Is it worth it to look for hidden philosophical meaning in a mystical thriller? And is it possible to talk about the psychological subtext of events unbelievable from the point of view of a rational person: the appearance of ghosts, mysterious graffiti, bloody cuts? Any of us mockingly dismisses such an assumption: horror films are just spicy seasoning that adds taste to the dish of our everyday life. The director of “Gothic” Mathieu Kassowitz decided to challenge this opinion, but as far as he succeeded – the audience and critics still argue.
The atmosphere of the film
The main thing in “Gothic” is not a detective component, although the classic killer maniac, hiding under the guise of a psychiatrist, makes us remember the outstanding psychotherapist, esteemed Dr. Hannibal Lector. But the terrible “god” and the owner of a correctional institution for mentally ill criminals, Dr. Douglas Gray, appears in the frame for a while – only to die under the blows of an ax.
The mysterious dark atmosphere of the film has a very real explanation, there is no place for joy and hope in the insane asylum for criminals. Torrential rains, dark colors, uniforms of medical personnel, sore eyes of patients everything fits together in one picture, like pieces of a puzzle. The desperate look of the unfortunate girl Kloia, who prays for help, but meets only with a blank wall of misunderstanding, will be terribly avenged: her attending physician, Miranda, will soon turn into the same outcast seeking confidence and sympathy.
Doctor and patient
The relationship between the doctor and the patient often became the subject of the most serious medical research. And in a field such as psychiatry, concerning the most hidden depths of human souls, this question takes on a special meaning. A doctor who imagines himself to be a god torments, kills, subjugates women, turning them into toys for himself and his childhood friend who is the sheriff. He is completely confident in his impunity, he is a pillar of society, an object of imitation.
His wife, Miranda, with her rational approach to patient problems, is on the verge of professional failure. Trying to explain mental illnesses with physiological processes, she talks with memorized quotes from textbooks, not understanding those whose souls she is trying to treat, not trusting them. A certified psychiatrist, lives side by side with a maniac, a murderer, and does not sense this. She blindly adores looking into his eyes until the moment she reveals the terrible truth to her – paradoxically, through the mouth of a ghost.
Faith and trust
The question of trust is the main psychological meaning of the film “Gothic”. It is set by all the heroes, the viewer sets it, looking at the screen. “How can you trust a person who thinks you’re crazy?” Asks Claudia of Miranda, and the same question will soon echo in the conversation between Miranda and her friend, Dr. Graham. To help a person, one must be able to understand him. To understand it, one must show empathy and empathy. No quotes from the greatest luminaries can replace simple human trust.