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The Awakening (2011)

10/12/2013

 
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Those who feel that the modern horror genre has become glutted with "torture porn" Saw knock-offs, home invasion "thrill killer" gorefests and miscellaneous, misbegotten remakes of older classics, have had reason to cheer up of late. Recent hits like The Conjuring are tapping in to that narrow but rich vein of more restrained, subtle terror that some might deem old-fashioned (and the rest of us, classy.). A few enterprising filmmakers, generally funded by smaller, independent production companies, are coming out with films made in this classical style, with horrors more implied than overt, constructed with a bit of that old school intelligence and grace. One of these is The Awakening, a refreshingly traditional British ghost story of the type they rarely make anymore. Reminiscent of such wonderfully eerie films like The Innocents, The Haunting (the Robert Wise version, natch), Legend of Hell House and The Changeling, The Awakening makes for fine seasonal viewing.


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Set in 1921, when the extreme losses suffered during the First World War were still keenly felt, The Awakening centers around occult expert and spiritualist hoax debunker Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall), who's gained some notoriety from a book she's published about her experiences dealing with supposedly supernatural phenomena. The movie opens with Florence attending a seance and swiftly exposing it, and the medium in charge, as frauds...to the gratitude of the police but the hostility of a bereaved couple whose hopes she's shattered. Worn out by her investigations and overwork, Florence returns to the London home she shares with her parents, reflecting on her own deep personal loss, of a fiancee pilot shot down in the war, when she's visited by Robert Mallory (a brooding and very effective Dominic West), who teaches at a boys' boarding school in Rookford, Cumbria.  Mallory tells a chilling tale of a recent death of a young boy at the school, and shows Florence several school photos depicting the ghostly figure of a child, its face obscured.

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Florence initially has no interest in pursuing the case but something in Mallory's curt, challenging manner and sincere appeal for help for his pupils sways her from her apathy, and before long she's making the long journey to the school, where she promptly unpacks the tools of the ghost hunter's trade and sets down to work (these scenes were particularly fun for me; as a big fan of "occult detective" fiction, I find this sort of messing around with flash camera traps, alarms and other period gizmos highly interesting). Florence's arrival coincides with the end of term, and in short order she is one of only a skeleton crew left at the huge, forbidding old school, along with Mallory, the housekeeper, Maud Hill (Imelda Staunton),  Maud's rather isolated, ignored son, Tom (Isaac Hempstead Wright), and the surly groundskeeper, Edward Judd (Joseph Mawle). Florence finds herself increasingly attracted to Mallory, who is haunted by his own personal ghosts, of all the dead friends he left behind on the battlefield. But far more disconcerting for her are a series of bizarre, genuine supernatural events which not only threaten to derail her entire world view, but also seem to have designs on her life...

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The Awakening is a meticulously-crafted, atmospheric piece of work, with an interesting and literate script from fiction writer Stephen Volk and Nick Murphy (who also directed, with an effective balance of deliberate, slowly escalating tension and a number of nerve-jangling, "jump" shock moments). The acting is impeccable and the production sumptuous, despite what was certainly a low budget. The filmmakers get great mileage out of their locations (most of the exteriors were actually filmed in Scotland). The school building itself is a palpable, menacing presence, and adds immeasurably to the film's overall impact.

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The movie deals sensitively with the themes of loss and tragedy, and strongly communicates the sense of melancholy and emptiness felt in the initial years after the war, when Britain was still reeling from its incredible, massive death toll. If ultimately the final reveal proves more cathartic and emotional than out-and-out frightening, it still feels satisfying, and the inevitable "twist" honestly earned. Despite its classical stylings and old-school approach, the film more than delivers on the "hide behind your pillow" scare scale, featuring as it does some truly skin-crawlingly creepy moments and jump out of your chair shocks along the way (watch out for that mini doll house version of the school that Florence crosses paths with a few hair-raising times!). Especially effective is an early setpiece in which we see the oh-so-calm, professional skeptic Florence get steadily rattled and disoriented on her first night in the school. Rebecca Hall features in nearly every scene in the movie and gives a very skillful, nuanced and increasingly raw performance, peeling away Florence's layers of emotional armor until she gradually grows more and more vulnerable, confused and lost as her rational, ordered world slips into chaos.

The only real flaws I'd care to mention are a late plot development, involving the rather abrupt actions of a certain supporting character which seem to come out of the blue and feel born more of contrivance to move the plot forward rather than allow it to develop naturally, as it had up to that point; also, some may find Florence just a wee bit too "modern" in her thinking and approach to be 100% true to her time period. However, these are minor carps and shouldn't seriously mar anyone's enjoyment. The Awakening is gripping, chilling stuff and fits nicely in the small but worthy pantheon of superior "haunted house" movies.

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Prashant C. Trikannad link
10/12/2013 08:51:07 pm

Jeff, as a rule I don't watch horror movies these days though I'm quite open to the idea of seeing films like THE AWAKENING that have less of the macabre. The treatment of this film sort of reminds me of Shyamalan's THE SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS and perhaps even THE ENTITY that was a big hit in the 80s in India.

Jeff
10/13/2013 11:44:02 pm

Thanks for commenting, Prashant! I think if you enjoy traditional British ghost stories with more emphasis on atmosphere than on gore, you'll get a kick out of THE AWAKENING. It's very different from THE SIXTH SENSE but has some of the same quiet, reserved approach. I'm not so familiar with THE ENTITY, but THE AWAKENING (while definitely not shying away from some sexy stuff) is far less salacious.

Kevin Deany
10/14/2013 01:34:57 am

This sounds great. Thanks for the recommendation. My local video store has this one in stock, and I'll be checking it out in the next couple of weeks.

Jeff
10/15/2013 07:42:46 am

Thanks a bunch, Kevin! Let me know what you make of it when you get a chance to watch it...I think you'll enjoy it!

Patti link
10/14/2013 06:36:06 am

Jeff, I wouldn't watch this movie if you paid me a million dollars!! (I'm serious!) I am about the biggest scaredy-cat on the planet. The last "horror" film I went to was The Shining, way back in 1980. I was so scared that I had to leave long before the film was over. (My friends were not happy about that.) I was so scared, I was in tears, and I slept with the lights on for weeks.

Since then, I have sworn off horror movies. I get freaked out even watching television advertisements for certain TV shows.

A few weeks ago, my son and husband went to see "The Conjuring." They were hyped because they had been told it was the scariest film they would ever see. They didn't find it scary at all. I told them they have become jaded!

Jeff
10/15/2013 07:47:25 am

Wow, Patti - no wonder you were traumatized! THE SHINING is a pretty darn scary flick, definitely more frightening than THE AWAKENING. I understand that you're not into horror films, to say the least, and you're not alone in this regard. Me, I grew up on this kind of stuff, so I enjoy it occasionally, though admittedly, like Kevin above, my tastes now generally veer more to older, less nasty entries in the genre. Thanks for commenting, and I hope my few creepy screen caps here in this post don't give you any nightmares.

Colin link
10/14/2013 06:53:15 am

Never seen this one Jeff but it sounds like the kind of stylish, classy ghost/horror film I'd enjoy.

The whole fake spiritualist thing and the activities of those seeking to debunk the charlatans and their ploys seems to have been quite a popular topic back in the inter-war years. I remember a few of Clayton Rawson's Merlini novels dealing with this.

Jeff
10/15/2013 07:50:34 am

Cheers, Colin! Think you might enjoy this one, despite its recent vintage. Yes, it seems the spiritualism boom which began in the Victorian era seemed to really take off after WWI. A lot of less savory types taking advantage of so many people's grief. I haven't checked out any Merlini novels but they sound fascinating, so will try to track some down in future - thanks for that tip!

Colin link
10/15/2013 08:02:23 am

Man you need to rectify that Rawson situation fast! If you like J D Carr at all then you'll love Rawson's stuff - Death from a Top Hat is just sublime. Most of the Merlini stories can be picked up 2nd hand pretty easily or they're all on Kindle.

Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) link
10/16/2013 11:20:18 pm

Not seen this one Jeff - for a minute I thought you were talking about the Charlton Heston film! But I'm definitely going to rent this one - thanks chum, can't wait!

Jeff
10/18/2013 10:48:33 pm

Thanks, Sergio! I can see why you might have wondered if I was talking about the Heston version. Thanks, but no thanks...;) Let me know what you make of this one when you check it out.

Jeff
10/18/2013 10:51:45 pm

Thanks muchly for the hearty Merlini recommendation, Colin! I've become a BIG fan of John Dickson Carr over the past several years, and if Rawson is in that vein, then I certainly need to get acquainted with him! Can you recommend any particular titles, other than DEATH FROM A TOP HAT?

Colin link
10/19/2013 12:21:09 am

Jeff, there are only four Merlini novels - Death from a Top Hat, The Footprints on the Ceiling, The Headless Lady and No Coffin for the Corpse in that order. I'd say they're all of similar quality although I feel The Headless Lady is the weakest. Rawson also wrote a bunch of short stories featuring Merlini solving miracle problems - they're all great but the print version of that book goes for very big bucks. The Kindle/E-book version is the way to go with that one.
Rawson also wrote a handful of novellas under the pen name of Stuart Towne, also recommended.They're probably impossible to find in print but there are two e-book volumes collecting them: Death out of Thin Air and Death from Nowhere.

Jeff
10/24/2013 07:41:46 pm

Belated thanks for all the Rawson info and recommendations, Colin - much appreciated! I've been eyeballing a couple of the Merlini e-books over that week or so, and will probably pull the trigger on them shortly.


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