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The Shape Of Water Analysis

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The ponderous, mythical opening of visionary auteur Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water gently guides us into its unique blend of horror and romance, surrounded by the same magic del Toro effortlessly captured in its spiritual predecessor, Pan’s Labyrinth from 2006. In the age of superhero blockbusters, endless sequels and reboots, del Toro’s sensual adult fantasy manages to make its voice heard amidst the cacophony of studio demands and creative restriction.

Set during the height of the Cold War in Baltimore 1962, the film follows the journey of mute custodian Elisa Esposito (played with aplomb by Sally Hawkins), who works at a high-security government research facility, and a amphibious humanoid creature captured from South America. Elisa proves that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, that she doesn 't need to hide her identity under cynical facades; there is a nuanced strength at …show more content…

The film encapsulates the principle that there are men who can be monstrous, and monsters who can demonstrate great humanity, with themes like ‘the monster is us’ and ‘embracing the otherness’ at play. The Shape of Water serves as a love letter to cinema, wearing its influences on its sleeve. Del Toro borrows the framework from cult horror classics such as Frankenstein, King Kong, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon; the ending of the film is a clear subversion of the latter’s, where the narrative ends in triumph instead of calamity. Instead of viewing them thematically as monster versus men, del Toro sees these films as tragic love stories of misunderstood creatures. “I thought it was a beautiful image. I hoped they would end up together, but they didn’t,” he

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