The Shape of Water

There are three distinct thoughts that I've had since seeing Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water last week:

1.  What in the world?  Someone please tell me that this is a joke of some kind.  As the movie awards season is in full swing, how can this movie be getting any recognition, let alone win any awards?  Yet it has won, and more importantly the film seems to touching a nerve culturally.  The fable of the emperor's new clothes came to mind as the ending titles rolled, how are so many people being duped by this movie?  As one would expect from del Toro, the film is visually excellent, with a lush color palette and top notch effects and makeup (for the most part).  But everything else is so shallow and cliche, that it was awkward to watch.  The villain is one-dimensional, I literally laughed at the heroine's big musical number, and the Swamp Thing creature was one of the least interesting characters ever to be projected onto the big screen.  The producers could have saved a boatload of money by renting a dolphin.

2.  What is del Toro trying to say by graphically depicting a relationship between a woman and the Swamp Thing creature onscreen?  In a film that was definitely preaching against bigotry, is del Toro advocating bestiality?  Based on the context established in the film, I must conclude that del Toro is suggesting that all "love" between consenting individuals is acceptable.  That he intermingles this inter-species relationship with a sub-plot involving a lovelorn homosexual neighbor, and a racist shop owner, further supports my suspicion that del Toro is promoting tolerance well beyond the current social norms.  Maybe I'm just behind the curve on this...

3.  One week out - maybe all my initial impressions were right, and that's why this is such an effective film, and a work of genius.  Recent discussions with a friend and fellow film-buff have led me to conclude that a film doesn't have to be well made or comprised of compelling characters to be effective.  When a film sticks with you days and weeks later, when it gets under your skin, and mostly when it disturbs you, that is an effective film.  Some films, such as Schindler's List utilize technical expertise and tell a story that combine for maximum effect.  Del Toro's trick is to break the rules, deviate from the expected, dabble with campiness, and push right past the envelope of what is socially acceptable.  Perhaps I  made the mistake of thinking that del Toro is on a soap box trying to promote an agenda, maybe he just wanted to make a movie that I would remember.  Of course he may be doing this at the cost of degrading our moral fabric just a little bit more, but that's a small price to pay for entertainment, right?