Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Magic, The Wicker Man, and American Gothic.
In honor of autumn fast approaching, these moody movies steeped in madness, torture, and murder. Dark, offbeat films that play for keeps, each features an absence of the supernatural, minimal special effects, and an absence of the villain as hero. Common to all four stories is the need for meaning, and human connection, the fear of time, and of being alone.
Also, dolls. Grand Guignol—that
French Gothic theater and arch, ominous style--means “big puppets,” and each of
these films deals with puppets in weird ways worth checking.
In Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
(1962), Bette Davis and Joan Crawford play sisters living in a rotting LA
mansion. The Davis character, a former child star called Baby Jane Hudson, was
herself a sort of puppet. And used a doll in her routine. But that was many
years ago, and now her routine consists of taking care of the wheelchair-bound
sister she resents.
As Corkey in Magic (1978), Anthony
Hopkins plays a bottled-up character destined to pop. Like Baby Jane with her
doll, Corkey’s ventriloquist dummy Fats resembles him, and serves effectively as
his manikin. The doll-self, ageless and frozen in a fixed role, accentuates the
predicament of the puppeteer.
From Heart of Darkness to Deliverance, the further away from civilization the greater the predicament,
as well. The same holds true for The Wicker Man (1973) and American Gothic
(1988). In the dark roots found at the extremities, traditions of violent
sacrifice await, and a curious mix of “You shouldn’t be here” combines with “Stay
with us forever.”
In all four movies the element of
hanging onto something longer than should be held is crucial. The policeman
played by Edward Woodward in The Wicker Man—itself a giant sort of doll—finds
the people of Summer Isle hanging onto some mighty strange old ways. The
yuppies in American Gothic similarly uncover an antiquated family when they
find themselves stranded on a Pacific Northwest island.
Absence of villain as hero. What
generally drags horror movies down is the mistaken idea that slashing equals
horror. It is a rite of passage to laugh and eat treats while watching movie
murders, the grislier the better. That’s why most of those movies are boring.
What makes these four films work is the uncommon focus on story. That allows
for interesting characters, which in turn fuels some legendary performances.
Davis and Hopkins both give some of
the best performances ever seen on film. Perhaps only Peter Lorre in M has
the breakdown moment to rival scenes in Baby Jane and Magic. For
Christopher Lee, the name most associated with film horror of any in these
selections, Wicker Man is arguably the best role of his career—and he did the
movie entirely for free.
That’s how good.
Rod Steiger playing Pa in American
Gothic is a solid choice. He brings a ton of character to Pa when he lets one
eyelid droop a little while speaking. Like he just got whacked in the head with
a pan. But Yvonne De Carlo as Ma. Sephora from The Ten Commandments meets
Mrs. Munster. Now that’s inspired casting.
Stewart Kirby writes for
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