The Shape of Water: An unconventional romance

THERE are monster movies and then there is The Shape of Water. Following a career built on fantastical creatures, this is Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece.

MEXICAN film director Guillermo del Toro knows monsters.

From Pan’s Labyrinth to Hellboy, his filmography has been filled with fantastical creatures that others find terrifying but del Toro finds beautiful. He finds little difference between Frankenstein’s monster and Pinocchio.

Collecting his Golden Globe award last week, he says he has been saved and absolved by monsters since childhood — he calls them the “patron saints of our blissful imperfection”.

As a wide-eyed six-year-old, del Toro was so struck by a scene from Creature from the Black Lagoon, that it became the genesis of his latest flick, The Shape of Water.

A visually spectacular fairytale, The Shape of Water is a dazzling film with an emotionally resonant core, anchored by a masterful performance from the effervescent Sally Hawkins.

Set in the post-McCarthyism, Cold War-era of the early 1960s, Elisa (Hawkins) is a mute janitor at a highly classified government facility. She and her workmate Zelda (Octavia Spencer) are largely invisible to the men around them, left to mop the floors and scrub the toilets.

Don’t overlook “the help”.

One day, while cleaning a room, a water-filled tank arrives with a mysterious creature (Doug Jones) captured from a river in South America. The tank is accompanied by Strickland (Michael Shannon), a cruel army Colonel with a violent streak and seemingly no capacity for empathy — he thinks washing your hands after peeing is a sign of weak character.

Elisa is immediately drawn to the exquisite blue and gold aquatic creature chained to the pool and regularly brutalised by a cattle prod-type weapon. She gives him eggs and plays him music; he doesn’t care about her disability. These small acts of kindness lead to an inter-species connection between two outsiders whose power is overlooked by others.

When Elisa realises Strickland intends to kill and dissect the creature, she hatches a plan to rescue him with her neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins).

Director Guillermo del Toro has a particular affinity for monster stories.

The Shape of Water’s technical achievements are astonishing, giving you, at the very least, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous movie to look at. Its vibrant costumes, sumptuous art direction, cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s romantic score all add to this film’s magical tone.

The sound of water — a running tap, the rainfall — and various shades of blues and greens — sea foam, teal, aqua, mint, sapphire, duck egg and more — layered through every scene are all effective and evocative. It’s part of what makes this movie so satisfying.

Hawkins’ performance as Elisa is warm, defiant and understated, another stunning turn for an actor with a career full of stunning turns, while every supporting actor makes their characters feel like not supporting roles.

The Shape of Water starts and ends with Jenkins’ voiceover, referring to Elisa as the “princess”. Elisa and Giles’ apartments are located above an old-school movie theatre and there are clips of Hollywood classics played throughout. Del Toro’s remarkable movie is wrapped up in volumes of stories and storytelling, giving it that magical and otherworldly feel.

This film comes from a place of love and affection for outsiders and the idea that, sometimes, the real monsters have human faces.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Shape of Water is in cinemas from Thursday, January 18.

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