Of Love, Humanity and Otherness

 

The Shape of Water (2017) – At the height of the Cold War, U.S.
scientists hide a strange marine creature in a secret laboratory. Is
it an animal, or is it intelligent? A lonely young woman stumbles on
the secret and begins an unusual relationship.

Director by Guillermo del Toro                        Starring Sally Hawkins, Octavia
Spencer, Doug Jones

Why I Liked It-Unlike anything else out there, a movie that is
part science fiction, part fantasy, and part romance.

Trust del Toro to bring us another fascinating and challenging
picture. This isn’t a “monster” picture, but it centers on a
being strange enough to seem monstrous. Doug Jones is the actor you
call when you need your character to be tall (which is interesting,
since he’s only 6’3”, and some level of creepy. I’m not
taking anything away from Jones as an actor. He’s done roles all
across the spectrum, including a stint on one of the new Star Trek
television series (Star Trek: Discovery) as one of my favorite
characters, Commander Saru. Guillermo del Toro has used him many
times over the years. Here the two draw on Jones considerable
experience with mime. “The Asset”, as the staff refer to the
creature, has no lines in any human language. Jones is, as always,
amazing.

The story is familiar. A secret laboratory run by soulless
government operatives pushes scientists beyond ethical boundaries.
Colonel Strickland (played by Michael Shannon) treats the Amphibian
Man (that’s the character credit) like an animal. An animal he
hates and fears. Elisa (Hawkins) is lonely. Her only friends are her
co-worker at the facility, Zelda (Octavia Spencer is great), and her
gay, graphic artist neighbor, Giles. Elisa lost her ability to speak
years before. She can hear, and Zelda translates sign language for
her. Feeling like an outsider herself, she is drawn to the person in
the water filled cage.

Guillermo del Toro always takes us to places that look like the
everyday world, but aren’t. There is a feeling of being in a
semi-magical world that is as much fable as fact. The colors, the
lighting, the point of view tell the viewer that this is a different
place. Inevitably, “different” things happen.

The relationship between Amphibian Man and Elisa becomes physical.
While the level of nudity is minimal, what is happening is clear.
There is a sexual tension throughout the film, even before the two
main characters meet. Some folks will find it uncomfortable, and I
try to let you know before you select the movie.

With that said, this is a great movie for me. It is intense,
complicated, and still intensely human. The question of what “human”
means is at the center of the story. This is a humanoid creature with
obvious intelligence. Does the fact that he is not a member of the
genus/species homo sapiens mean that he can be treated as an animal?
At what point does science need to step back from its pursuit of
knowledge? As the world becomes less predictable, how can we respond
to the “other”? The cast carries off all the pieces of the
complicated story with skill, and del Toro offers his customary
touch.

“The Shape of Water” won four Academy Awards, including for Best Director, and Best Motion Picture.

Rating – **** Recommended