‘Crimson Peak’ Director ?Guillermo del Toro?? Says Film Is A Gothic Romance, But With Horror Elements

Guillermo del Toro is worried that Crimson Peak audiences will go into the film with the wrong expectations, and he may be correct in his concerns. After all, to watch the trailer for Crimson Peak, one is reminded of past classics like The Haunting (1999) or possibly Thir13en Ghosts (2001). Mr. del Toro says such ideas will only lead to disappointment, however.

Crimson Peak: “It’s A Gothic Romance,First And Foremost”

To be fair, there are elements of the horror genre in Crimson Peak, as is the case in so many of Guillermo del Toro’s past films, and the least of all is the haunted mansion in which much of Crimson Peak takes place. Even with its skeletal ghosts, del Toro says that Crimson Peak has far more in common with his more mature offerings (Pan’s Labyrinth, to name one such film) than the pulpier horror films through which so many have come to associate the name Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo reveals that, even before he found an interest in the horror genre, it was the literature of gothic romance that captivated the future filmmaker’s attention. As far back as del Toro can remember, the Crimson Peak director can recall being swept away by stories, such as Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations, and Jane Eyre.

“There’s a whole bookshelf in my library that is just Gothic romance and the study of Gothic romance,” Guillermo del Toro said.

The Crimson Peak writer and director told Metro that he sought to develop a story based upon the strong female characters common to those classic gothic novels and bring them to life in amidst the haunting imagery of the horror genre. Mr. del Toro told his lead actress, Mia Wasikowska, that there’s a 12-year-old girl at his core that drives his desire to present strong female characters in his films.

Guillermo del Toro Receives Praise From His Contemporaries

For Crimson Peak, del Toro sought to emulate the more subdued style of filmmaking used in those classic film adaptations, while also employing more modern approaches. The result of the director’s unique approach was impressive enough to draw the admiration of those of his peers fortunate enough to attend an early screening of Crimson Peak.

Stephen King, long known as a master of the horror genre in his own right, praised the stylish camera work in Crimson Peak, comparing the experience to the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations of the 50s and 60s.

“It’s lush,” Stephen King said ofCrimson Peak, according to The Wall Street Journal. “To me, it was like this sort of Gothic evocation.”

Guillermo plotted out Crimson Peak so that plot revelations and characterization were exposed gradually, following the structure of those classic gothic novels del Toro had long admired, but he also intermingled modern plot motivators to keep the story interesting and culturally relevant.

“It has a little more sexuality, a little more violence, and different gender politics,” laughed the Crimson Peak director.

In his research, del Toro noted that the film adaptations of classic gothic romances, which were directed by men, deviated from the female-centric points of view in which they had been written. The new filmed versions of those stories embraced the idea of the male coming to save the damsel in distress. Guillermo wanted Crimson Peak to be different in that respect.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be great to make one of these movies where it doesn’t end up with Fabio carrying the girl outside of the house to a cliff?” Del Toro says. “At the end of the movie you see that she can still be in love with all the pain that true love has.”

Crimson Peak opens on October 16 in theaters.

[Featured image courtesy of Universal Pictures]