The Shape of Water (2017)

Moving away from the vampire subgenre, let's talk about possibly the king of prestige B-movies, Guillermo Del Toro.

Now, to get the big thing out of the way, this is not just the fish sex movie.

That is an element, but it’s so much more than that.

Shape of Water is like all Guillermo Del Toro films, an adult fairytale. It’s not only a fascinating take on The Creature From the Black Lagoon, it’s also a brilliant reversal of Beauty and the Beast…

So open your minds to one of the most bizarre best picture winners of all time. Let's discuss critically what makes Shape of Water more than just that movie where Sally Hawkins had sex with the fish.

The last major film character to be added to the Universal Monster lineup was the Creature from the Black Lagoon AKA the Gillman. It’s so clearly an influence on Shape of Water that it’s a miracle they didn’t get sued for copyright claims.

But why does this exist?

Well, according to the man himself, Del Toro wanted to show a softer side of the story, one that had a happier ending (of sorts). He wove the core of the Creature into a love story that never transpired between Kay and the Gill-Man before, and never would have back in the 1950s.

Del Toro is compelled to empathize with the Creature and to use him as a conduit for any type of romance that would have been torn apart in that time period. It’s the ultimate who is the real monster debate.

Del Toro recognizes the tragedy of the Creature and chooses to turn that deep subtext into text to tell a greater narrative about cultural origin and its impact.

It does seem quite odd on the surface, doesn’t it?

However, it really makes a lot of sense.

Not only is it a good movie but it checks all the boxes on the Oscar voter sheet.

It’s a queer text, a celebration of Old Hollywood, and a big to-do lead performance in Sally Hawkins as a mute woman who speaks through sign language and learned actual ASL for the part. Also Octavia Spencer.

The movie ended up taking home four Oscar wins for Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Fun Fact: Guillermo Del Toro is the first person to win both Best Picture and Best Animated Feature.

Guess Tomorrow’s Film