Coming off of one of my favorite horror movies of 2021, Antlers, Scott Cooper’s new film The Pale Blue Eye has been on my radar since it was mentioned last year. The film stars Christian Bale and is about a detective, Augustus Landor, looking into the murder of a young cadet at the United States Military Academy in 1830. Another young cadet offers to assist him in the case, the cadet being the now legendary Edgar Allen Poe (Harry Melling). What had all of the elements that peak my cinematic interest, The Pale Blue Eye was an atmospheric beauty adapted to screen brilliantly by Scott Cooper.
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The technical side of its filmmaking is top notch. The cinematography, especially the lighting, was one of the best I’ve seen in recent years. With many scenes occurring with candlelight as the only form of brightness, cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi managed to create unreal visuals while still allowing the audience to see just enough in each frame without it being too dark. There are some shots where we only see the silhouettes of Landor and Poe, where it can be easily seen amongst the extreme darkness of the backdrop. I was in awe as to how this film was shot and lit.
The film is a crime-drama with slow pacing that elevates every layer of the story that unfolds. More popular murder mystery films today like Knives Out and Glass Onion (still stellar films) keep the viewer engaged through the faster paced plot where The Pale Blue Eye takes a different approach and feels more like a slow burn Agatha Christie. The movie took its time introducing us to possible suspects as it pertained to Landor and Poe’s journey rather than investigative techniques. I am so happy Netflix produced a movie such as this with a more theatrical vibe.
The film has enough literary elements that pay tribute to Edgar Allen Poe while also allowing his character to be viewed in a new light. Given Poe says early on he believes the murderer must be a poet because of the symbolic nature of his/her crimes, the audience gets to see one of the most famous writers as a young cadet aiding in a case that sounds like a story he may have written. It does a great job of portraying a fictionalized story starring such an impactful historical figure.
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