First Post: Crimson Peak
A woman trapped in the decaying home consumed by secrets, Mia Wasikowski stars as Guillermo Del Toro's heroine Edith Cushing, aspiring novelist and daughter of wealthy businessman, in his 2015 feature film 'Crimson Peak' from Legendary and Universal Studios. Set in 1901, a tragedy decides the fate of Edith causing her to marry Thomas Sharpe, a British baronet, and arrives at the Sharpe home, Allerdale Hall in Cumbria. With a Hollywood cast of Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowski, Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam, enchanting visuals and a twisted narrative, Del Toro brings his gothic romance to life.
Having written it originally 2006, produced and directed it, Guillermo Del Toro had full control of the production, creating his own hybrid of his world cinema ideas of 'Pan's Labyrinth' and his more Hollywood films like 'Hellboy' and taking inspirations from his own personal favorites such as his love for classic Universal horror films, Mary Shelley and Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre', at one moment the mysterious British Thomas Sharpe quoting Mr Rochester's 'I feel as if a link exists between your heart and mine' in his own way. These inspirations of darkness are constantly used throughout, creating Allerdale Hall and its current occupants, the ghosts which plague the mind of Edith.
The film begins with the aftermath of everything, a bloody Edith in tears surrounded by white as the camera pans onto her to show her reaction whilst her opening monologue -'ghosts are real, that much I know' - overlays, creating impact to the audience then fading into her mother's funeral. The funeral is shown before Edith says 'it was my mother's', this delay of audio with the video makes us question the structure of the film, and I personally love that it starts with the end because it makes you curious to carry on to find out why she's in this state and who's died. This visual links Edith's tragic past with her ending outcome, the slowness of the transitions linking to the somberness of the story. Also, the minimal use of sound, like her breath, a clock ticking and the turning of Sharpe's machine in the distance, creates a suspenseful atmosphere, making you focus on everything that's occurring yet shows Edith at a sense of peaceful relief.
The use of colouring is very significant in Guillermo Del Toro's films, a watermark of his which creates an aesthetic, such as in his most recent film 'The Shape Of Water' where tones of blues and greens are used to link the watery theme. In this film, the most prominent is the use of red, displayed only in moments of horror and violence, a visual warning and foreshadowing. For example, when Lady Lucille Sharpe, Thomas Sharpe's sister, is first introduced in her stunning Victorian dress during the Dance scene. Del Toro also uses shades of light, dark and shadows to cleverly manipulate this film. During that first scene, a young Edith (Sofia Wells) , is alone in the darkness of her room, the only lighting coming from dim lanterns on the wall and the reflections of the moonlight from an above window in the hallway, and the camera pans from a distance of this hallway where a shadow is seen drifting towards her, the reflection of the moonlight revealing bony figures. When it next cuts to a close up shot of her face, the rest of the set in darkness, it creates more of an impact when a ghostly black hand grips her shoulder because the presence of the ghost was uncertain. The ghost of Edith's mother blended into the set and lighting, making the anticipation more thrilling to watch and the dramatic soundtrack once again playing, reflecting the character's current mind. This cleverness in Del Toro's film is consistent throughout, using his set to hide the secrets and using symbols to foreshadow moments, for example Del Toro made sure the word 'fear' was made written on every wall throughout Allerdale Hall, therefore fear being everywhere.
The creation of the ghosts in Crimson Peak are extremely impressive. Instead of using CGI to completely create the monsters, a common use in modern films, Del Toro uses prosthetics and make up to bring to life his creatures, only using CGI for effects such as wisps and dispersion, such as when one of the ghosts crawls across the floor towards Edith. The way each of the ghosts have died is also expressed clearly throughout; Edith's mother black and skull-like since she died of the illness Black Cholera, the ghosts of Allerdale Hall red with violence and twisted in different forms. Through Del Toro's story telling, he expresses his idea that the considered monsters are not the villains of the piece at all and takes a psychological look into the characters of his creation. His character of Lucille Sharpe is personally my favourite character, the complexity and honestly her scariness is what brings the film together for me. Her passion for what she believes is so strong that it becomes frightening and the way Jessica Chastain portrays the ferociousness in a chilling to a psychotic way through her tonality and facial expressions really adds onto Guillermo Del Toro's visual beauty.
The use of colouring is very significant in Guillermo Del Toro's films, a watermark of his which creates an aesthetic, such as in his most recent film 'The Shape Of Water' where tones of blues and greens are used to link the watery theme. In this film, the most prominent is the use of red, displayed only in moments of horror and violence, a visual warning and foreshadowing. For example, when Lady Lucille Sharpe, Thomas Sharpe's sister, is first introduced in her stunning Victorian dress during the Dance scene. Del Toro also uses shades of light, dark and shadows to cleverly manipulate this film. During that first scene, a young Edith (Sofia Wells) , is alone in the darkness of her room, the only lighting coming from dim lanterns on the wall and the reflections of the moonlight from an above window in the hallway, and the camera pans from a distance of this hallway where a shadow is seen drifting towards her, the reflection of the moonlight revealing bony figures. When it next cuts to a close up shot of her face, the rest of the set in darkness, it creates more of an impact when a ghostly black hand grips her shoulder because the presence of the ghost was uncertain. The ghost of Edith's mother blended into the set and lighting, making the anticipation more thrilling to watch and the dramatic soundtrack once again playing, reflecting the character's current mind. This cleverness in Del Toro's film is consistent throughout, using his set to hide the secrets and using symbols to foreshadow moments, for example Del Toro made sure the word 'fear' was made written on every wall throughout Allerdale Hall, therefore fear being everywhere.
The creation of the ghosts in Crimson Peak are extremely impressive. Instead of using CGI to completely create the monsters, a common use in modern films, Del Toro uses prosthetics and make up to bring to life his creatures, only using CGI for effects such as wisps and dispersion, such as when one of the ghosts crawls across the floor towards Edith. The way each of the ghosts have died is also expressed clearly throughout; Edith's mother black and skull-like since she died of the illness Black Cholera, the ghosts of Allerdale Hall red with violence and twisted in different forms. Through Del Toro's story telling, he expresses his idea that the considered monsters are not the villains of the piece at all and takes a psychological look into the characters of his creation. His character of Lucille Sharpe is personally my favourite character, the complexity and honestly her scariness is what brings the film together for me. Her passion for what she believes is so strong that it becomes frightening and the way Jessica Chastain portrays the ferociousness in a chilling to a psychotic way through her tonality and facial expressions really adds onto Guillermo Del Toro's visual beauty.
This film deemed much praise from film critics, however after spending $55 million and only receiving $74 million at the box office, it was said to be a disappointing reaction. But to me, Crimson Peak is a visually captivating film that highlights that main qualities of a gothic romance, a genre not often explored in film, yet one of my favourites. The set design is stunning, the Allerdale Hall set was actually entirely built for the film, with the landscape shots and the colouring to enhance the features of it. The costumes combined with the set makes the whole film more enticing, I especially love Edith's nightgown, the authentic costumery of it symbolises Edith's character by the end of the film, in the way that she's trapped and what was once pure has been abused by darkness. The film as a whole is beautiful to watch and appreciate.
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