Edgar Allan Poe’s obscurity and obsession with writing about death and the macabre fascinates many people. Surrounded by mysteries and legends, including the oddness of his death, which prompts multiple theories, Poe eventually became the subject and figure of many other people’s stories, a character in films and books, objects of study in academies, and the admiration in of popular culture. .
In The Pale Blue Eye, a book by Louis Bayard and filmed by Scott Cooper, Christian Bale plays the protagonist Augustus Landor, a private investigator hired to solve the mystery behind the death of a cadet at West Point Military Academy uncover . The story takes place in the 19th century and he has the help of young cadet Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling), an eccentric, talkative and brilliant poet who has theories about the case.
But death is not isolated. It doesn’t take long for new bodies to appear, adding ammunition to the puzzle. What also drives the plot is Poe’s idiosyncratic personality, which not only because he is an unusual person but also because of his physical appearance, becomes an easy target for pursuit at the military academy. Still, the cloudy story of Landor’s life holds many mysteries and pains.
Since there was no electricity at the time, cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi abused the use of candles, dark environments and diffused lighting, in addition to fog and eerie landscapes of dry forests in winter to convey the film’s sombre atmosphere. Christian Bale and Harry Melling’s performances are terrifying and completely suck the viewer’s soul into their emotions, causing them to feel the same fear, anger or tension. Every second of time invested in this feature film is worthwhile for their interpretations alone.
The use of the camera in the operator’s hand is also a common trick in this production and allows the audience to be drawn into the story in the most realistic way possible, allowing them to feel the emotions of their characters even more intensely. A mustsee film for Poe readers and a delight for mystery lovers. “O Pálido Olho Azul” is a beautiful encounter between Gothic cinema and romantic literature.
Title: The light blue eye
Direction: Scott Cooper
Year: 2023
Genre: suspense/mystery
Notice: 9/10