I recently performed in a reading of a modern play by a local community theater—not acting but singing a single opera aria, Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” from “Gianni Schicchi.” When I was recommended by a fellow operatic soprano, I hastily agreed to do the show because it was nearby and sounded fun, not taking the time to thoroughly research the play, “The Elephant Song.” This 2002 Canadian play by Nicolas Billon has been performed worldwide and was adapted into a film in 2014.
It’s a one-act play, and the story takes place in a single room in one continuous scene. There are only three onstage characters, and most of the action takes place through dialogue, making this a perfect choice for a reading. In fact, it was first presented as a reading in Montreal.
Although there were three performances, the first two of which were meagerly attended, I didn’t want my parents and sister to see the show. I wanted them to hear me sing, but I knew that they would share my aversion to the play’s profanity and questionable scenarios. We agreed it was a shame, because the play has a fascinating scenario and was very well-acted by talented performers. However, the objectionable content, much of which was superfluous and totally unnecessary, made me ashamed to invite friends and family to the show. As I sat in a dark 4x4 closet for two hours, waiting for my cue to sing a two-minute aria, I contemplated how “The Elephant Song” would have been different as a Code film.
A Strange Story
The story takes place on Christmas Eve at a mental institution. Dr. Irwin Greenberg, the hospital director, is investigating the disappearance of psychiatrist James Lawrence the day before. He asks Nurse Peterson to bring a patient named Michael into Dr. Lawrence’s office for questioning, since the 23-year-old is the last person to have seen Dr. Lawrence. The nurse warns him to watch out for the clever patient’s mind games. Within the first minutes of their conversation, Michael proves three things: He is highly intelligent, he refuses to be cooperative, and he is obsessed with elephants. He tells a series of stories about what happened to Dr. Lawrence as Dr. Greenberg grows increasingly frustrated, but it becomes clear that Michael’s twisted stories aren’t lunatic ravings but a methodical plan.First, Michael says he strangled Dr. Lawrence. Then, he declares that he and Dr. Lawrence were having a torrid sodomitic affair. After that, he shows Greenberg nude pictures of himself at age fifteen which are in one of Lawrence’s desk drawers, implying that the doctor is a pedophile. Although Greenberg insists he doesn’t believe Michael, he is pretty upset by the time the police’s arrival calls him away. Meanwhile, Michael confesses to Nurse Peterson that he has been playing games with Greenberg to teach him a lesson for being arrogant.
Code Film Material?
If a studio sent “The Elephant Song” to the PCA as an idea for a film, the self-regulators would have cautioned them against making it—but had the filmmakers persevered, knowing all the difficulties, they would have helped them clean it up. Naturally, the foul language, profane speech, and vulgar expressions would have to be removed or changed. This would be a simple matter of scripting, since most of it is completely extraneous. Some plot points, however, are in direct violation of the Code and would have had to be changed during breening.The biggest problem is the implication of perversion surrounding Michael’s character. Although he eventually admits that nothing actually happened between him and Dr. Lawrence, he says they were in love with each other, albeit platonically in the psychiatrist’s case, and admits that he wanted more. The potential tenderness in this situation of a young man who is desperate for love in any form is destroyed by the situation’s vulgarity. This situation could be easily remedied by changing Dr. Lawrence into a female psychiatrist, perhaps named Jane Lawrence. In the original play, he admits that he’s been looking for a father figure, but it would make more sense for him to be seeking a mother figure to replace his cold mother. Thus, it would be very effective to have the only person for whom he cares be the first woman who has shown him maternal kindness. It would then make sense that he feels hostile toward Dr. Greenberg because he represents paternal authority, which Michael associates with heartless aggression.
Greatness, Choked by Weeds
Breening a movie is like weeding a garden. By getting the bad, parasitic growths out, the good things can flourish. However, if you allow the vulgar, indecent elements to remain in a film, they will take strength away from the important points of the story, just as weeds choke out the flowers.The plot for “The Elephant Song” certainly doesn’t sound like the basis of a Code film. A movie with even a fraction of its objections would never have been given a PCA Seal of Approval. However, many plays and novels with similar issues were made into decent, Code-compliant films. I can imagine this, hypothetically, as a late 1940s film, perhaps directed by Joseph Mankiewicz or even Alfred Hitchcock. A sensitive, troubled actor like Robert Walker would have been perfect as the tormented but clever Michael.
Being in “The Elephant Song” was a unique, interesting opportunity and a learning experience. Sitting in that dark closet for two hours gave me not only a chance to practice keeping my voice warm without making noise and the time to write a few articles with a pen and pad—it also gave me a vivid example of how the Code saved many stories. Breening could have made this a touching, poignant story which focused on the spiritual struggles of this man instead of being bogged down in the filthy mire which writers feel is necessary to include. In so doing, this play lost many viewers, who could have truly appreciated its message about the importance of loving your children, which is a real shame.