I’ve been a fan of Guillermo del Toro for some time. I
enjoyed MIMIC when some slammed it. I loved his following films like THE
DEVIL’S BACKBONE, BLADE II, HELLBOY, PAN’S LABYRINTH and PACIFIC RIM. So when I
heard he was going to turn his attentions to a ghost story I was primed. How
could he fail? The fact is he couldn’t and didn’t. CRIMSON PEAK is one of the
best ghost/haunted house films ever made and among my top 4 in the category.
In 1887 Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), daughter of wealthy
businessman Carter, is warned by the ghost of her mother to “Beware of Crimson
Peak”. Time passes and in 1901 she finds herself looking for work. At the same
time she meets Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) who has come to seek backers
for his invention, a clay mining device. Along with Thomas is his sister
Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Edith soon falls for Thomas to the disapproval of
both her father and her childhood friend Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam).
So much so that he bribes Thomas to leave his daughter.
But Thomas writes her a letter and the two marry. Before her
father can disinherit her, he is brutally murdered. Grieving Edith accompanies
her husband and sister-in-law to their home in England, Allerdale Hall. The mansion
is falling to pieces, due in large part to the fact it is built on a huge
deposit of red clay.
As time passes Edith begins to see apparitions of various
ghosts in the Hall. Lucille is cold to her and not the least bit welcoming. And
Thomas has yet to consummate their marriage, too preoccupied with his
invention. That changes on a night when they are snowed in and afterward
Lucille flies into a rage. Edith begins to become ill shortly thereafter and as
the snow falls she notices the entire location of the Hall has turned red
outside. Thomas tells her that this is why some call the location "Crimson
Peak", the red clay permeating the ground as it rises up and colors the
snow red.
The ghosts continue to plague Edith and more mysterious
circumstances take place. Fearing for her safety Dr. McMichael has arrived in
England to come to her aid. But will he arrive in time to save her from the
various dangers the apparitions have warned her of? And just what is actually
taking place in Allerdale Hall?
The movie combines the best of ghost stories and haunted
house tales to make a completely affecting film. Those involve not just the
scary apparitions that appear to Edith but the entire make up of Allerdale
Hall. Del Toro has given life not just to the participants of the story but to
the entire location as well. The dilapidated state of the Hall, the crimson
snow, the shadow filled hallways and twisting passages all work together to
create and effective atmosphere that primes the viewer for what is taking place
there.
But the ghosts themselves are splendid as well. Once more
del Toro uses actor Doug Jones to the best of his abilities to bring these
manifestations of the undead to life. The combination of make-up and acting by
Jones makes each of these creations believable and terribly frightening. When
mixed with the location itself the movie provides the most effective ghost tale
done in years.
The entire cast deserves major credit for their performances
here. Del Toro has brought out the best of each of them. Not one can be singled
out among the rest. Each and every one of them does an amazing job. That they
can come from the previous items they are known for and not once do you feel
those past incarnations is a testament to their skills.
But the movie came out in 2015 and the blu-ray has already
been on the market since that time. So what reason would anyone have to buy a
new copy of this? Well the obvious answer is that it’s getting the Arrow Video
treatment. If you don’t know Arrow Video by now you’re not aware of one of the
best disc companies out there. Their releases provide the best version of any
film they’ve released with plenty of extras on hand for those who enjoys them
as well.
Their version presents the film in hi-def blu-ray format.
But it is the overabundance of extras that make this one special. Rarely do
companies provide this much background on a release. The extras here include an
audio commentary by co-writer/director del Toro, “The House is Alive:
Constructing Crimson Peak” a feature length documentary on the making of the
film, a previously unseen Spanish language interview with del Toro, “The Gothic
Corridor, The Scullery, The Red Clay Mines, The Limbo Fog Set” four featurettes
on the different aspects of Allerdale Hall, “A Primer on Gothic Romance” where
the director talks about the specifics of Gothic romance, “The Light and Dark
of Crimson Peak” in which the cast and crew discuss the use of color in the
film, “Hand Tailored Gothic” a featurette on the costumes in the film. But
we’re just getting started. There is also “A Living Thing” a look at the
design, modelling and construction of the Allerdale Hall sets, “Beware of
Crimson Peak” a walking tour of Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston, a look at
CRIMSON PEAK and the tradition of Gothic romance by author and critic Kim
Newman, “Violence and Beauty in Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films” a
video essay by writer Kat Ellinger, deleted scenes, original trailers and TV
spots, a double sided fold-out poster, four double-sided postcard sized lobby
card reproductions, limited edition packaging with newly designed artwork by
Guy Davis and a limited edition 80 page hard bound book featuring writing by
David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an archival interview with del Toro and
original concept design illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni.
It’s almost as if watching this entire offering from Arrow will turn into less
a movie viewing and more a binge watching weekend.
I can tell you now if you hadn’t already realized that I
loved this movie. I watched it again about 2 months ago but when this version
arrived I didn’t feel obligated to watch it again I wanted to watch it again.
And it was well worth it. And there is no doubt in my mind that I will revisit
it again and again. If you’ve not seen it then by all means make a point of
doing so. And if you’ve seen it in the past and loved it then make a point of
picking up this version of it, if not for the extras then for the film itself.
Why? Because Arrow Video has done it right and done it well. That alone should
be a reason in itself.
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