[.ca] Gothic (ISBN 6305751706)

From Amazon.com:
Lurid, kitschy, over the top--what more does one expect from Ken Russell, director of The Devils, Tommy, and Altered States? Gothic purports to tell the story of a night that Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and the future Mary Shelley spent at a country estate and decided to write ghost stories--a night that ultimately resulted in Mary writing the novel Frankenstein. These three and a couple of friends romp around the mansion, freaking out at shadows and the sounds of a storm, getting increasingly hysterical and hallucinatory as the night progresses. Thrown into the mix are a mechanical belly dancer, nudity, walking suits of armor, an orgy, séances, grotesque masks, leeches, a pig's head, stigmata, snakes, and God-awful dialogue like "We are the gods now--we have dared to call ourselves creators!" Gabriel Byrne (Byron), Julian Sands (Shelley), and Natasha Richardson (Mary) are all terrible; it's a miracle any of their careers survived. But good or bad isn't really the point with Ken Russell, who aspires to a kind of visual delirium. Gothic isn't the masterpiece of excess that The Lair of the White Worm is, but towards the last half-hour it does achieve a creepy state of disorientation entirely suited to its subject matter. Russell isn't afraid to be trashy in the pursuit of unfettered cinematic symbolism. It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. --Bret Fetzer

The Romantics Unbound:
I haven't seen any of Ken Russell's other works, but this one is the only one I need to see. This interesting thing about this movie is how similar all of the characters look to their real-life counterparts, or at least their portraits, with the sole exception being Shelley. Even without the fictional aspects being mixed in, the historical accounts of Percy and Mary, Claire, Polidori, and Byron are quite fascinating as well as entertaining in the movies, as evidenced by Haunted Summer. But it was Coleridge who once coined the term "suspension of disbelief", and taking a compelling real-life account of how Mary Shelley came to write Frankenstein and mixing in generous elements of the fictitious in order to turn reality into a horror story can be fun indeed, especially when the story is capable of allowing you to suspend your disbelief. And that's what this story does so wonderfully. I remember loaning a copy of this movie to a friend many years ago, and then several days later she called me to express her disbelief that Polidori had drank a beeker filled with water and leeches. But that's part of the lure of this film. Fans of the account concerning the origins of the story Frankenstein might, if their imagination allows, truly enjoy this work of art.

Ken Russell's Highly Underappreciated Masterpiece:
I can honestly say that I've never really been a fan of Russell's films, for some reason, the incoherent strangeness of his works never appealed to me; however, in Gothic, this combination of surreal weirdness works perfectly. The movie is basically about one night that poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Godwin (author of Frankenstein), along with Claire Clairmont, spend together with poet Lord Byron and his doctor John Polidori. In the course of the evening they decide to "raise the dead" and this idea haunts Mary, inspiring her to write her famous story about creation and the destruction of one's creation (it also inspired Polidori to write the excellent short novel "The Vampyre.") So, there is a cerebral element to this film which will probably not appeal to the average moviegoer. I have the suspicion that this movie probably is well-loved by most intelligent Goths and well-read people with a love of Gothic literature to begin with, so if you're expecting the usual blood and gore of traditional horror films, please move on. This movie is haunting because it deals more with the psychological demons of the mind, and this is portrayed by the various images that haunt the characters of the films, as their fears "come to life." I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves Gothic literature, or just English literature to begin with, as well as anyone with elegant tastes who is tired of the cheap horror movies that abound these days. In sum, I will add that Ken Russell's Gothic is highly unappreciated, and in my opinion, deserved accolades.

Ken Russell's Highly Underappreciated Masterpiece:
I can honestly say that I've never really been a fan of Russell's films, for some reason, the incoherent strangeness of his works never appealed to me; however, in Gothic, this combination of surreal weirdness works perfectly. The movie is basically about one night that poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Godwin (author of Frankenstein), along with Claire Clairmont, spend together with poet Lord Byron and his doctor John Polidori. In the course of the evening they decide to "raise the dead" and this idea haunts Mary, inspiring her to write her famous story about creation and the destruction of one's creation (it also inspired Polidori to write the excellent short novel "The Vampyre.") So, there is a cerebral element to this film which will probably not appeal to the average moviegoer. I have the suspicion that this movie probably is well-loved by most intelligent Goths and well-read people with a love of Gothic literature to begin with, so if you're expecting the usual blood and gore of traditional horror films, please move on. This movie is haunting because it deals more with the psychological demons of the mind, and this is portrayed by the various images that haunt the characters of the films, as their fears "come to life." I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves Gothic literature, or just English literature to begin with, as well as anyone with elegant tastes who is tired of the cheap horror movies that abound these days. In sum, I will add that Ken Russell's Gothic is highly unappreciated, and in my opinion, deserved accolades.

Ecxellent movie:
Not a gore fest movie. It is supensefull and thoughtfull. It's a wild drug trip with the characters all strung out on laudanum. Surreal imagery mixed with drugged out viewing from the character's perspective.

A Master Piece:
Gothic is one of Ken Russell's best films. Of course his work isn't for everyone, and I know some people just hate his movies, and complain about their content and self indulgence. But for me, these are some of his strong points, being prepared to experiment with his subject matter, and produce his own unique vision. Gothic tells of a meeting, in Switzerland, between: Byron (Gabriel Byrne), Shelly, Mary Shelly (Natasha Richardson), and two lesser known figures: Clair Clairmont and Dr Polidori. The beginning and end of the film both look like period piece dramas. What comes in between is Ken Russell's unique vision. The characters, during a stormy knight, invent stories and create a monster of their own imaginations. These involve all of Ken Russell's favorite images for film (and hence the self indulgent criticism): Religion, vampirism, sumptuously films sets, a plot that verges on the fantastical, and nudity. Of interest though is the way the narrative deals with death, as there is an interesting sequence where Mary Shelly has visions of the demise of all the principles in the film. Of course it all ties in with the Birth of one of English literature's most memorable books: Frankenstein (by Mary Shelly). Gothic is a Master Piece from Ken Russell, one of his most interesting films that challenges the viewer immensely. Sadly, however, not all will get it.