The movie Guillermo del Toro called “absolutely perfect”
They often say that many artists only ever have one or two ideas. A musician might have a couple of songs if they’re lucky, a writer might have one golden premise, a filmmaker might muse on one magic message, the rest are just variations on the theme. That idea doesn’t seem to apply to Guillermo del Toro—pinning him down is as difficult as trying to keep up with his prolific thoughts for new films.
What he’s chasing more so than a concept, construct or comment, is a creative perfection, and that can take many forms. He’s been moved by this lofty goal since his youth, when he saw the classic, Bride of Frankenstein. The 1935 movie had a marked impact not just on the movies he would create in time, but the way he saw art in general.
Speaking on its profound impact while celebrating it as one of his all-time favourites, the Mexican filmmaker declared: “Bride of Frankenstein is absolutely perfect. It has the innocence and beauty of a fairy tale, but has the darkness of a gothic horror tale.” That is something that was certainly apparent in his own fable, Pan’s Labyrinth.
“The combination is irresistible,” he told Rotten Tomatoes. Indeed, it proves captivating in this seminal work, directed by James Whale. The movie sees Dr Frankenstein move away from his evil experiments in a sudden moral amendment. However, this fails to transform his fortunes for the better when a rival, Dr Pretorius, kidnaps his wife. In order to free her, Dr Frankenstein musters up a new beast.
The plot served as a satire, questioning the attitudes of the era towards sexuality, made all the more poignant by Whale’s own private life. Christian imagery that runs throughout also illuminates the church’s role in shaping prejudicial sexual discourse. Thus, the movie not only expertly blends dark comedy with even darker horror, but does so with a gripping story that has plenty to say about the world in which it was made.
Interesting, del Toro is not alone in hailing the movie as perfect; Mike Mignola, the creator of the Hellboy comics that del Toro would later go on to direct, also hailed it as a masterpiece. When this was put to the director, he agreed, “we are alike in some aspects”. The culture that they like clearly being one of them.
As the film’s famed line states: “It’s a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters.”
