Giving voice to the voiceless

Rating: 6/10 (5 January 2019)

The Shape of Water, which has an excellent acting quality, is not great, but is a fast-paced, not boring, good movie. The photography is not impressive, special effects are not excellent, neither is makeup, costumes or the plot, just as it does not introduce novel cinematographic elements. In addition, Del Toro repeats himself in the concept he used in Pan's Labyrinth, which by the way, is an excellent film in all its elements. Now, although the film is not particularly sentimental and for some it might be creepy to think of a human copulating with an amphibian, its real value lies in its ability to give voice and visibility to those who are invisible in our society. There is much talk, for example, of the rights of gay people, but there is no talk of the immense loneliness they are subjected to, especially when they reach a certain age or stage of life. Little is said about the loneliness, isolation and rejection experienced by people with disabilities or those who do not conform to socially established stereotypes. Elisa, Giles and the creature itself - of which we never knew its origin, or its species, or its story - personify the most painful of all solitudes, the one that is experienced even when surrounded by others. The Shape of Water provides us with a glimpse into the lives of these beings who go through life surviving instead of living, with the ever weaker hope of finally being seen by someone. It is worth watching this movie with a reflective spirit.