First off I want to say (although one of the above reviewers mentioned it), it is blatantly obvious that this movie is inspired by the short story, not an adaptation of the short story. This has been done with countless films and pieces of literature. It is a very common thing to draw inspiration from either real life events and people or renowned fictional characters and retell their stories. The first clue is that the mother's name is Charlotte - coincidentally the same name of the famous author! And if you aren't certain at that point, later, in bed, Charlotte says she wrote a story called "The Yellow Wallpaper." One has to pick up on these little "hints" (aka blunt statements). Sometimes you gotta dig a little deeper, ya know?
The film makes reference to the attitude that female education is of no use and this is a very important part of the film because the short story was a very important piece of feminist literature. When Gilman wrote the story there were many of her peers that questioned her sanity. Gilman herself suffered from severe postpartum psychosis. People questioned her sanity because her fictional character in The Yellow Wallpaper experienced psychosis and they wondered if Gilman was mentally sound. This film is supposed to be inspired by both the life of the author and the important piece of literature with its own twist. The death of Charlotte's child in the film, rather than the true to life psychosis experienced by both the author and her fictional woman while their babies survived, is merely a symbol for the separation of a mother from her child and the mental anguish she experiences. And that is only the beginning.
Different taste is one thing but sometimes I wish some people would put more thought into the deeper meaning of things before they cast something aside.
Although I would have liked a bit more clarity towards the end, the movie is so psychologically intriguing, the acting is excellent, the emotional display so genuine, and the use of color is exquisite. I love the way it was shot. There is something scary even in that aspect of the film! The sound effects and music are wonderful. I was terrified! I watched it alone in the middle of the night. I had to stop it twice and smoke a cigarette because I was so tense!
It is so refreshingly different than the plethora of so-called horror films and psychological thrillers that rely upon gore or other elements that must top the previous films of its genre rather than setting it apart. This is truly a psychological thriller because the viewer is expected to - gasp - use their own mind to imagine, for example, what the hell is under that blanker towards the end ((shudder)) or what is in the dark (the scene where John went from room to room with that candelabra was too scary!), or what on earth is in that hole under the house! John simply reaching into that hole that I could barely make out was enough to make me scared! The director doesn't say, "I have no respect for my audience's ability to figure anything out or to use their own imagination since it has been all but destroyed by the over- stimulation of the senses of modern technology so I will show them everything and tell them everything and let them know when they should be scared or shocked." Bah. If you still have am mind that can stimulate ITSELF, see this film.
The film makes reference to the attitude that female education is of no use and this is a very important part of the film because the short story was a very important piece of feminist literature. When Gilman wrote the story there were many of her peers that questioned her sanity. Gilman herself suffered from severe postpartum psychosis. People questioned her sanity because her fictional character in The Yellow Wallpaper experienced psychosis and they wondered if Gilman was mentally sound. This film is supposed to be inspired by both the life of the author and the important piece of literature with its own twist. The death of Charlotte's child in the film, rather than the true to life psychosis experienced by both the author and her fictional woman while their babies survived, is merely a symbol for the separation of a mother from her child and the mental anguish she experiences. And that is only the beginning.
Different taste is one thing but sometimes I wish some people would put more thought into the deeper meaning of things before they cast something aside.
Although I would have liked a bit more clarity towards the end, the movie is so psychologically intriguing, the acting is excellent, the emotional display so genuine, and the use of color is exquisite. I love the way it was shot. There is something scary even in that aspect of the film! The sound effects and music are wonderful. I was terrified! I watched it alone in the middle of the night. I had to stop it twice and smoke a cigarette because I was so tense!
It is so refreshingly different than the plethora of so-called horror films and psychological thrillers that rely upon gore or other elements that must top the previous films of its genre rather than setting it apart. This is truly a psychological thriller because the viewer is expected to - gasp - use their own mind to imagine, for example, what the hell is under that blanker towards the end ((shudder)) or what is in the dark (the scene where John went from room to room with that candelabra was too scary!), or what on earth is in that hole under the house! John simply reaching into that hole that I could barely make out was enough to make me scared! The director doesn't say, "I have no respect for my audience's ability to figure anything out or to use their own imagination since it has been all but destroyed by the over- stimulation of the senses of modern technology so I will show them everything and tell them everything and let them know when they should be scared or shocked." Bah. If you still have am mind that can stimulate ITSELF, see this film.