When viewing Crimson Peak you are transported back into the world of the early 1900 the costumes all worn by the men and women both gothic by color, Victorian in style sporting beautifully made hats and dresses. Sound effects plays an important part delivering on the eerie creaking of old wooden floors. Production team presenting us with a time period so far from our present day while making the props still look new for the time frame is a uniqueness not lost on the viewer. The Lighting for the scene in which the waltz takes place is where we first are presented with the feelings of romance. The films monsters while being a new form of evil or spirits brought to us by the director Guillermo del Toro the movements of the spirits drew a very strong performance connection to the ways the Faun in Pans Labyrinth jerks in motions. Another connection was the ways in which the spirits hands move quite wistfully like the frighteningly disgusting Pale Man. Probably due to Doug Jones who is know for his unique portrayal of beast or scary other worldly beings in del Toros Films. I feel the world del Toro creates to fill the scenery is visually appealing and makes me enjoy his films more. From the Moths , butterflies and ants to Pan’s fairies.
The Movie Crimson Peak boasts a much more robust budget as compared to Del Toros 2006 film Pans Labyrinth (55 million as compared to 19 million). Also in comparison Crimson Peak boast a number of popular star from other notable films for the time period. Leading man Tom Hiddleston know for reprising the role as Loki in Disney’s Marvel Films and Leading woman Mia Wasikowska know for her own Disney role as Alice in Alice and Wonderland. These two are hardly the only stars Crimson Peak offers us which brings the discussion how and why Crimson Peak was not as successful in terms of the way in which the film was received as well as the way it failed to match past success like Pans Labyrinth.
One quote that resonates with me is from Entertainment columnist Chris Nashawaty,” as sumptuous as Crimson Peak looks and as sinister as Hiddleston and Chastain are, you never get transported to the bone-chilling places that a great ghost story should take you.” As you are watching this film you become enamored but the scenery and yet the film does tend to drag and fails to provide the shock fear that comes with most ghost movies. The way in which the ghost are seen moving throughout the hallways is a technique that I have enjoyed from more recently produced ghost projects, The show that comes to mind when describing ghost floating throughout a hall would be A Haunting of Bly Manor. What I did enjoy was the way the film was so much more than just a horror ghost movie the was emotion a unique storyline. What I would mention as the films major downfall would be its lack of actual fear. I was never left with a memory that will be imbedded in my brain out of fright ultimately leading me to judge the film while possibly harshly as forgettable.