A
review by Helen Chavez
Cast: Federico
Luppi (Jesus Gris), Ron Perlman
(Angel de la Guardia), Claudio Brook
(Dieter de la Guardia), Margarita Isabel
(Mercedes Gris), Tamara Shanath
(Aurora Gris)
Written
and directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Dialogue in Spanish and English, with English subtitles
Plot
Summary
In the year 1536, an alchemist running from the Inquisition builds what
is to become known as the ‘Cronos’ device, a golden, jewel-like scarab
of whirling mechanisms and vicious needle-like legs that imparts to
anyone who owns it the boon – or curse – of eternal life.
But not only does it imbue immortality, but also a thirst for human
blood, a fear of daylight, and a gradual change from humanity into a
creature that lives in the shadowed world of the vampire.
Centuries
later in 1997, ageing antique dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi)and
his grand-daughter Aurora (Tamara Shanath) discover the device
hidden in a statue, and Gris is accidentally wounded by it. Slowly
but surely he discovers the benefits of the Cronos device, feeling and
looking younger, more virile. But he also discovers its drawbacks –
a lust for blood, and the slow but irrevocable sloughing of his skin
as he becomes more and more addicted to the ‘gifts’ of the mechanical
scarab.
But unbeknownst to Gris, there are others looking for the device.
Dying
business tycoon Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) has spent
many fruitless years looking for the statue that he knows contains the
device, and when word reaches him of such a statue in Jesus Gris’ shop,
he sends his brutal nephew Angel (Ron Perlman) to retrieve it.
But
Gris has by this time already found the ‘Cronos’ device, and
his discovery puts into motion a spiral of terror and violence that
can only end in disaster, as he slowly descends into a world where he
craves the salty taste of human blood and becomes a creature whose skin
- like the alchemist before him - becomes ‘the colour of marble in moonlight’
…
Angel
de la Guardia (Ron Perlman)
Angel
de la Guardia is a thug. Big, brutal and foul-mouthed, he reluctantly
helps his dying uncle Dieter de la Guardia to run his business
empire. His uncle lives in a sterile environment behind heavy steel
walls, his visitors have to wear masks and he keeps parts of his diseased
organs in formaldehyde.
Angel
finds his uncle overbearing, obsessive and threatening, and his secret
wish is for the old man to die and leave Angel his empire. But
the slow realisation that the ‘Cronos’ device could extend his uncle’s
life indefinitely begins to percolate into Angel’s consciousness,
and he starts to make plans of his own …
But Angel de la Guardia has an Achilles heel – his appearance.
He is vain about his looks to the point of narcissism, and he is convinced
that his nose is the only flaw in an otherwise faultless visage.
When
he visits Gris’ antique shop and buys the statue, he looks around
as the elderly dealer wraps up his purchase.
"I
love these mirrors!" he exclaims, furtively examining his nose.
He charms Aurora with an impromptu guessing game involving a
piece of chewing gum, then he surprises Gris and Aurora
by asking them their opinion on something. Intrigued, they watch as
he brings out several nose silhouettes and asks them which one is best.
Gravely, they tell him their choice and he is thrilled, saying,
"Thank
you very much - you don’t know how important this is to me!"
Highly delighted, he exits the shop, statue in his grasp and his choice
of new nose decided.
But
his uncle is far from delighted when he discovers the ‘Cronos’ device
has been removed from the statue, and things go from bad to worse when
de la Guardia Senior realises Gris has already used the
device.
Angel
decides to kill Gris and prevent his uncle from acquiring the
device, and the plan goes well, Gris being pushed over a cliff
in his car by Angel, who mutters and curses with the effort,
and finally manages to single-handedly push the car, happily humming
‘Auld Lang Syne’ to himself as he does so.
Later, he is found sitting semi-clothed on his bed, reading a pamphlet
and listening to a tape on plastic surgery, happily picking his feet
and smelling his fingers. He is hugely self-absorbed, and when his uncle
demands his presence over the intercom he answers politely – but the
expletives spill out in frustration in private, his resentment of his
uncle and his bullying ways eating into him like a parasite.
His uncle takes his anger out on Angel in a purely physical way
– he smashes Angel’s nose with his walking stick, Angel
cringing like a whipped puppy, a bully cowed by an even greater bully.
He cowers and whines, and continues to do his uncle’s bidding.
But when Gris returns from the dead, a showdown is inevitable
– and it costs all of them dear. Gris, now physically changing
into an other-wordly creature, faces Dieter de la Guardia, and,
along with his grand-daughter who has helped him throughout his tribulations,
manages to leave the old tyrant dying in a pool of blood.
When Angel discovers his dying uncle he is overjoyed. He cannot
contain his delight, yelling ‘Yes, YES!!" his body dancing with triumph,
fists clenched as though ready to take on the world.
But his joy is short-lived – when he confronts Gris and Aurora,
he surprisingly comes off worse, and his already battered nose issmashed
once again, his face now covered in a grotesque mask of blood. With
a howl of anger, he chases the now-immortal Gris and the little
girl up onto the roof - and there his fate is sealed …
Awards
Academy Awards, Mexico, 1993
Golden
Ariel – Guillermo del Toro for Best Film.
7
Silver Ariels, including Best Director, Best Original Story and Best
Screenplay, all by Guillermo del Toro.
Catalonian
International Film Festival, Spain, 1993
Best
Actor – Federico Luppi
Best
Screenplay – Guillermo del Toro
Guadalajara
Mexican Film Festival, 1993
DICINE Award – Guillermo del Toro
Havana Film Festival, 1993
Coral
Award; Best First Work – Guillermo del Toro
Coral
Award; Best Film Poster – Pedro Meyer
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film,
1994
Silver Raven – Guillermo del Toro
Fantasporto,
1994
Audience Jury Award – Guillermo del Toro
International
Fantasy Film Award; Best Actor – Federico Luppi
International
Fantasy Film Award; Best Director – Guillermo del Toro
Fantafestival, 1995
Best
Direction – Guillermo del Toro