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I won’t go into the pros or cons of the movie, which many other reviewers have covered earlier. If you like Ken Russell, can tolerate some ambiguity, and enjoy the darkness of Romantic poetry, you probably like this movie; if you don’t, you won’t.
What I will mention is that Artisan has provided us with a DVD that defines “lackluster.” There are no, repeat no, extras on the DVD. Not even an original trailer or still of an A sheet. The format is pan-and-scan, and I do not believe any attempt was made to restore the print. In fact, I would venture so far as to say this is simply the earlier VHS-formatted movie transferred directly onto DVD. If, like me, you no longer own or use a VCR, or your VHS version is worn out, this DVD is worthwhile. If not, then wait until someone who cares about movies, perhaps Anchor Bay, gets permission to produce this movie on DVD, and does it right.
I can honestly say that I’ve never really been a fan of Russell’s films, for some reason, the incoherent strangeness of his works never appealed to me; however, in Gothic, this combination of surreal weirdness works perfectly.
The movie is basically about one night that poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Godwin (author of Frankenstein), along with Claire Clairmont, spend together with poet Lord Byron and his doctor John Polidori. In the course of the evening they decide to “raise the dead” and this idea haunts Mary, inspiring her to write her famous story about creation and the destruction of one’s creation (it also inspired Polidori to write the excellent short novel “The Vampyre.”) So, there is a cerebral element to this film which will probably not appeal to the average moviegoer.
I have the suspicion that this movie probably is well-loved by most intelligent Goths and well-read people with a love of Gothic literature to begin with, so if you’re expecting the usual blood and gore of traditional horror films, please move on. This movie is haunting because it deals more with the psychological demons of the mind, and this is portrayed by the various images that haunt the characters of the films, as their fears “come to life.”
I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves Gothic literature, or just English literature to begin with, as well as anyone with elegant tastes who is tired of the cheap horror movies that abound these days.
In sum, I will add that Ken Russell’s Gothic is highly unappreciated, and in my opinion, deserved accolades.