The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water was a big winner at the Oscars for its provocative story and stunning visuals. However, some of those visuals are ones I’d rather unsee.

First, before I describe the unsavory aspects of this film, let me first highlight its good points. The set was delectable, painting a picture of a 1960s research laboratory cast in swampy shades of brown, green, gray, and of course—deep, watery blue. The choice to create a noir-esque film—most action occurred at night or in low-light environments—drew watchers into a suspenseful and deliciously foreboding atmosphere.

Sally Hawkins led the cast as Elisa, a deaf janitor. She was incredible in her role, managing to convey deep emotion without the spoken word. Each of the supporting cast was also memorable.  

The story itself, however, lacked taste. The main storyline—a romance between Elisa and a fishlike test subject from the lab where she worked—was borderline bestiality. Additionally, the subplots weren’t helpful. For example, while Elisa’s next-door neighbor and close friend was relevant to the story, the side storyline about his failing artistic career contributed nothing to the plot. Although such subplots may have provided interesting insight into the supporting characters, they were largely irrelevant to the main story, so they bogged it down instead of supplementing it.

Intimate scenes were uncomfortable and did not develop the characters, especially since one half of the happy couple was the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Without spoiling, the ending felt forced and illogical and left too much unexplained. That lack of logic pervaded much of the movie, forcing the audience to accept quite a lot on faith—for example, when Elisa managed to flood her entire bathroom swimming-pool style by shoving towels under the door and turning on the taps. More abstract ideas (e.g. character motivations) were often foggy and nonsensical, too.

In summation, I have nothing bad to say about the cinematography and acting. In a strictly technical sense, The Shape of Water was off the charts. I cannot say the same, however, about the story. The acting was excellent; the characters being portrayed were lacking. The scenes were filmed excellently; the scene itself lacked taste.