The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee

The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee

A poignantly personal story of one of horror cinema’s biggest stars

Christopher Lee is an icon, one of the all-time stars in the history of cinema, who continues to shine brightly even after his death. An aristocrat by birth, a WWII spy by accident, a Nazi hunter after the end of the war, an actor by calling. A man woven of myths, enigmatic and madly talented. He was the Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, he attributed his popularity to horror cinema but got irritated at being called “the king of horror films”. He wished to be remembered as a versatile artist, a man who captured the imagination of more than one generation.

With great tenderness, the documentary “The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee” tells the story of a chimerical, self-doubting artist who had almost three hundred film and television roles under his belt and, as he approached 80, became the oldest recording heavy metal music artist. Among those who share their stories about Christopher Lee are Peter Jackson (who had never imagined another actor in the role of Saruman in his “Lord of the Rings”), his long-time friend Joe Dante, his pal John Landis, and British cinema icon Caroline Munro. The film as a whole is bound together by a touching narration by… Christopher Lee himself. Well, in a way. His droning voice is emulated by Peter Serafinowicz and the film, while at times sad and moving, is packed with bitter irony. And although it focuses a lot on Lee, the actor, it doesn’t forget Lee, the fascinating and original man.

Jon Spira, who made a documentary about British film stuntmen a few years ago, was in charge of directing. His latest film shows his admiration for Christopher Lee, but, as in any good documentary, the filmmaker’s attitude to the theme does not overpower the truth. And this, too, feels more interesting than fiction.