/mathematical underpinnings of the story, the basics of the characters and the background of the Rennes le Chateau in France, one of the film’s key locations.
Three of the other featurettes cover the real-life subject matter that inspired Revelation; your interest in them will probably be in direct proportion to your interest in these topics in the first place. The best is “The Chapel, The Tomb & the Templars,” in no small part due to the great portentous narration by paranormal investigator Rev. Lionel Fanthorpe, who explores the mysterious happenings and deaths surrounding Rennes le Chateau and the Knights Templar, who play a significant role in the movie. (These folks are no relation to the hooded killers in the Blind Dead movies, but on the basis of what’s revealed here, their true story would make a hell of a film on its own.) Conversely, consultant Dr. Jonathan Hughes seems a tad ill at ease on camera as he discusses “Alchemy,” while “Bringing Heaven to Earth” concerns the subjects of astrology and “sacred geometry” (you may have never heard of the latter before, but you’ll hear a lot about it here).
The title of the featurette “A Mixture of Magicks” suggests more such New Agey discourse, but it in fact covers the film’s makeup, physical and digital FX. This one will probably be of the most interest to film buffs, and is highlighted by Stamp’s funny story of having a full body cast made of him for one important scene. There’s also detail about a CGI bit in which snakes intertwine to become part of a magical staff held by Kier’s character—but, sadly, nothing about the startling faux facial hair Kier sports in this scene.
