Undoubtedly one of the best Doctor Who fan films ever produced, Deconstruction justifies a great deal of scrutiny and necessitates a lengthy review.
The opening visuals are intriguing and draw the viewer in – an expectation of quality is put into place. The opening title sequence, along with its theme, are, in a word, beautiful.
Black and white footage is used almost throughout, the bleakness emphasising the industrial landscape on which the film is set. The opening battle sequence is dramatic; the Cybermen quickly overwhelm the opposition of what appears to be space security agents. The use of costumes similar to those seen in the early classical Doctor Who episodes coupled with the use of black and white puts the film within the context of the wider history of Doctor Who which is exciting to fans of the series.
No explanation is given as to why the Cybermen are attacking or why the humans are on the irregular asteroid seen in the initial sequence. The lack of background adds to the mystery and immediacy of the action; the viewer is immediately placed in the middle of a battle with no understanding why they are fighting.
The convention of a clash of two laser wielding contingents of troops then gives way to something very interesting. The panic, chaos and terror of the Cybermen invading the base itself is wonderfully well done. The use of quickly intercutting and sometimes even overlaying shots is effective in creating the appropriate atmosphere.
It is during this sequence that we are introduced to the main character Chinon, played by John Isles. His fear is very well realized in a peculiarly naturalistic performance. Chinon, we quickly realize, is not some hero or super soldier but just an ordinary man who had been there just to do a job. Although later he is very brave, it is obvious he is no Han Solo or Captain Jack.
Some of the shots look as if they have been inspired directly from the black and white era of Doctor Who in capturing the menace of the Cybermen.
The visuals in the map room are again well executed and original in style. Producers of the new series please take note! We don’t want to see computer images and maps and so forth done in a predictable way and Deconstruction provides a new style in this area.
As Chinon escapes the Cybermen his increasing weary is evident and well played out. His discomforture and inner conflict are easy to appreciate. A touching moment is when he covers the face of a fallen comrade, unable to do anything further for them. The location used in all these sequences is superb; bleak, stained, lights crackling on and off.
The use of fades and cut aways combined with the score is of a quality that surpasses most amateur productions and the consistent style of the production ranks Deconstruction as the most professional Who fan film to date.
The point of Chinon’s flight and his objective with the strange pyramid is not clear but this is just part of the sense of mystery. Hollywood blockbusters go out of their way to spoon feed the plot to the audience; the same does not have to apply to fan films.
The final revelation is a shock; the graphics used are, in my opinion, quite frightening. There is some disturbing quality to the image, a vague reminiscence of religious portraits perhaps, that is disquieting. Whatever the precise connotations, it works well.
Deconstruction has shown what can be done with a fan film and has raised the standard so far that it may be a very long time till anything of a similar quality is produced….
Adam Manning
Cheeky Monkey Productions
Cheeky Monkey Productions
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