Thursday, January 13, 2022

The Dark World of "Nightmare Alley"

Cate Blanchett and Bradley Cooper

William Lindsay Gresham’s novel Nightmare Alley is a story that has intrigued and enthralled readers ever since it was published in 1946. The atmospheric tale of carnival hustlers, phony mediums, grifters and devious femme fatales was inspired by Gresham’s conversations with a former carnival worker he met while both men served with the Loyalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. Gresham was fascinated by the dark, seedy world of carnivals and sideshows and the men and women who worked at them. One of the readers that was captivated by the book was actor Tyrone Power, who, at the time, was at the height of his popularity as a romantic leading man in Hollywood, thanks to films like The Mark of Zorro and Blood and Sand.

Power wanted to star in a movie adaptation of Nightmare Alley, but 20th Century Fox studio chief Daryl Zanuck tried to dissuade the actor from making the film. Zanuck felt it would hurt Power’s status as a swashbuckling hero, despite the fact that the actor had just appeared in a change of pace role in a well-received version of The Razor’s Edge, based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Zanuck ultimately relented, and the film version of Nightmare Alley was released in 1947. Directed by Edmund Golding (who had also helmed The Razor’s Edge) the movie starred Power, Joan Blondell, Helen Walker and Ian Keith. While the film wasn’t a success upon its original release, this bleak and tragic tale, charting the rise and fall of carnival hustler Stanton Carlisle, is now regarded as a true classic of film noir, despite its studio imposed, somewhat “happy” ending.

Another person who loved the original novel and film was Ron Perlman. The actor introduced the book and the 1947 movie to his friend and frequent director/collaborator, Guillermo Del Toro. Del Toro felt an instant kinship and attraction to the story, and decided to put together a new adaptation of the novel, which would hew closer to the original book’s darker, downbeat ending. The project was in development for quite some time, but eventually the new version of Nightmare Alley, starring Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe and of course, Ron Perlman, was released late last year. Directed by Del Toro and co-written with his wife Kim Morgan, it’s a beautifully filmed and acted, deeply mesmerizing story. This version of Nightmare Alley may be in color, but there’s no doubt that this is truly a film noir.

Cooper stars as Stanton Carlisle, a drifter with a mysterious past who ends up working at a seedy, somewhat low-rent carnival. Carlisle is crafty and manipulative. He’s not above using his good looks and charisma to get what he wants, part of which is the secret code used by the carnival’s mentalist act, Pete and Zeena. The duo were once top tier performers, but have since fallen on hard times. Carlisle also has eyes for Molly Cahill, one of the other members of the carnival troupe. He convinces Molly to run off with him, and using the code he’s “acquired” from Pete and Zeena, Stan reinvents himself as “The Great Stanton,” a spiritiualist/mentalist, who gives readings and performs at high profile nightclubs, assisted by Molly. This puts him in the orbit of Dr. Lilith Ritter, a psychologist who just might be more crafty and ambitious than Stan. When the two join forces to use his “psychic” powers to bilk Lilith’s clients, it’s an alliance that will have devastating consequences for Stan, especially since he’s still haunted by some of the less than righteous choices he’s made in the past.

Del Toro’s version of Nightmare Alley is an ambitious and well-crafted work, combining his talent for eye-catching visuals with the terrific performances of a top-tier cast, led by Cooper as Stan, whose sense of pride blinds him to the dangers around him. This will lead to an epic downfall, causing him to sink much further down than he ever thought possible. Or was it his destiny all along? As an actor, Cooper has never been afraid to explore the darker side of his characters, and he’s excellent in the role. He’s matched by a masterful ensemble featuring Toni Collette, David Straithairn, Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman and Cate Blanchett as Lilith, who turns in an amazing performance that is the very embodiment of the classic femme fatale. The film’s visual splendor is provided by Del Toro and his production crew, who have done a spectacular job of world-building. It’s no surprise that Del Toro feels very much at home presenting the world of the carnival as a family unit, and a shelter for the misfits who perform there. 
The carnival’s seedy yet comforting milieu is contrasted by the foreboding design of the “real’ world, such as the hard-edged look and coolly cynical color scheme of Lilith Ritter’s office.

Nightmare Alley is a stunning achievement. I think it will take multiple viewings to truly breathe in all of the nuances in the excellent performances of the cast, the superlative direction by Del Toro, and the breathtaking design work on display in the film. 
The movie is certainly based on the original novel and (to some degree) the 1947 film version, but the richly textured story also features some original thematic touches that are inspired by the unique vision of Guillermo Del Toro. You can really see the connections between all three versions of this dark, very noir tale. Nightmare Alley is currently finishing up its run in theaters, and home video and streaming dates for the movie should be announced soon. This is one of the best films in Del Toro’s already impressive body of work, and is definitely worth checking out. Here’s a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5FGCv17i1E.=

No comments:

Post a Comment