The Doors

We all know that Morrison was about as far from being a saint as Tiger Woods is from celibacy, but this honest depiction of his mental decline completely wrung me out. Ironically, this is not primarily due to Stone's direction and dramaturgy, but to the completely authentic look of all the interiors and sets, and above all the physical appearances of the actors, who play their roles with unprecedented verve. That Kilmer, the Kilmer singing perhaps as well as Morrison, sweating on stage and having sex in agony with perhaps the entire female population, was not even nominated for an Oscar is a greater disgrace in cinematic terms than all of Woods' infidelities combined. It's his heroic portrayal of the famous musician that is the main thing that, together with the gorgeous music, accurate period atmosphere, and ultimately impressive direction by a master of the biographical and tragic, makes The Doors a film worthy of the musical greatness of the namesake and sinful band. 95% (03/27/2022)

Once in the 80s, during a high school literature class, I grounded my teacher with the statement that the cursed poets were a bunch of terribly ill-mannered people who drank, snorted cocaine, were promiscuous, and if they didn't dedicate themselves to worldly pleasures, they could accomplish much more. Not to mention that if I allowed myself just a percentage of what representatives of a graduation question did, I would be expelled from school without hesitation. As a teenager, I simply leaned toward bourgeois life, which prioritized hard work over drinking and drug excesses. No one could convince me later that any artistic work could not be created without artificial stimulants. Alcohol and drug influences are a big obstacle during the process of artistic creation. Jim Morrison was undoubtedly a talented poet, lyricist, and musician, but also - and perhaps above all - an emotionally and ideologically unstable poser who never managed to grow up, a weakling, an alcoholic, and a junkie. I definitely would not want to share a household with him, and there is spiritual harmony to be spoken of. His premature death is not the fault of the FBI or misfortune but exclusively his nature and uncontrolled behavior. Therefore, I cannot identify in any way with the main character, who I find unsympathetic, and I also do not support the music of The Doors. However, that's the problem with a music film...Additionally, in its second half, the film focuses too much - although quite understandably, because it's the basis of this band's legend - on scandalous performances and Morrison's decadent lifestyle. However, dozens of minutes of parties and excesses on stage become a boring stereotype during the long runtime...Morrison is simply an icon of pop culture that, even after so many years, evokes illusions of absolute freedom during a certain age of adolescence, and in small-minded people, feelings of envy towards a man who, unlike them, was not afraid to overcome the barriers of social conventions and did not burden himself with hypocritical pretenses of false emotions and gestures. If there is something worth attention in Stone's film besides the traditionally high-quality direction, this time in "psychedelic" style, it is the performance of Val Kilmer in the lead role. Although I don't particularly like him, this time I take my hat off to him, as he practically transformed into the character. Overall impression: 55%. (07/19/2011)

The golden times when Oliver Stone still didn't think with his knee and directed films that were politically incorrect and sharp as a razor. The Doors also belong to the hall of fame of his work as a captivating biopic about a famous rock band. The story is classically linear (formation, career success, peak, breakup), but it is presented with such a dose of verve and power that it is difficult to breathe during certain scenes. Stone is, of course, technically brilliant as always, his camera escapades and this time also the lighting are superb. The most amazing experience are the concert sequences, which are simply captivating. The whole film has a peculiar and “out there” energy, and it works fantastically. (10/24/2006)

Oliver Stone can apparently make any story about any person set in any time on any planet... And the result will always feel authentic. Fascinating. The Doors is another one of those films. With the help of music, the devilish Val Kilmer, Richardson's camera and God knows what else, Stone manages to take even a viewer who has never had a cigarette in his life, let alone a drug (i.e. me), on an intoxicating trip to a psychedelic desert wonderland, showing concerts in crowded halls almost like some kind of ancient Roman orgy, letting him listen breathlessly to the drugged monologues and dialogues to find the meaning in them himself... And the film tells so much not only about the band, but also about the time and country in which they played! I'm truly staring in awe. (01/12/2014)

A riveting portrait of a music legend and the hippie era. Stone, as a traditional myth-buster and provocateur, shows Morrison not only as a sensitive poet but also as a man possessed by inner demons and prone to self-destruction. Val Kilmer not only does a fantastic job as Morrison, but also sings wonderfully, what you hear in the film is not Morrison's voice, but Kilmer's, incredible as it seems. (04/20/2003)