(1960) ****Phillip Winthrop is travelling to see his fiancee, Madeline Usher. When he arrives at the family home he finds a surly butler, very protective of the woman and her brother, Roderick Usher, played by the menacing, scene-stealing Vincent Price. Mr. Usher has an unusual affliction - he senses everything too much. Food, sound, etc. are all too vibrant for him to bear. In this bizarre setup meanwhile, Winthrop continues to insist that he take his fiancee away, but is constantly discouraged by Usher, who has a seemingly unhealthy affection for his sister.
There have been three movies based on Poe's short story, The Fall of the House of Usher. I read the story last week, and hope to see all three versions to make comparisons as to how each adapts Poe's somewhat ambiguous tale. Surprisingly, this one is fairly faithful to the story. The only notable change is making the travelling man, Winthrop the fiancee of Madeline Usher, rather than Roderick Usher's childhood friend. As a film, this movie has all the cool old movie creepiness that really defines this genre. Indeed, 1960 almost seems too late, like this movie would have been better if released in 1950. The vibrant red colors come in the form of candles, Usher's wardrobes, dishes, etc. Aesthetically speaking, this is a very scary movie. A great film as long as you're in the mood for some old school, Vincent Price creepiness.
2 comments:
Great film, Vincent Price was the man!
Are you going to have your own Usherthon, T (TF)? I heartily approve of matched sets.
I remember reading this story in conjunction with an essay of Poe's about how every iota of writing should push a certain mood. As a result I never imagined any kind of color palette for the setting, as if it were all the color of a grey rainy day. But what do I know.
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