it was originally written with Thomas as a cold, calculating monster before everything was changed. That's interesting, because it very probably explains just why I've been having so much trouble writing a scene from Thomas's point of view towards the start of the film -- it turns out to be very difficult to write him in a way that's consistent with later events without its coming across as a complete whitewash. Basically, he kills people (or at the very least gets people killed for his own advantage)... and if he isn't a calculating monster, then how on earth does he justify it to himself? The scenario only works with the character's motives left obscure and the reveal delayed; once you try to look at it from his point of view you have to start asking yourself what he thought was going on. He doesn't appear to have been going through enormous angst; in his private exchanges with Lucille at this point he seems to have been a full partner in the plan.
In the end I've gone for the option that he doesn't *let* himself think about what is going on, based on his comments about trying to avoid uncomfortable experiences; he knows it on some level, but in order to stay reasonably sane and functional he just shuts all these things away in a box marked 'unfortunate but too disturbing to face up to right now'. I notice that even at the end of the film, he clearly has no intention of breaking with Lucille, even after she has tried to murder both Alan and Edith in front of him and he tries to save them -- as far as we can tell, he appears to be cherishing the illusion that from now on he can just run a sort of harem with his sister *and* his wife, on the assumption that both women will cooperate! I rather like that touch, actually; it shows that he *is* pretty messed up and not thinking straight, which makes his other behaviour more comprehensible... and it's less of an obvious moral message than having him conveniently change sides to repudiate his sister after deciding that she is Evil (whereas she wasn't before?)
I have a lot of time for Thomas (he is a much more compelling character than poor token Alan). But he is mentally very confused!
I'm not sure the death of their father is mentioned at all in the film -- I think Thomas just says that he went abroad and dissipated a lot of money. He doesn't seem to have been a significant presence in their childhood; presumably he predeceased his wife (although a scenario in which he arrives back in the country and finds Beatrice gruesomely murdered, the house shut up and his children packed away might be interesting!)
Yes, it makes sense that Lady Sharpe was buried locally and hence in a red clay grave...
(I don't actually think the snow *would* have been stained red all round the house, as shown in the film, unless there was raw earth underneath *and* a whole load of people/animals trampled over it. What we actually see is tussocky grassland, and snow that fell there would simply rest on top of the grass and melt slowly into isolated patches -- even snow that falls on mud doesn't dissolve into muddy slush unless it gets walked on, in my experience. But practical physics/geography are not a strong point of this film -- its version of Cumbria bears a strong resemblance to Gold Rush movies, down to the clapboard 'depot' that hires out horses!)
I thought I had seen the deleted scenes, but I don't recall that one. (I never saw the trailers.) I remember a scene with Alan and the butterflies in the park, and I think an extended version of the boardroom demonstration scene... and a scene with Thomas downstairs in the hall, I think, but that's only a shadowy memory.
I've checked the online library catalogue, though I can't see the branch availability info from here; the "Crimson Peak" novelization still shows up as present in the library stock, although it also shows as only ever having been borrowed once, which is not the best of indications! I'll try to remember to call in tomorrow afternoon.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2018-12-03 03:34 am (UTC)That's interesting, because it very probably explains just why I've been having so much trouble writing a scene from Thomas's point of view towards the start of the film -- it turns out to be very difficult to write him in a way that's consistent with later events without its coming across as a complete whitewash. Basically, he kills people (or at the very least gets people killed for his own advantage)... and if he isn't a calculating monster, then how on earth does he justify it to himself?
The scenario only works with the character's motives left obscure and the reveal delayed; once you try to look at it from his point of view you have to start asking yourself what he thought was going on. He doesn't appear to have been going through enormous angst; in his private exchanges with Lucille at this point he seems to have been a full partner in the plan.
In the end I've gone for the option that he doesn't *let* himself think about what is going on, based on his comments about trying to avoid uncomfortable experiences; he knows it on some level, but in order to stay reasonably sane and functional he just shuts all these things away in a box marked 'unfortunate but too disturbing to face up to right now'. I notice that even at the end of the film, he clearly has no intention of breaking with Lucille, even after she has tried to murder both Alan and Edith in front of him and he tries to save them -- as far as we can tell, he appears to be cherishing the illusion that from now on he can just run a sort of harem with his sister *and* his wife, on the assumption that both women will cooperate! I rather like that touch, actually; it shows that he *is* pretty messed up and not thinking straight, which makes his other behaviour more comprehensible... and it's less of an obvious moral message than having him conveniently change sides to repudiate his sister after deciding that she is Evil (whereas she wasn't before?)
I have a lot of time for Thomas (he is a much more compelling character than poor token Alan). But he is mentally very confused!
I'm not sure the death of their father is mentioned at all in the film -- I think Thomas just says that he went abroad and dissipated a lot of money. He doesn't seem to have been a significant presence in their childhood; presumably he predeceased his wife (although a scenario in which he arrives back in the country and finds Beatrice gruesomely murdered, the house shut up and his children packed away might be interesting!)
Yes, it makes sense that Lady Sharpe was buried locally and hence in a red clay grave...
(I don't actually think the snow *would* have been stained red all round the house, as shown in the film, unless there was raw earth underneath *and* a whole load of people/animals trampled over it. What we actually see is tussocky grassland, and snow that fell there would simply rest on top of the grass and melt slowly into isolated patches -- even snow that falls on mud doesn't dissolve into muddy slush unless it gets walked on, in my experience. But practical physics/geography are not a strong point of this film -- its version of Cumbria bears a strong resemblance to Gold Rush movies, down to the clapboard 'depot' that hires out horses!)
I thought I had seen the deleted scenes, but I don't recall that one. (I never saw the trailers.) I remember a scene with Alan and the butterflies in the park, and I think an extended version of the boardroom demonstration scene... and a scene with Thomas downstairs in the hall, I think, but that's only a shadowy memory.
I've checked the online library catalogue, though I can't see the branch availability info from here; the "Crimson Peak" novelization still shows up as present in the library stock, although it also shows as only ever having been borrowed once, which is not the best of indications! I'll try to remember to call in tomorrow afternoon.