One of the strongest directors working today is Guillermo del Torowho has made beloved movies like The Labyrinth of Pana film that collaborates with Devil’s backbone, hellboyand Pacific. All of these movies were much loved by the audience that got to see them, but one of the stories that doesn’t get so much love from the audience is Crimson Peak.
Coming out around the 2015 Halloween season Crimson Peak was initially marketed as a horror movie and capitalized on the fact that it would be scary and extremely gory. While it has quite a few jumpscares and some gory footage, Del Toro’s film is ultimately not so much a horror film as it is a complex drama about love and grief, effectively taking it into more horror-romantic movie territory. This mis-marketing created unreal expectations among the public and ultimately damaged Crimson Peakgeneral reception. Despite this fact, however, del Toro has created an exceptional gothic film that uses its horrifying imagery to interest the audience in Edith’s tragic story. This is why it is one of the director’s most underrated films.
Crimson Peak looks beautiful
while watching Crimson PeakOne of the immediate standout features is the production design. Thomas Sanders, as outlined by ADVERTISEMENT, does an excellent job of creating architecture that fits the time period. There are photos of the mansion’s interior and exterior that are visually stunning. Moreover, the world of the film is buzzing with life. The overall mise-en-scene of the film also seems to have been carefully placed together to create an overall very gruesome experience for the viewer.
There is also the costume design and use of color throughout Crimson Peak. Both are used to add to the story. Rather, it’s Edith’s all-white attire, along with the white snow surrounding it, which makes the red or crimson stand out even more. Or it is used with black clothes that Thomas and Lucile are wearing to make their shadows stand out to effectively give off their very mysterious aura.
Edith is an interesting and complex character
The characterization of Edith (played by Mia Wasikowska) everywhere Crimson Peak is very simple, but also complex. The audience can easily empathize with the loss she feels in the story after her mother’s death. It then gains an additional concept that Edith can see ghosts. This allows her to see and interact with her mother even after she dies, as her mother constantly warns her of the fate that awaits her. Edith is also portrayed as kind, loving and sweet. This is true even after falling in love with Thomas Sharpe, played by Tom Hiddleston, while maintaining her “nice” demeanor. Edith can portray pain and sorrow through her ability to see those who have passed away, which also allows her to be a highly empathetic and almost pure character, making her a great choice as a protagonist.
Thomas’ character development
Thomas Sharpe has quite the character arc in him Crimson Peak. He started meeting Edith and using her for his greater purpose before quickly realizing that he was truly in love with her and wanted to be with her. Then there’s his incestuous relationship with his sister Lucille, played by Jessica Chastain, and how their love for each other drives them both crazy, creating a very toxic relationship that they both share. This relationship turns into the moral lesson Del Toro wants us to understand from his story: that love can drive people crazy, and this is closely embodied by the Sharpes. And yet, thanks to an encounter with Edith as he tries to betray his sister, whom he loved, Thomas changes and dies so willingly to save Edith from his sister’s wrath. This allows us to see him in a very different light as the story progresses.
The relationship of Thomas and Lucile
Incest as a plot point has been used for a handful of popular stories in American literature, film, and TV shows. Shows like Game of Thrones are known for their use of this trope to advance their larger story. likewise, Crimson Peak applications his incestuous plot to gain insight into the twisted relationship between Lucile and Thomas. Their forbidden romance helps set the overall plot and creates this tension between Lucille and Edith over their respective ties to Thomas. Looking at the few moments with Lucile and Thomas, both Chastain and Hiddleston are able to portray their long histories just by their facial expressions. This makes the final act of the film strike even harder for the audience, as there is an innate understanding of their relationship thanks to the foundations laid earlier in the film.