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The Shape of Water is the third film directed by Guillermo del Toro I have been privileged to experience. My first was Pan's Labyrinth followed by The Devil’s Backbone.
The Shape of Water is a 2017 romantic fantasy film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows a mute custodian at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature, and decides to help him escape from death at the hands of an evil colonel.
Elisa Esposito is a mute woman who works as a cleaning lady at a high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. One day, she encounters a mysterious, scaled creature from South America that has been captured by the government. Elisa develops a unique bond with the creature, despite his physical differences from humans. She learns that he is being held captive and scheduled for dissection, and she decides to help him escape.
Elisa enlists the help of her friend Zelda Fuller, a fellow cleaning lady, and her neighbor's friend, Giles, a closeted gay artist. Together, they devise a plan to free the creature and take him to a safe place where he can live in peace. Elisa lives above a movie theater and their are numerous movie references. The theater is The Orpheus. The color green in numerous variations permeates everything.
Meanwhile, Colonel Richard Strickland, a cruel and ambitious government agent, is determined to capture the creature and exploit its unique abilities for his own purposes. He orders Elisa to be transferred to another department, but she refuses to leave the creature alone. Russian agents are after the creature also.
On the night of the creature's escape, Elisa and Zelda break into the laboratory and rescue him. They take him to Giles' apartment, where he is able to recuperate and learn about human culture. Elisa and the creature develop a deep and passionate relationship, despite the challenges they face due to their different backgrounds and species.
Strickland discovers that the creature is missing and orders a manhunt for Elisa and her accomplices. He captures Elisa and threatens to kill her unless she tells him where the creature is hiding. Elisa refuses to betray her friend, and Strickland is forced to release her.
The film explores the themes of otherness and belonging. Elisa is an outsider in her own world, both because of her muteness and her outsider status. The creature is also an outsider, a being from another world who is captured and held captive by humans. The film suggests that true connection and love can transcend these differences. Zelda is an African American woman in a very racist environment. People assume Elisa is mute because she is stupid.
At the heart of the film is a story of love and acceptance. Elisa's love for the creature is unconditional, despite his physical differences from humans. The film suggests that love can be found in the most unexpected places, and that it can bring people together despite their differences. The real passion between Elisa and the creature is in stark contrast to the sex between the colonel and his wife.
The film also celebrates resilience and the power of the human spirit. Elisa and her friends face numerous challenges throughout the film, but they never give up hope and they always find a way to overcome their obstacles. The film suggests that even in the face of adversity, we can find strength and courage to pursue our
The Shape of Water was widely praised by critics, who lauded its acting, screenplay, direction, visuals, production design, cinematography, and musical score. The American Film Institute selected it as one of the top ten films of 2017. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for del Toro. It was also nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and seven BAFTA Awards.
I totally enjoyed The Shape of Water. Sally Hawkins is marvelous.
The film is rated R
Mel u
1 comment:
Oh, Mel, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it. You've described all the reasons that I loved it, too, just perfectly. What it says about courage, and about finding strength from within, is something for everyone, but the love story is remarkable. I have yet to watch his Pinocchio (I heard it was very sad) but I'm curious about it.
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