This Movie is Creepy

Rating: 7/10 (25 April 2006)

I have to say, I was surprised by this movie. It was a much more intelligent piece of work than I expected from a horror movie. It is full of literary allusions and interesting and terrifying imagery. The cinematography was some of the best I've seen in a horror film from the 21st Century, if fact, probably the best.
Most horror films tend to descend very easily into the well of violence and gore without much meaning. In this film, the scenes of violence and gore, which are quite extreme, hold some symbolic value. I think this is the key that separates this film from much more boring fare.
I mentioned literary allusions earlier, and, as an English major, this really made me happy. Just one scene has references to The Crucible (or just the Salem Witch Trials), The Arthurian Myth, and several other famous stories. However, these references will not make an average moviegoer uncomfortable with it, because they remain unobtrusive. They introduced with a great amount of finesse.
The greatest thing about this film is the mood. There is a central emotion that is conveyed in this film, and everything in Silent Hill moves toward this emotion. I think this is the first time that I have ever seen a horror film that exemplifies T.S. Eliot's idea of Objective Corellative before. The mood in this film is wonderful, and the emotion is held right down to the final moments.
As to the apparent confusion over this film, I am more confused by Roger Ebert's comments than by the film. Yes, the ending is somewhat confusing, but I've never played the game, and I understood it after a little thought. I think Mr. Ebert has spent too much time believing that horror films cannot make one think. Well, this one can. Maybe if he had put a little thought into it, he would have been able to understand it.
So, I gave this film a 7 out of Ten, because I think it was a very good film, but it definitely had some major flaws. It will not come to be known as one of the greatest films ever made, but it is a great horror film. It transcends the genre, while still maintaining its conventions.