Cinematic Bliss

Rating: 9/10 (19 August 2019)

Oliver Stone's The Doors may arguably be the best biographical film of a rock band (with a primary focus on Jim Morrison) to ever grace the silver screen. It all starts with the casting choice of Val Kilmer.
Words cannot describe the mere perfection of the decision for Kilmer to be cast as Morrison. The two bear a striking resemblance to one another to the point where sometimes when Morrison is mentioned in passing, I will sometimes see Kilmer's face before the man himself. Not only is the physical aspect similar, but the mentality of his portrayal is captured well to boot. Much like Heath Ledger in Nolan's The Dark Knight, Kilmer did rigorous "exercises" in order to make sure his depiction was as genuine as possible. His method acting was taken to a whole new level. His first step was memorizing 50 of The Door's songs. He would sit and listen for hours on end, meticulously noting the approach that Morrison took to each song, including tonality, pitch, and volume (Morrison's voice would become more rugged and deeper as his drinking and overall health declined). Before production on the movie began, Kilmer essentially lived vicariously as the lead singer, dressing in similar wardrobe choices and even going so far as to walk and behave like him as well. The actor was so dedicated to this role, he had to attend therapy sessions since he had so much difficulty getting out of his character.
To the film's credit, there were terrific casting choices all around. The costume design and portrayals were executed to a near perfect degree. I particularly liked Crispin Glover's representation of Andy Warhol. In addition to the casting of this movie, the cinematography is nothing to scoff at either. There are many scenes where the characters trip on acid and this is handled very carefully by Stone. The camerawork and effects (I would go into more detail, but I think a film professional might be able to give a better explanation) really give these scenes a trippy vibe and are just enjoyable to watch. There is a scene towards the end that is impressive as well. In real life, it is argued that Morrison may or may not have exposed himself on stage. Stone's workaround to this debatable issue was to have Kilmer strategically place his finger through his zipper to simulate this. Whether or not it was a censorship issue for filming purposes or just to play both sides of the fence, it is easy to say that this was a truly creative way to display this infamous incident.
I'll keep this portion short and sweet, as I'm not sure if it was an effects choice or just the way the DVD was manufactured, but there is a consistent grainy filter throughout most, if not all, of the scenes in the movie which makes the film more true to the era it was designed to convey. The writing is also impressive in this motion picture, as much of the dialogue is supposed to be drug-induced and this can be difficult to execute when one is not stoned themselves.
Amidst the positive aspects about this movie, there is a prevalent weakness here. As much praise as Kilmer should get for his portrayal of Morrison, the director's choice for some of Morrison's actions are usually brought up for debate. There are multiple instances of him taking his drunkenness (more so, his personality as a whole) to a level that is not realistic with the actual Jim Morrison.
At the end of the day, this movie was so precise and careful with the casting, writing, and the depiction of the counterculture. If you are a fan of rock music, or just well-crafted films in general, I would highly recommend this movie. You won't be disappointed.