Bluebeard's Castle by Anna Biller
Directors sometimes make excellent writers. They bring a certain eye to detail
that is somewhat different from other writers, and emphasize some kind of
character qualities and details that might not always be apparent in other
writers. Like the hilarious Liar
Mouth by John Waters, Anna
Biller’s Bluebeard’s Castle brings her director’s eye and penchant for
set details to her retelling of the cautionary fairy tale Blue Beard. Biller’s ability to capture the gothic setting in a kind of modern
day time is something she also does in her excellent film The Love Witch. Biller is meticulous about the setting and finer details about the
life Judith and the mystery man Gavin who sweeps her off her feet. Whether it
is the products they use, the decrepit castle they buy to rehab, or the
escalating violence that Judith experiences as she begins to uncover the
mystery of Gavin and his background, Biller’s revelation of these details
brought out the gothic elements of her story. While the book was disturbing
with elements of domestic violence and murder, there were also some romantic
elements that were incredibly sexy. I’m not really into romance books, but
found these elements fun and entertaining. I know that Biller was working on
making this a movie, which is why I think that this book works so well in
conveying the setting and character qualities of Judith and Gavin. As the
mystery of Gavin unfolds, I wanted to find out more and really couldn’t put the
book down. I became concerned about Judith’s well-being, which is also
something that was a concern about this book. I generally found her to be a
great character, but I also felt a little like she was kind of an Emma Bovary
type character, someone I also became a little frustrated with as she
repeatedly went back to Gavin. I must admit that it was a little far fetched at
how quickly Gavin swept Judith off her feet, and that despite being a
relatively well-known novelist, Judith seemed to fall for Gavin without really
knowing him. If anything, I think that shows the kind of manipulative nature,
love-bombing, and gaslighting that can go on in relationships. I did feel that
maybe she went back to Gavin one too many times, and that maybe in the film
version, this might be shortened a bit. Nevertheless, Bluebeard’s Castle has a lot of mystery, intrigue, atmosphere,
and romance. Gavin is a terrifying person, and while I did find some of
Judith’s actions a little questionable, I felt a connection and was generally
concerned for her as a character. I hope that Biller gets to make this movie,
because I would love to see what she does with the costumes and sets for this
one.
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