After winning two best director Oscars (Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon respectively) at the Academy Awards, Oliver Stone could pretty much do whatever he wanted. So given his affection for 60's nostalgia, he decided to helm this 1991 biopic on one of rock and roll's all time greatest bands (one of my favorite rock groups as well). The Doors is a prime example of what a filmmaker can do if the vision of what's on screen is entirely his (not necessarily what the remaining members of The Doors themselves had intended). With as much clout as any major voice in Hollywood, Stone made an exercise that veers almost completely away from the storytelling of the band, and instead concentrates on the madness and mystery of lead singer Jim Morrison. The result is a fiery yet saturated, powerful yet overwhelming, and sad yet involving portrait of a musical icon who passed over much too early. Now I gotta warn ya, this thing is over 2 hours long and is exhausting. It's also an ambitious mess (don't worry, this is a compliment) that's filled with every Stone nuance in the book (you almost have to wear dark sunglasses to tackle the look of it). But it's saddled with a brilliant performance by Val Kilmer as the lead. And he anchors this kaleidoscope of late 60's culture bent on entertaining you if you let it. So to make things clear, I am to this day, a huge fan of Oliver Stone's 90's endeavors. He has calmed down a bit as a director these days. And don't get me wrong, I still think he knows what he's doing behind the camera. But I kinda wish the maverick in him would come back (a la The Doors). There is just too much control with his technique in present day. I kinda hate it to be honest.

Anyway, this movie tells the story of the band going from heralded beginnings (guitarist Robbie Kreiger and Jim Morrison were students who met at UCLA film school) to virtual stardom, and then to an eventual break up with the lead vocalist (the drummer, keyboard player, and lead guitarist continued on but the film ends with Jim's death). The Doors chronicles the years 1965 to 1971. Two to three aspects are driven home by Stone to get his point across. One is Morrison's alienation from the other band members (Kevin Dillon as John Densmore, Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek, Frank Whaley as Robbie Krieger) through his relentless drug/alcohol abuse during their tenure. Second, we get a sort of unclear spiritual journey that Kilmer (Morrison) goes through in the form of flashbacks caused by a drug fueled haze-type behavior. Lastly, Stone puts emphasis on Morrison's relationship with his hippie girlfriend Pamela (Meg Ryan). Their love affair is volatile and dangerous. Just watching them together makes you think that they would not, and could not live very much longer. Finally, there is the music. The concert and studio recording scenes are so well filmed and seem so real (that's because the actors actually learned to play the instruments from what I understand), you get the sense that Mr. Stone really took his time to get the right attention to detail. Oh, and I almost forgot, look for Crispin Glover doing an Andy Warhol impersonation (In the film, Jim meets him at a party). With Velvet Underground's music in the background, it's a wallop of a scene in terms of sensory overload.

To put it all into perspective, if you are a fan of the music via The Doors and don't mind a film that's rough around the edges, this is something worth checking out. The performances are adequate and Kilmer's turn as rock and roll's misunderstood poet is downright Oscar worthy (the reason he got snubbed could have been the film's early release in March). Yes, the overall structure of what's on screen is choppy and somewhat of a downer, but there is a storytelling light at the end of the tunnel. And as usual, Stone likes to wrap things up rather quickly. Is it justifiable after two hours and twenty minutes? Yeah, why not. By then, the audience has embraced the bruised heart of a fallen legend. Morrison is dead but the music of The Doors lives on forever. This film is a raw, battering interpretation of a band who's sound could never be copied. At close to the two hour mark, Frank Whaley (Robbie Krieger) says to Jim, "you said you like pain. Well you run from it every chance you get." Well, I plan on viewing The Doors again and again and believe me, no matter how intense Stone's vision gets, I certainly won't run from it. That's a guarantee.

A biopic about the 1960-70s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its late lead singer, Jim Morrison, 'The Doors' proves to be a showcase for the under-rated Val Kilmer. As Jim Morrison, Kilmer delivers a knockout performance, that deserved an Oscar Nod, if not a Win.

'The Doors' Synopsis: The story of the famous and influential 1960's rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.

'The Doors' celebrates music & Morrison's journey, which unfortunately is just a memory. Morrison was talented & handsome, but he gave inn to drugs & all the wrong stuff, only to end his life. However, 'The Doors' is infectiously entertaining & addictive.

Master Filmmaker Oliver Stone Directs 'The Doors' with visible energy & enthusiasm. The Screenplay is worthy & depicts Morrison's journey with no diplomacy. Cinematography is top-notch. Editing is sharp.

Performance-Wise: Val Kilmer is At His Finest. He plays the legendary musician with mesmeric ease. Undoubtedly, its among the finest performances from the early 1990's. Among other performers, Meg Ryan is first-rate as Pamela Courson.

On the whole, 'The Doors' is rich in music with a heroic leading performance. Strongly Recommended!

I am a 17 year old student who is just getting into the amazing band that is the Doors. I watched the movie knowing about how Oliver Stone skewed the facts and changed some things around, so instead of expecting a 100% factual biography on Jim Morrison, I watched it expecting an entertaining film with great music...That's what I got.

Even though the film isn't completely factual, it conveyed really well what the rock and roll was like for most rock stars. Drugs, alcohol, sex. It all happens in this film. Oliver Stone didn't really do wonders with Jim Morrison's story, but his direction style was really good with this movie. The concert scenes were done really great, and for someone who's just getting into the music, they were really great scenes to watch.

The performances in this movie are something else. I'd have to say that from the Val Kilmer movies that I've seen, this is his best performance. He's really a perfect film incarnation of Jim Morrison, even if it's Oliver Stone's version of Jim Morrison. Everybody in the movie does a really good job in their roles, and it was really cool to watch.

So if you want a 100% factual Jim Morrison biography, read a book. If you want an entertaining movie about an awesome rock band in the 60's with awesome music, this is a great movie.