Burke and Hare

Burke and Hare is a British black comedy directed by John Landis in 2010. With an all-star cast including Bill Bailey, Tom Wilkinson, and Michael Smiley, the movie brings the real-life story of legendary 19th-century Irish grave robbers, William Burke and William Hare, to the big screen. The central narrative tells the tale of these infamous opportunists as they delve into a dark business by supplying cadavers for medical dissection during a time when such corpses were hard to come by.

Set in 1828, Edinburgh, Scotland, the film paints a vivid portrait of a city split by class, wealth, and knowledge. On one side, the film presents a view of the wealthy and enlightened, spearheaded by medical pioneer Dr. Robert Knox, brilliantly portrayed by Tom Wilkinson. On the other side, it depicts a world brimming with factional street gangs, grimy pubs, and desperate individuals struggling to get by each day.

On this side, we find our protagonists, William Burke (Simon Pegg) and William Hare (Andy Serkis), two down-on-their-luck Irish immigrants with dubious pasts. Initially, the unlikely duo meets survival by engaging in petty crime and marginal businesses. However, when they stumble upon a newfound venture of supplying human corpses to Edinburgh medical college, it soon becomes evident that their schemes are dangerously profitable.

Drawing on the classic dark humor characteristic of British cinema, Landis incorporates wit and satire into the narrative, turning a macabre historical event into a humorous and riveting tale about ambition, morality, and the variable value of life.

Comedian Bill Bailey narrates the story, his ironic commentary providing an additional layer of humor that adds a unique twist to the storytelling. His crisp delivery and sharp wit set the tone from the beginning, steering the movie towards the realm of dark comedy rather than gory horror. The movie's visual style reflects the grisly reality of the 19th-century Edinburgh underbelly, with its dimly lit, grimy backstreets contrasting sharply with the affluent world of the medical colleges.

Meanwhile, Tom Wilkinson brings strength and depth to his role as the renowned Dr. Robert Knox, a man of science who is not entirely immune to the moral ambiguities related to his work. Dr. Knox is a fascinating figure - obsessed with the advancement of anatomy and physiology but blind to the unsavory origins of his research materials. Wilkinson's performance presents the doctor's nuanced character exceptionally well, displaying Dr. Knox's academic brilliance and his disturbing indifference toward the means used to achieve his goals.

The dynamic between Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis provides much of the film's charm. Pegg's Burke is portrayed as the more likable and empathetic of the two, challenged by morality as the lethal business progresses. In contrast, Serkis's Hare is depicted as more opportunistic, focusing only on the financial gains they stand to make. Their on-screen chemistry and expert comic timing deliver a compelling narrative amid the dark themes, and they manage to make two murderous rogues oddly relatable.

Add to that a stellar supporting cast, including Jessica Hynes, Ronnie Corbett, and Michael Smiley, who each deliver great performances that enrich the narrative texture. A special mention goes for Isla Fisher, who stars as Ginny, an aspiring actress and Burke's love interest. Her relationship with Burke injects more personal stakes into the plot, further complicating the duo's dark business dealings.

Throughout its run, the film never shies away from the grim reality of its narrative focus. It uses humor in between the contours to downplay the harshness and, instead, makes it a palatable and enjoyable dark-comedy fare. "Burke and Hare" manages to turn a gruesome historical tale into a compelling black comedy, filled with memorable characters and an exploration of the desperate measures people can resort to in desperate times. Despite its grisly subject matter, the film's balance of humor and horror results in a captivating historical comedy.