Two-time Oscar ® winner Guillermo del Toro – the creator of such paintings as The Labyrinth of the Fauna or The Shape of Water , returns with a new film. Nightmare Alley is an extremely addictive psychological thriller with an excellent cast, in which we can see, among others, Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe and Toni Collette. The production, which was highly appreciated by critics, was nominated for the Oscars® in as many as 4 categories, including the best film of the year, but also the best cinematography, costumes and set design. The movie will be released on DVD on June 15th.
Promotional materials for the film “Nightmares” from Galapagos Films
When the charismatic Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) meets an extraordinary marriage on his way: future-seeing Zeena (Toni Collette) and her husband, former telepath Pete (David Strathairn), decides to change his hitherto unlucky life. Together with the loyal and noble Molly (Rooney Mara), she begins to use the naivety of the New York elite to get rich, and her newly acquired knowledge quickly turns out to be a ticket to success. Soon, however, Stanton will go a step too far when, under the influence of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett), he decides to defraud a dangerous financial tycoon (Richard Jenkins).
Promotional materials for the film “Nightmares” from Galapagos Films
In his latest film, Guillermo del Toro explores the darkest and most realistic film genre – film noir. Although the time of the action – the 1930s and 1940s – is not surprising, the selection of the characters in the story is much less conventional for the Mexican director. This time it is not a naturally mysterious creature, and man, with his dark secrets, becomes the center of his interest. The fringes of the reality of fairground amusement parks and elegant salons of the American metropolis, which for Stanton Carlise become a field of activity, not only provide a fascinating background to the story, but are also an extremely successful illustration of the social panorama of the era. This is the world of pre-television times, in which the traveling circus was the pinnacle of entertainment, but also the world, on which the First World War and the Great Depression left their dark mark. It is the reality of getting richer at the expense of another, in which a man succumbed to the temptation of riches can lose himself completely. The rise and fall of a gifted combinator and master of manipulation who begins to believe in self-created illusions is the starting point for del Toro to deconstruct the idea of the American Dream.
I was interested in a story about destiny and humanism. Stanton Carlisle has received everything he needs to change his life. He is surrounded by people who believe in him, love him and trust him. But his inclinations and pride are so strong that he turns his back on them, says Guillermo del Toro.
The director invited a well-known crew to collaborate on Nightmare’s Alley : director Dan Lausten, set designer Tamara Deverell, costume designer Luis Sequeira and editor Cameron McLaughlin. Well-known actors also played their roles, among which, along with Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mary, we can also see Toni Collette and Willem Dafoe.
Promotional materials for the film “Nightmares” from Galapagos Films
The basis for the film is William Lindsay Gresham’s fatalistic 1946 novel of the same title, which tells the story of a charismatic manipulator consumed by uncontrolled ambition. The macabre, but also deeply human world of traveling circuses, full of weirdness and weirdness, was naturally always attractive to del Toro, who for 30 years was trying to make his screen adaptation of Gresham’s novel. He was especially interested in the author’s biography hidden in this story and the cynicism emanating from it – noticing the potential for profit in using the human need for faith. Ultimately, the director saw this book as a warning against the darkness of American capitalism, and therefore, adapting it, he departed from his flagship style. As he recalls:
This is the first of my films that, despite the magical atmosphere, is not made with a specific manner or stylization. The action takes place in a reality that is identifiable and close to the audience.
Initially, Stanton Carlisle is literally nothing. In an act of desperation, motivated by the desire to cut himself off from the difficult past and his roots, he joins a traveling funfair that is just passing by. In this new world, no one asked unnecessary questions, and no one cared about the personal story. Stanton climbs the ranks of his troupe initially, then enters the upper echelons of American society. These events are set in the realities of the United States during the Great Depression.
Promotional materials for the film “Nightmares” from Galapagos Films
In Nightmare Alley , we see layers of corruption, crime, lust and absurdity that pile up as Stanton advances in the art of deception. Del Toro avoids the characteristic visual aspects of cinema noir, opting for a dizzying pace of action, which accelerates as the main character’s life becomes more frightening. As the director admits:
I wanted to show classic history in a very vivid and contemporary way. So that viewers feel that it is rooted in our world. This goal is achieved and, in fact, thanks to its utter realism, the film takes on the significance of a moralizing parable – a story about the maturity of a bill issued by fate. When viewers get caught up in a story about someone’s ascent, they fear it the most. And when it happens, they will experience it very emotionally – explains the director.
Nightmare Lane debuted in Polish cinemas on January 28, 2022. The film received 3 awards and 27 nominations, including 4 Oscar® nominations (best film, best set design, best costumes, best cinematography). It will be released on DVD on June 15th.
You can watch the trailer below :
