A breath of fresh water

Rating: 9/10 (23 December 2017)

Few filmmakers have the ability to present a story in a way that is unmistakably unique these days, in the swirling miasma of cookie-cutter movies that are exhaustingly predictable and rely heavily on pyrotechnics and CGI to make up for the lack of heart. But Guillermo del Toro fills The Shape of Water to the brim with a genuineness rarely seen.
Set in 1960's Baltimore, this story is a bit Romeo and Juliet, a bit Beauty and the Beast, except in this instance the beast is the one that appears outwardly normal. A mute custodian with a case of curiosity killed the cat syndrome (Sally Hawkins) becomes entangled in a tug-of-war between American and Soviet government powers after she discovers a creature being held hostage by the facility she works at, and her endlessly kind heart won't allow herself to let them use it as their pawn. The villain of this story, Strickland (Michael Shannon), proves to be one of the most complex characters. He serves up no shortage of the aforementioned beastly qualities, projecting his frustrations of his failings as a man and subsequent own self-hatred on everyone around him in a variety of ways. Torture, intimidation, emotional manipulation, racism, verbal and physical abuse and sexual harrassment are all employed by him, even a lack of basic hygiene is displayed as he fails to wash his hands after urinating in the first scene the audience is properly introduced to him. Despite all this, del Toro and Shannon still manage to make it clear that while this character wields a considerable amount of power, we get quite clearly the feeling that he is also powerless - a sad, joyless man with a lack of connection to his family and a lack of any kind of fulfilling relationships in his life, grasping at threads of power in the hopes of catching one and somehow finding the innate sense of pride and worth he has always been searching for. People respond to him out of fear rather than out of respect. He is a puppet of the system, under the thumb of greater authority and he knows it. It fills him with a rage that he takes out on anyone who either earns - or doesn't earn - his ire.
Elisa (Hawkins) shines with a genuinely heartfelt performance. Meek and often terrified of the brutality she sees around her, but also tough in her own way, the audience will find it difficult not to like her. Entirely without verbal dialogue, Hawkins is successful in portraying the kind spirit, gutsy strength and quirky personality of Elisa. Likewise, her screen partner The Asset (Doug Jones) delivers a very convincing portrayal of a creature that's not quite man and not quite animal. He moves in a unique way that is signature to Jones but yet has a quality (and statuesque figure) also reminiscent of the god that some of the film's characters wonder if he is. Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and Giles (Richard Jenkins) are the perfect kind of kindred spirits, with Giles being a realist and Zelda being motherly at the appropriate times that Elisa needs them to provide that for her. Like her, they share qualities that render them "imperfect" in the society of the time; Zelda is a woman of colour, Giles is gay, and all of them have a greater than average sense of empathy.
Particularly and curiously impressive is the way opposing elements in this film fit so perfectly together - drama, horror, comedy and even whimsy-filled musical routines all somehow work in harmony with each other in a way that feels very natural. The fairy-tale elements are balanced carefully with the more adult aspects of the story, so while there are certainly some tear-jerking and frightening moments, viewers still leave at the end with a feeling of magic and inspiration. Plausible and implausible scenes and elements work so well together that the audience can easily accept the story for what it is.
The only real criticism to put forth is that the development of the relationship between Elisa and The Asset is patchy - we see snippets of their admiration for each other growing, but then it seems to take a leap between friendship and deeper intimacy that the audience feels a bit left out on. The film follows Strickland and Giles' characters more closely as far as interpersonal relationships go, something that the film could have used more of for greater development of Elisa's character and deeper understanding from the audience of how much she has really suffered. The character of The Asset is never truly developed either - however, this may be very intentional as del Toro stated in previous interviews that the creature represents something different to everyone. Perhaps it is up to the viewer to decide what he represents for them. In some ways, this renders the character an eternal victim - always being used for something by someone. For governments, a weapon; for Giles, an artistic muse; for Strickland, a punching bag to offload his anger onto; and for Elisa, a recipient for her love and intimate desires. Although the creature reciprocates her affections, we can't shake the fact that he never really initiates them, just follows suit, leading one to wonder what decisions he would make in that matter (or any) if he had the freedom to do so.
With all its complex beauty and freshness, The Shape of Water is a must-see for those wishing to experience a film that's truly new, and to feel the true soul that comes forth in it.