Ellis Park Review: A Man On A Mission

Ellis Park is a charming profile of Bad Seeds maestro Warren Ellis, even if fans know most of what it has to say already. 

Parallels will inevitably be drawn between this film and the numerous documentaries that have been made about Ellis’ friend and collaborator Nick Cave. The likes of 20,000 Days on Earth and This Much I Know To Be True are esoteric in their approach to profiling Cave, and Ellis Park can’t help but look conventional by comparison. However, this does make it a good introduction to Ellis, covering the basics without being overwhelming. Ellis Park starts right at the beginning, traveling to Ellis’ hometown of Ballarat, Australia to see what makes him tick.

Upon arrival, we’re given the glorious sight of Ellis in a tan suit, performing on his violin before a statue depicting a family fleeing from Pompeii. Our subject is not a sculptor, but the traits he embodies can be found in this vision in marble. There’s attention to detail, visible but understated craftsmanship, and profound empathy. This statue is just the first of a few childhood influences that Ellis revisits, and he invites Kurzel to capture it all. 

This openness of spirit is what has endeared the musician to fans all his career, from busking through Europe, through to the glory days of the Dirty Three and the Bad Seeds. Ellis shares much of Cave’s outlook on life, and we get hints of a burgeoning religiosity and strong ties to his homeland. We spend time with Ellis’ parents, and watching his 89-year-old father recite the lyrics of his own newest compositon is an inspiration.

Both father and son describe calls from spirits of people from the past urging them on to create new songs, uniting them in their affinity for the immaterial. Kurzel captures the sweet interactions between the generations with an observant eye, all while refusing his subject’s attempts to drag him in front of the camera. Whether visiting his hometown, or rehearsing in a studio in his adopted home of Paris, Kurzel is keen to let his subject be seen and heard without interfering.

Kurzel’s clear-eyed approach to his subject helps get the point across when attention shifts to Ellis’ ecological concerns. The park of the title is a wildlife sanctuary in Sumatra to house animals that have been rescued after being abandoned or rescued from trafficking. The park was founded in 2017, and has grown under Ellis’ patronage. The main thrust of the second half of Ellis Park sees the musician travel to Sumatra for his first in-person visit, and meeting with the park’s co-founder and director, Femke den Haas. A veteran conservationist, den Haas has dedicated her life to saving animals abused in trafficking, and is a perfect match for Ellis’ vision for the park. Kurzel’s filmmaking shines brightest here, intertwining the heartfelt first visit with the park’s stunning equatorial vistas. It’s a joyous moment when Ellis meets Rina, an armless macaque who acts as the sanctuary’s mascot. The sight of Rina’s face glowing in a red light sears itself in the memory.

Prior to the making of Ellis Park, Ellis told his story in his acclaimed memoir ‘Nina Simone’s Gum’, and the book and tidbits contained therein make appearances throughout the documentary. The title is a reference to a piece of chewing gum the great songstress left on a piano at a concert that Ellis organized with Cave in London in 1999. He has the gum to this day, his reverence infusing it with a totemic power. Among the tales told in that memoir is Ellis’ first meeting with Kurzel for this film. Fans will have read the book already, and they may find they know a lot of these stories before seeing the film. Still, filming these stories being told does help bring them to life. Seeing Ellis giving out recasts of the piece of gum as pieces of jewelry is as bemusing as it sounds.

Anyone expecting Ellis Park to deliver the introspection of One More Time With Feeling might feel shortchanged, but there’s scope for Ellis to go further. From the discussions had in the film, individual documentaries are waiting to be made about his ecological work, his career, his faith or his family. Even if they never get made, Ellis Park is a fine primer on a man doing all kinds of wondrous work.

Ellis Park celebrated its World Premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 19, 2024 at Prince Charles Cinema and will be screened again on October 20.