During an
archaeological dig, a group of scientists unearth part of a skeleton of an
unknown creature. Eager to learn more, they form an exhibition to venture into
the deepest part of the Amazon, a place that locals call ‘the Black Lagoon’.
Hoping to find the remainder of the skeleton, the group get more than they
bargained for when a monster that looks like a sea creature but walks like a
man attacks them. Soon, the group is fighting for their lives as well as
fighting each other as ambition and the desire to escape overcomes them.
A
classic in the Universal monster movie canon alongside such films as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf
Man, Creature From the Black Lagoon
proves to be a black and white monster movie that still stands up. A horror
movie that explores a myriad of themes including the nature of the soul and
what it means to be human, I found myself completely enthralled by this film,
marvelling at its complexity and its sophistication.
Whilst the story begins as
predictable and clichéd as any good ‘ol horror movie, the soul of the film
begins to form as the human characters start fighting amongst themselves. The
true horror of this film manifests itself in that dark side of humanity:
all-consuming ambition and the breakdown of the rational mind. The monster
itself works as an enabling narrative device, the catalyst that sets the
internal drama in motion.
Admittedly this is not entirely new, but it’s still
very effective and intriguing to watch because when humans and society breaks
down, that’s when horror starts.
There’s something thrilling and terrifying in the thought that we really aren’t
as smart and sophisticated as we think we are. When a man has to beat up
another man, a friend, to ensure an escape for the greater good: that’s spooky.
The most mesmerising sequences are those that take place underwater. Directed
by James C. Havens, the underwater suspense sequences and ‘battle’ scenes are
just beautiful to watch; choreographed very well and possessing a pretty
majesty that gets lost once the camera comes back into the realm of gravity on
land.
These scenes are also where we get to see the ‘character’ of the monster
properly: particularly in a scene where the heroine is swimming and the
creature mirrors her movements, nervous about getting too close and breaking
the fragile beauty. This depiction of wonder and curiosity plants the seedling
idea that there may be more humanity in the monster than initially thought and,
of course, a monster that audiences can pinpoint human traits in makes it a
monster that can be loved… or at least inspire a slight emotional attachment.
Moving on to the monster itself, whilst we can tell it’s a guy in a suit, it’s
still a very sophisticated and beautiful creature; a bit like the Alien in Alien, though dated. The costume is
incredible and the attention to detail quite impressive: the scales, the fins,
the gills, the wide eyes, and the fish lips that pulse open and closed whenever
it’s on land.
Its movements and structure are just enough like a human’s for
audiences to take in and accept its strangeness. The costume department prove
to be the stars of the show in this respect.
Starring Richard Carlson, Julia
Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva, Whit Biessell, Bernie
Gozier, and Henry Escalante, Creature
From the Black Lagoon is a good monster movie and whilst it can be seen as
a little outdated, it still manages to intrigue and inspire emotional
responses, a credit to any black and white monster movie.
Filled with romance,
action, drama, and suspense, it stands up.
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