Based on the eponymous novel by Sara Gruen, this lavish period drama, while artfully conceived and well-acted, is nonetheless a violent film that accepts — and even glamorizes — adultery, albeit within the context of an extreme situation.

Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) is the proud son of Polish immigrant parents who sacrifice everything during the Great Depression to finance his study of veterinary medicine. But tragedy strikes, and Jacob's dreams vanish. Suddenly all alone in the world, he sets out on foot to look for work.

Jacob jumps a train and inadvertently lands in the midst of his future: the Benzini Brothers' traveling circus. His knowledge of animals soon draws the attention of the enterprise's owner, August (Christoph Waltz), who needs a resident vet.

A fearsome, wicked megalomaniac who takes his anger out on innocent animals — and humans — August is desperate to make ends meet while mounting a serious challenge to the famous competition, Ringling Brothers.

For a spell, things are looking up — until Jacob sets eyes on the star of the show, Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a blonde bombshell who regales the crowds by doing somersaults on horseback. Marlena is double trouble, however; not only is she married; her husband is none other than August.

Needless to say, forbidden love has its consequences and, fueled by August's homicidal rage, "Water for Elephants" barrels along to a shocking climax that is truly over the (big) top.

Directed by Francis Lawrence ("I Am Legend"), the movie immerses viewers in a long-lost, and sometimes thrilling, world. And, though the proceedings are operatic to the boiling point, the acting is first-rate; Pattinson's trademark scowl and smoldering intensity — honed in the "Twilight" films — are put to perfect use here.

But this degree of aesthetic quality only serves to makes the fundamental moral flaw at the heart of the story all the more regrettable. The abusive nature of Marlena's marriage, after all, may mitigate, but it cannot excuse the sinfulness of her decision to violate her wedding vows, nor that of Jacob's choice to cooperate in breaching them.

The film contains intense violence, including murder and animal abuse, nongraphic but implicitly condoned adultery, partial nudity, at least one use of profanity and two crude terms. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mr. McAleer is a guest reviewer for Catholic News Service. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.