Monday, October 26, 2009
Creepy house = Creepy Owner
On Friday night, I watched a movie called Dragonwyck, which starred Gene Tierny and Vincent Price as well as a super young Jessica Tandy, Anne Revere, and Spring Byington (I recognized Anne Revere and Spring Byington immediately). The movie is about a young woman (Gene Tierny) that leaves her family in Connecticut to stay with her married distant cousin (Vincent Price). The two eventually fall in love. The plot is kind of similar to Jane Eyre (there is a daughter and so Gene Tierny becomes her governess) complete with a huge old Gothic house called Dragonwyck. And Rebecca was aired right after, which also features an old Gothic house called Manderly. This got me thinking to all sorts of movies or books that feature a homeowner and house and how often the house reflects the traits of the homeowner. Dragonwyck? Creepy house that is haunted by ancestor. Owner? Creepy with a crazy emphasis on familial responsibility (and he is basically driven crazy by the desire for a son). Thornfield? Dark house with a secret wing that no one is allowed to enter. Owner? Dark and gruff man keeping secrets. Manderly? Beautiful old house that is strangled by the memory of the first Mrs. De Winter. Owner? Handsome (in the movie at least, Laurence Oliver is handsome) man that is still affected by his dead wife. Which is why Pemberly and Mr. Darcy are both awesome!
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1 comment:
Interesting observation...but which comes first - the "air" in the house or the personality of the owner? And what of Tara and Scarlet? Or is it just MEN who are so profoundly affected by their homes?
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