THE SHAPE OF WATER.Well worth reaching for – and not just once

With titles like this one, there is always great risk at festivals. An acclaimed director, an excellent cast, and a mysterious subject – all of it could work, but did not have to. After the first day of the 74th Venice Film Festival, when the opening film brought slight disappointment and the remaining titles left a sense of unfulfillment, a new beginning was needed – a strong hit to start the day. How fortunate that Guillermo del Toro rose to the occasion. The Shape of Water has everything one might expect from the Mexican director: darkness, an imaginative aesthetic, a sharply drawn dichotomy of good and evil.

From the very first notes of Alexandre Desplat’s phenomenal score, we know we are in for a fantastic journey to a world of deep, though dark, colors; full of life, although mostly unfolding at night. We meet Elisa (the wonderful Sally Hawkins) in her extraordinary apartment, filled with intriguing objects, fabrics, and hues. It is evident from the start that the protagonist – who turns out to be mute – has an unusual bond with the element of water, though we will never learn exactly where or how she gained this ability. An aura of mystery surrounds the girl, but one thing is certain – her intentions.

Elisa is a kind-hearted, slightly eccentric character, endowed with a childlike charm and innocence, wearing her heart on her sleeve. It is this heart that will guide her one night to a secret laboratory within a research institute, where she works as a cleaner alongside her friend Zelda (brilliant as always Octavia Spencer). There, she will encounter the most peculiar figure in her life, as well as… What exactly Elisa discovered in that laboratory will be revealed to those who choose to trust the author of this review that delving into del Toro’s fairy tale world is worthwhile. Fans of Hellboy (2004) and/or Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) (even though these films differ significantly from each other) need no convincing.

What these titles and the Mexican’s latest work share is not only the presence of Doug Jones, an actor known almost exclusively for portraying fantastic creatures, but also a similar aesthetic. This aesthetic is built on industrial interiors, slightly grimy surfaces shimmering with golden hues, and a fairy-tale quality that includes an entire array of creatures inhabiting del Toro’s universe. And while each of the director’s recent films tells a different story, one can easily imagine them being connected in some not-yet-revealed cosmos, where homes are draped in crimson fabrics, and hidden dimensions ruled by magical monsters lurk beneath the streets.

At the very center of this universe, The Shape of Water might well reside. Del Toro’s inspiration from early American horror films is visible, and the creature evokes strong associations with Gill-man, the protagonist of Jack Arnold’s monster trilogy from the 1950s. But this is not the first time the Pan’s Labyrinth creator has drawn from horror classics, and it should not be held against him – especially since he adds a wealth of his own vision and style to those classic motifs, making him one of the finest (and rare) filmmakers capable of successfully blending adventure, horror, and – often – romance.

In The Shape of Water, this last element plays a crucial role, but equally important is the battle of good versus evil, where the symbol of evil is not the foreign creature, but man himself (specifically, the demonic Michael Shannon). As in classic Disney tales, the monster turns out not to be monstrous at all, and the worst darkness dwells in the corners of the human soul. The Shape of Water has the potential to become one of the greatest cinematic fairy tales of our time – provided that viewers trust the Mexican director and allow themselves to be swept away by his vision once more.

With the small exception of Crimson Peak (2015), del Toro and his monsters have not disappointed so far, which is why The Shape of Water is well worth reaching for – and not just once.