Guillermo del Toro loves monsters. In all his films there are monsters of various kinds, endowed with varying degrees of monstrosity and humanity. In his previous film, the Oscar-winning “Shape of Water,” the monster was revealed to be a kind of good and benevolent god. Even in “Nightmare Alley” there is a creature on display in front of Carnival Island as a predatory monster, but the viewers in the film know that he is a broken man. Not only that, we get a detailed explanation of how a person becomes a monster, and this description is presented to us at the beginning of the film as a kind of prophecy designed to fulfill itself.
“Nightmare Alley” is based on a book by William Lindsay Gershom that was published in 1946 and a year later received a lukewarm cinematic adaptation. In 1992 Del Toro read the book, which dived into the depths of the human madman, and knew that a much more interesting film could be made out of it. But many years passed before he reached the cinematic maturity and status in the industry that allowed him to pick it up. After the success of “Water Shape” Del Toro achieved a triple budget and spun a spectacular film noir, rich in details and packed with atmosphere, which not only takes place in the 1940s but also feels like it was created then (had it not been for the harsh censorship that prevailed at the time). Like Spielberg’s “The Suburbs Story,” it’s clearly a personal project of a filmmaker who comes from love, and the box office failure of both films raises a sad question about the future of such projects in the future.
Spectacular and invested film noir. Cate Blanchett and Bradley Cooper in “Nightmare Alley” (Photo: PR)
Bradley Cooper is impressive in the role of Stanton Carlisle, who is frequently linked to mysterious images of fire and violence. At the beginning of the film he leaves his past behind, gets off at a train station and follows a dwarf who leads him to a traveling carnival where various strange things are shown – a spider woman, an electrified woman, a monster-man devouring live chickens, a bodybuilder (Ron Perlman) and a mentalist who guesses audience questions ( Tony Colette in too small a role). The silent Carlisle, who stubbornly walks away from the bitter drop, joins the show of the mentalist and her drunken husband (the great David Startern), and when he finally opens his mouth he does not stop talking.
A carnival of oddities. “Nightmare Alley” (Photo: PR)
After learning the secrets of eye-catching, Carlisle himself becomes a successful mentalist. But as is the case with tragic heroes, he is not content with his success and wants more and more. He leaves the popular audience of the carnival and goes out to impress the rich of New York. This is how he meets the psychologist Lilith Rither, who, like him, specializes in the manipulations of human consciousness. The two crooks decide to cooperate, but as Cate Blanchett embodies it, it is clear that the elegant Dr. is somewhat larger than the sewer mouse that rose to prominence. In the current era this is not enough, and at one point the woman with the name of a field, reveals a horrific scar behind which hides a story that will remain hidden from viewers.
Too small a role. Tony Colette in “Nightmare Alley” (Photo: PR)
It’s a strange story about powerful people with dark motives, and Carlisle’s imaginary blindness, in the shows in which he covers his eyes for the purpose of amplifying the impression, turns out to be more symbolic than he realizes. Only the electric maiden Molly (Roni Mara) provides the film with an angelic character, pure emotion and soul. In one scene Carlyle dances with Molly among the wooden horses in the carousel. This magical moment seems like a promise of complete redemption, but the image of the circle can have different implications, and the many circles embedded in the visual texture of the film outline the pre-determined direction of the plot.
Circles, circles are closed everywhere. “Nightmare Alley” (Photo: PR)
While watching I enjoyed lots of layers in this horror parable. I relished the suggestive spaces and the shadowy photography of Dan Laustenen, and the fine performances of the impressive cast members, which also includes Willem Defoe as the owner of the carnival, Richard Jenkins as a mighty industrialist, and Mary Steinbergen as a socialite grieving for her son (she wins In one of the shaky scenes in the film, which is predictable and surprising at the same time).
A weird show or a sweeping story? “Nightmare Alley” (Photo: PR)
However, I must point out that about two weeks earlier I had watched a certain disappointment in a film from 1947, which gained a reputation as an underrated film noir classic. So, part of my experience was devoted to diagnosing the many benefits of the new adaptation, and it’s hard for me to tell if the story is sweeping in itself – all the more so considering its length – or whether it’s a carnivalesque oddity show that might leave viewers amazed but alienated.
★★★★ 4 stars
Nightmare Alley Directed by: Guillermo del Toro. With Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Ronny Mara, Willem Defoe, Ron Pearlman, Tony Colette. USA 2021, 150 min
And here, because you asked nicely, the original film from 1947 in its entirety:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXEkWRti5Qs