Our Score: 7.5/10
Not yet rated
Visitors:
301
Summary:
Not scary but excels in every other way |
First tip off of a good movie is the foreshadowing
right in the
beginning. "Help me daddy", and he turns to see they're
only playing,
but he reacts as if something is wrong, like a good parent...
that fear
hinted at sets the tone for the rest of the film.
Then we move with John Russell (George C Scott from Dr. Strangelove,
The Exorcist III, and refused the Oscar for Patton) into a gorgeous
house maintained by the historical society, equipped with it's
own mini
grand, what more could a composer want? The slow panning through
the
halls makes us reflect on the loss this man has endured already
in the
film, as he begins to write a new chapter.
But this house has a secret and it will not rest. Something
happened in
this house in 1909 and though others have attempted to live
in the
house, it has remained empty since 1967, until now.
Russel takes a job as a professor at the nearby university,
hoping that
getting back into teaching will help him get over a slight musical
block he has been confronted with since the death of his wife
and
child.
The film is rich with atmosphere, rosewood, classical depth,
and slow
pans, always looking askance, and a soundtrack that is hauntingly
beautiful.
The Changeling is a cinematic masterpiece, and the only other
horror I
know with as beautiful a soundtrack would be A Tale of Two Sisters,
and
The Ring JAP and USD, perhaps.
I love when he's banging on the lock around the hidden door
in the
house, and the house starts banging back louder until he breaks
the
lock off. The banging of a boy, Joseph Carmichael who drowned
by his
father's own hand while bathing upstairs in his room.
I did not find the move particularly scary, but a fascinating
and well
made period piece ghost story from the late 70s. The kind of
house I
would love to explore as a child. The story has depth, pacing,
music,
acting, dialog, everything lacking in horror movies these days,
and in
the last 10 years or more.
The scene with the red and white rubber ball rolling down the
staircase, which Russell then tosses off a bridge, bounces down
the
steps again to the haunting symphony soundtrack compelling,
made me
exclaim; "THE BOUNCY BALL THAT WOULD NOT DIE!!!",
which cracked
everyone up, sorry couldn't help it.
"It is a child's presence, who is not at peace, and cannot
rest."
Movies like this don't use different dialog, but they use it
perfectly,
articulated poignantly, poetically, and never contrived or conflicted.
Horror movies nowadays never get the simple dialog across well.
I miss
those days.
The medium in the movie was really good too. That scene was
nicely
done, not scary but well done. Not over the top, another thing
movies
tend to have a problem avoiding.
Another interesting thing I noticed about the house is there
are no
mirrors. But frames line the halls and walls, of various sizes,
which
are embroidered over and now hold light fixtures.
The movie is a little long, but well rounded, with a fairly
cool finale
with a fiery spiral staircase to Hell! And I love the music
box, as it
opens and begins to play to the credits scrolling slowly up
the
screen... perfect.
