“Crimson Peak” is a movie directed by Guillermo del Toro starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston.
Guillermo del Toro is one of those directors who, in a world where everything seems to be mass-produced, has managed to forge his own signature style and aesthetic, captivated a loyal audience. Once again, he is not going to disappoint with “Crimson Peak” that not only features fantastic actors but is also an aesthetically first-rate piece of work.
“Crimson Peak” is one of those films that place Guillermo del Toro somewhat close to Tim Burton’s universe, very close to Coppola’s “Dracula” (1992), but still holding its unique touch of a universe filled with strange creatures, wonderful photography, and exceptional cinematography.
“Crimson Peak” is a feast for the eyes, where you can savor the elegance and effort in every shot. It’s a gothic tale situated in the nineteenth-century classicism of ghost stories and, instead of a Henry James style, Guillermo del Toro elevates the story to an aesthetic plane where we cannot help but enjoy every single shot.
Plot
Edith, the daughter of a wealthy New York man, has been receiving visits from the specter of her mother, who died when she was a child, since her tender childhood. When she meets Thomas Sharpe, an English nobleman who came to New York for business without much success, she falls head over heels in love.
When her father uncovers the truth about Thomas and his sister Lucille, he is mysteriously killed. The young couple gets married and moves to live in England, in the grand, mysterious and frightening family mansion.
About the movie
There are no surprises regarding the script, and Guillermo del Toro does not want to turn this film into a mystery thriller: everything is revealed almost at the beginning, and the intrigue happens more on an aesthetic and psychological level than a narrative one. The movie’s overarching plots are set up within twenty minutes; the rest… is a treat for the eyes.
“Crimson Peak” is a work that, while not original, is delicious in each of its frames. It doesn’t reinvent cinema, and every frame seems like a tribute to silent movies but with all the quality that modern CGI allows.
Most Noteworthy: The Photographic Aspect
While the film is filled with effects, it is a delight in terms of photography and setting. “Crimson Peak” features powerful high-contrast photography, where tones are seen sharply, and nothing seems real because of the vibrancy of the colors and the contrast and quality of its photography.
It’s always a delight to watch this type of classic cinema, where every framing seems like a classic painting, and is loaded with multiple meanings, where all the setting is carefully taken care of and everything, as a whole, works to offer the viewer a superior aesthetic experience.
The actors: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston
Mia Wasikowska and Tom Hiddleston are two good actors, but everything pales in comparison to the great actress of the movie, which, you guessed it, is none other than Jessica Chastain. She plays the wicked character and proves herself once again as a great actress that no one is going to discover at this point. She shows a wonderful level of acting in a movie that, on the other hand, is not created for the actors, as the aesthetic content shines far above the ensemble’s acting level.
Our opinion
Give it a look and pay close attention. It’s another one of those aesthetic delights that allows us to admire cinema as a visual art and does not aim for anything else but to give us a purely beautiful work, albeit in a horror movie.
