--Laurie Strode, Halloween
Halloween is a glorious return to the heart of the series of the same name without a return to the unfortunate 70s cheesiness that pervaded so much of the original. The new Halloween has gravity, urgency, and consistency. This is how you continue a classic franchise while preserving the norms and themes therein. The movie belongs to Laurie and Michael, and both characters deliver exactly what they need to in order to give the script the treatment it deserves--Laurie is driven by a desperate desire to kill Michael, and Michael has an almost supernatural presence (the opening sequence where a journalist takes out his mask in front of him epitomizes this). It is by far one of the best recent horror movies, with the score, acting, plot, and series significance all being executed successfully.
 |
|
Production Values
I initially worried that the brand of generic, overdone comedy that is so popular in cinema at this time might make an appearance and corrupt the horror atmosphere. Thankfully, unlike with the disappointing The Predator, it never did. Yes, there is definitely humor in some scenes, but it is always contained to very limited portions of the film. It never tries to usurp the tone. In other words, this is far from the style of many MCU movies. The script is very consistent in preserving an atmosphere of terror within the world of the narrative.
Jamie Lee Curtis does a phenomenal job reprising her role of Laurie Strode, with her character written like Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: she is a woman who is paranoid about a legitimate threat and who has not been taken seriously by a fair number of people. There is not a scene Curtis appears in with a subpar performance on her part. Her performance is easily one of the greatest assets of the movie, along with that of the character of Michael.
As Laurie's grand opponent, Michael (acted by Nick Castle) is presented with all of the malevolence and abnormal strength that he needs to return as an effective, distinguished slasher villain. Several shots in particular emphasize the quiet malice hiding behind his mask, a malice that is left enigmatic even as its results are examined by supporting characters. He never speaks even once--but he does not need to to convey his characterization with great clarity. Michael is, to my knowledge, the supreme cinematic example of a killer who murders simply because anything else is anathema to his desires. While this could come across as extremely simplistic, in Michael's case, it works because it is handled so well. He even defies some expectations by, for instance, sparing a baby in a crib. Michael does not need to be as complex as a villain like Jigsaw to have a captivating screen presence.
The supporting cast stands alongside Laurie and Michael well, but the two central characters easily overshadow everyone else. As I said in the opening, this movie ultimately belongs to the two of them, with the greatest payoff coming from their fierce, climactic showdown 40 years after their first fight. Their clash is not brief or underdone; it is a prolonged, glorious set piece that would likely appeal to a large number slasher fans.
Story
Spoilers!
Two investigative journalists attempt to interview murderer Michael Myers in a rehabilitation center before he will be brought to a new location. One of them takes Michael's mask out of his bag, speaking to Michael without evoking any verbal response. However, the other patients erupt into a cacophony of noise. Michael now knows that they are in possession of the relic.
Laurie Strode, the woman who encountered Michael Myers on Halloween night of 1978 and lived, lives in a state of anxiety, an anxiety heightened by the fact that Michael is about to be transferred from one facility to another. Her daughter actively tries to avoid contact with her, viewing her as delusional. Although Laurie is perceived as insane, her fears materialize when the bus transporting Michael crashes and he escapes shortly before Halloween.
Michael kills the journalists, reclaiming his mask just in time to continue his murders 40 years to the day that he pursued Laurie. He is subdued by a police officer, but the officer is killed by Michael's doctor, who wants to see him fight Laurie in an uncontrolled environment (her house), but he is killed before he can arrive at her home. Of course, Michael does reach Laurie's home, where she is waiting to confront him again. In a lengthy scene brimming with tension, Laurie and Michael mutually hunt each other, resulting in Michael being trapped in a basement room as Laurie ignites a gas that will lead to the burning of her house. It is never confirmed if the flames kill Michael.
Intellectual Content
As with the first film, there is very minimal philosophizing. However, one of the things that stands out about Halloween, intentionally or unintentionally, is that it is a splendid example of how horror films often treat evil as if it is not merely a construct of human societies; one does not have to search hard to find moral realism in the genre.
Conclusion
Halloween ends with ambiguity, leaving viewers uncertain if Michael will stalk Laurie again. Considering that this is technically the second film in the series, since it ignores the original sequel, the door is open to a continuation of the series that puts an end to Laurie's role in the "rebooted" franchise. If this 2018 follow up is itself the end of the series, then it is a worthy end. It is the essence of the first Halloween with the cheesiness removed. In a cinematic landscape becoming increasingly dominated by gratuitous comedy, the new Halloween shows viewers that serious narratives are not dead.
Content:
1. Violence: Michael's psychopathy is manifested in multiple kills of varying brutality. Some are comparatively tame, like the strangulation kills, but some are fairly graphic; the stabbing of a woman's neck and the crushing of a man's skull are the most violent scenes.
2. Profanity: There are multiple uses of profanity, including some of the "most" explicit words classified as such.
3. Nudity: In a flashback to the opening scene of the 1978 Halloween film, a woman's breasts are seen. As usual, I want to clarify again that there is nothing sexual about this (the only reason I mention female breasts here, something I do not do with scenes involving male shirtlessness, is because of the asinine cultural sensitivity to them).
No comments:
Post a Comment