Last month we were faced with the new feature film to have been crafted by director, Guillermo Del Toro, Gothic romance, Crimson Peak. Previously renowned for his work directing films such as Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim, Del Toro has this time collaborated with the likes of Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain to create something fairly especial, but which has received a consequently mixed reception.
Crimson Peak follows the story of aspiring American novelist, Edith (Mia Wasikowska), who upon meeting the charming Sir Thomas Sharpe, soon weds the gentleman and moves to England to live with him and his sister, Lady Lucille. From the onset this film casts a strong sense of foreboding, where crime, horror and romance coincide to reflect the focus themes typically found in Gothic novels. These three pivotal characters ultimately share a dark back story, whether it be the enigmatic nature of the siblings' history or Edith's ability to see and communicate with the dead. Evidently it's a film that strikes a chord in all those with a inquisitive nature, for which our curiosity can be channelled through the naive Edith.
One of the main reasons why Crimson Peak was seen as such a disappointment to many viewers was the way in which the film was sold as a horror. The trailer implements jump scares, chilling voice-overs and mysterious, incidental music which is collectively driven into the viewer to make them tense and fearful. So surely, with these many devices in mind, you can easily infer this is a gothic-take on a horror film? You'd be wrong. Yes, there are moments where Del Toro has used violence to make the audience uncomfortable, and yes, he has constructed the story using the harrowing cries of spirits wailing in the corridors; but to be fair, without the ghosts, the story would be no different. What I'm trying to say is that there is no reliance on the ghosts to drive the story forward; this is a story where ghosts are found but it is the reality of crime and murder which is the focus, not the ghosts. Rather this is a form of psychological horror, shown through the development of Lady Lucille and her younger brother Thomas Sharpe. Other than the overhanging threats of murder and repetition of the colour red, the film's notion of horror ends just about there.
Despite being the main character, Edith comes across as one sided, lacking the character development we would expect from any given novel/film's protagonist. At the start, she is presented as strong-willed, independent and in full belief of the existence of ghosts. Push forward to the end of the film and she is much the same, back where she started, albeit with a stronger sense of the spirit world.
However it is not all false intentions and development faults. The cinematography and attention to detail is something to be deeply appraised. Mise-en-scene plays a profound part in any given Gothic Romance, not only in bringing scenes to life with historical vibrancy but to also capture the conflicting serenity and bleak, disquieting nature of a location. Crimson Peak, with its torn roof, seeping floorboards and grand architectural design gives it the reading of a place with memory. Essential in the eyes of Del Toro, this gives the location personality, making it a critical character in this tale. It is also the use of costume and setting which helps to create the right atmosphere. At the beginning, the use of high key lighting, affluent décor and striking costumes, makes the mood comfortable and warming. This is then contrasted with the dismal low key lighting (implemented when the characters arrive in England) and the Sharpe's subversive deep-toned clothing which makes the mood take a darker, more ominous twist.
I've already mentioned how Edith's character appears one sided, but this is not to say she isn't an intriguing one. From very early on, Edith is none too shocked by the existence of ghosts, and through this fascination she easily emulates the curiosity experienced by Catherine Morland in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Catherine yearns for something exciting to happen, and this materialises in her 'Gothic fantasies'. Similarly, Edith shows this need to escape from mundane social decorums. This subscription to the conventions of the Gothic novel (where often the female protagonist is drawn to the darkness, in order to escape the constraints of society) is an attractive concept and helps provides Edith with a far more distinctive personality, thus sustaining interest for the viewer.
By far the greatest attraction of this film is the two characters, Sir Thomas Sharpe and Lady Lucille. The founding reason this film remains so popular is because of how these two are presented. From the start, both characters are elusive and mysterious, most of all Lady Lucille whose behaviour makes us wary of what she is capable of. Fundamentally we get the sense she is hiding something. As for Thomas Sharpe, he immediately embodies the winsome gentleman found in most period, romance films- soon to become the love interest of the lead female. Yet 30 minutes in and this beguiling character is more affected than what we immediately perceive him to be. Here we have two characters who are much more fractured than their reputation supersedes.
Crimson Peak, despite such flaws cannot be ignored for it's deliverance of a classic Gothic Romance. Sexual intrigue, intense relationships, violence and corrupted actions are all elements that characterise the Gothic genre and this is exactly what Del Toro has brought to the table. The Gothic genre is all about examining the human condition: what is means to be human, how we function etc. Critically however, a Gothic novel/film should provide powerful messages that make us question the actions of a character, usually scripted through pathos and dramatic irony. It isn't until the end of the film that we come to realise Thomas Sharpe was heavily influenced by his sister, following her direction because that was all he had left to learn from. His incestual relationship with his sister is almost a metaphor for his helplessness and reliance on her. Note that Thomas never killed anyone, rather it was Lucille. When Thomas meets Edith and begins to see love as something new, different and more sensual than the love he has for his sister, he begins to realise the love one has for their relatives is different to that of another i.e. Edith. It seems to me that Thomas is really the innocent character in this, caught up in his sister's views. Her reliance on him is draining and we see that theirs is a fragile relationship which although detestable, reaches out to us in the way we reach out to the monster in Frankenstein. Del Toro captures the detestable and makes it anew in a form that even in a modern society, can shock us, and that is mightily brilliant.
