The Shape of Water Explained: References & Homages
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ม.ค. 2018
- We point out all the hidden movie homages and references we can spot in Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, and we explain their significance. Sign up for SKILLSHARE: skl.sh/screenprism.
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Additional Work Cited:
* Nobil, Taryn. "Guillermo del Toro Calls ‘The Shape of Water’ a New Type of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’" Variety, 16 Nov. 2017.
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"If you talk cynical it's super easy to sound smart"
Sooo true.
Sometimes it feels like we have come to a point where the serious matters are treated as jokes, while jokes are taken seriously.
So true
rockyblacksmith - I think it’s because often it’s hard to talk about love in a way that doesn’t sound corny, film-wise. “Serious” filmmakers often shy away from traditional love stories...because they’re not taken all that seriously. I agree with his sentiment here, but it takes a master filmmaker like him to place love at the center of a film while also making an “intelligent” film. Finding the balance between hokey and intelligent must be a fine line to walk.
This got tweeted by Guillermo del Toro!
Couldn't agree more. A fairy tale for adults where the monster doesn't have to transform himself in order to get the princess. I've read somewhere that Del Toro specifically instructed Doug Jones to show his non-speaking character's masculinity through stance and mannerisms, as opposed to the shy and apprehensive gill-man Abe Sapien that Doug Jones played in Hellboy. Del Toro wanted the creature to seem grotesque at first, but actually kinda sexy
Well good thing the woman didn't turn into the same species/race as the xeno in this movie like in the end of Avatar/Shrek as Elsie has an advanced new way to breath
@Kyle White theres always one of you smartasses on videos like this.
@Kyle White How so? She was a mermaid found as a child in or by the water. Both sides of her neck have the same lines of scars where gills either never developed or were removed. He entire life, from masturbating in water, the water droplets on the window of the bus actually follow her finger, she was draw immediately to the water when he was brought into that horrible place and she could hear but not speak just like him. And she filled that room with the water because that is where she was most at peace. And I believe at the end he healed her and breathed life back into her. It was such a magical love story
This movie is so unconventionally beautiful. I didn´t really know what to expect when I went to watch it, but left the theatre with such a magical feeling. Also, I feel so proud and inspired when compatriots like Del Toro succeed in what they deliver.
Hola como estas ,yo soy de colombia ,me gusto bastante la movie tambien
I was curious about the use of the color teal. Its all over the film. It stood out to me from the beginning when the man at the bus stop had the cake and balloons. Almost every shot in the movie had some teal in it. Beautiful film
Max Messmer That was my first thought and it might be the full truth but i was wondering if there was more to it. The pie and the car both represented something different within the story and both were teal.
Eric Mata there have been different thoughts tossed around, but one theory is that blue represents pride (Refn has used it in films as a reminder of the Blue Narcissus - the classic painting by Caravaggio). Note how the film takes place in 1962, a time of great pride in the USA - right before the escalation of The Vietnam War and Kennedy’s assassination. Note how the military facility and Cadillac (for example) are in bluish (teal) hues, but the apartments are brown and relatively dark (except for the blue-toned TV ‘projecting’ into their homes).
Note that green is mixed in - color that means stale and occasionally envious - the pie, Strickland’s hard candy, and even the palette for advertisement (which was rejected).
With that said, blue can also represent fidelity (the water in the last scene?), so I’d be curious to hear what others say .
Just some thoughts...
But at the dealership, the salesman made it clear that there is a distinction between TEAL and GREEN. We see teal all over the research facility and in the guy's car, but we see green in the jello, the bad guy's candy, and the key lime pie. I think the green more represents perhaps that unrealistic, unattainable goal - such as the happy nuclear family, a partner who understands you, or being perfect at your job or something.
Teal = perfectionism & desire
Contrasted to
Red = acceptance and love.
Maybe.
Teal/Green represents water, but also shows how disgusting the surface world turns out to be. They said red represents love in the movie. I say the only exceptions are the red camera lights and the red phone in Strickland's office.
This narrator's voice is so pretty and soothing.
sifat shams the narrator was Giles, the neighbour.
TheCrayonMaster
What?
@@TheCrayonMaster I promise it is very hard for me to sleep in airplanes, but that music+voice at the beginning made me sleep at least 3 times now.
2 times I tried watching it but felt asleep within 3 minutes. Another I was trying to sleep but couldn't so I put the movie and same thing happened.
This weekend I watched the movie and didn't fell asleep yay.
Ps. Shams meant the voice of this channel which is also pretty
I rather liked the character Giles. While Elisa seems like a fish outta water, Giles seems like a man out of time. He mentions how he wishes he had more sex when he was younger and becomes excited when his hair comes back bringing back the feeling of youth. Since he is an old gay man he can't express himself like one could today and has had to deal with being closeted
Creepy Closet yes. Time was a key element in the film:
1. The characters are always looking forward to....the future
2. A clock, watch, bomb timer or the (now famous) calendar finds its way into every scene.
3. Elisa is always late - because she doesn’t ‘belong’ in the human world.
Fish out of water literally
He also said he feels like he was born either too early or too late for his own life, which is so true!
@El Guapo Calm down, kiddo. Isn't it past your bed time?
El Guapo Grow up. It seems like your underdeveloped brain is incapable of handling topics outside of your understanding. When this film is about so much more than what you just ignorantly said. It’s called a film for a reason, which means it does not have to be taken literally.
(watches the shape of water, cries twice)
(a few weeks pass)
oh! a screenprism video on the shape of water!
(watches it, cries again)
fatalfeline same here 😭
I cry whenever I think about this movie, tbh 😭😭😭
Same 😭
The first time i cried during a movie (I was about 6) was The Bride Of Frankenstein, when the monster escapes the town and finds refuge in the very small home - a shack, really, - of an old blind man. The man, very happy for company, cheerfully invites the monster inside. The monster laughs at the jokes, enjoys a smoke and the pleasant company of a friend. Soon, the townspeople arrive with torches and pitchforks, scream at the door informing the old man that his life is in danger and that he's harboring a monster. He shouts back "nonsense." So the townspeople burn down his shack in order to save him, and try to apprehend the evil monster.
I cried during the Busby Berkeley-style dance scene. Such a beautiful explosion of love and emotion. At the end of the movie I looked over at my husband and he was also in tears, so I knew this movie was special. Real, non-cliched romance isn't hard to do, but for some reason nobody can do it like this. There's beauty in darkness and I am so glad this movie exists to show us.
I knew after seeing it, that I would only ever describe *The Shape of Water* as a _film,_ and never as a _movie._ After watching this video, now I can properly articulate why that is. Thanks a ton for this.
Did anyone else pick up on the green theme in the stuff the villain touched and tasted? I noticed a consistent signal of disgust whenever I saw the color. The gross key lime pie made by that horrible man, the candies the villain ate, the green hand soap the villain used to wash his hands as his fingers slowly rotted, and even the Jell-O add the artist painted for his former employer who was disgusted by the artist for his sexual preferences. The villain's car was green too, or teal I guess. Envy/disgust?
Courtney: The teal/green are hybrid forms of yellow and blue, primary colors, and seem to mix in a manner that create setting via palette, then accentuate the storyline....
1. *YELLOW represents the present reality, specifically Strickland’s indoor home living space - including his wife’s clothing.
2. *BLUE in art has been used to represent narcissism. For example, on the lead up to 2016’s The Neon Demon, director/writer Nicolas Winding Refn pointed out Caravaggio’s Blue Narcissus, the classic painting in which the subject is wearing blue and staring at his reflection (to the point of starvation).
3. The pervasive *GREEN/TEAL in The Shape of Water, therefore, might represent the mixture of the present and the anticipated future set in a society that is probably too proud of itself - to the point of rejecting some components of reality.
4. Strickland spends the entire film in denial, as shown through his persistence with those green candies, the incorporation of other greenish items (including the teal car), and through various actions which are symbolically represented.
teal and green can also be seen as the popular colour of the time thought to represent the future what with scientists racing for the moon and the widespread of technological advances
I never noticed that, that's amazing!
Green could symbolize something like the evil within everyone the guy surving the green cake is really mean and evil on the inside he pretends to be good but he is a racist and a homophobe
damn, you're so smart that you caught all of that
Masterpiece. A film hasn't enraptured me this wholly in ages.
The shot where they are both in the water with her wearing the red coat: her ONE show falling off may be a shout out to Cinderella? She is a 'commoner' who has a happy ever after with 'royalty' right? Just a thought.....
Thought the same thing!
I thought it meant that she was leaving her life of walking on land behind, hence she wouldn't have a need for shoes anymore
I loved every second of this movie, it made me feel so much and... And connect with the character so much.... I am also so proud that it was made by a fellow Mexican.
I'm here for the key lime pie.
Think Story Ugh, not when it looks like that garbage. Key lime pie should never be crayola green lol. It's more yellowy
Most agree, it's like they used the wrong food coloring
Johnlindsey289 I mean you shouldn't use food coloring at all lol
Plenty in the fridge!
Sally Hawkins was great in this movie
R L papi mcpoyle did a good job directing too
Great acting she did
She's awesome in the Paddington films as well. All around charming actress.
I find it interesting that two fantasy movies that embraced love and humanity, and refused to be cynical, both won the Oscar for Best Picture; LoTR and this movie.
I have to admit, I love the actor for Giles a lot more than before now because after seeing his range from this to his character in Nightmare Alley, he really encompasses a lot of different aspects of masculinity.
I just watched this film, it was the best visuals and music choices I’ve seen, and the dance scene felt more authentic than LaLa Land
I think Del Toro' s work is visually stunning. Great work on this video!
It is a romance movie, a monster movie, a religious epic, a heist movie, a spy movie, a musical and science fiction too.
fantasy too
Takeaway: "That you can love the other" - the truest test of love. No expectations, no impositions, no conditions. Just embrace the other and love is enough. Metaphorical but TRUE.
The story of The Shape of Water can also be told through del Toro’s use of hands.
1. It was Strickland’s left (“sinister” in literature ) hand that was holding the electric baton. His pinky “I swear” and ring (marriage) fingers festered - in keeping with his inability to honor his pledge to keep the asset under control, or his marriage for that matter. A minor aside: the briefly-shown book the “Power of Positive thinking” (in “futuristic”blue) was held in his right hand.
2. Elisa’s hands were her means of communication, while the asset used them for healing.
3. Given the fact that proportionally there are more neural networks and topography within the human’s brain dedicated to the hands than for any other species, I guess the “creature” actually has quite a bit of “humanity.”
I think that Strickland’s pinky and marriage fingers rotted not to punish him for not keeping things under _control,_ exactly. Heck, the fact that he sees his wife and the Gillman as possessions to be controlled is pretty much his problem. I think it’s a way to show that he doesn’t understand the heart of marriage, that he doesn’t see his wife as her own person, which is rotting his relationship with her from the inside out. And the pinky finger rotting symbolizes that you can’t trust him to pinky swear- to keep a promise for somebody else’s sake- because he only cares about himself and will break any promise if it benefits himself. He’s untrustworthy.
Low-key best movie of the year
dyladino High key probably gonna get undeservingly passed over in the Oscars.
If something beats this movie at the Oscars, it'll be Three Billboards. An equaly deserving film.
At least he won best director at the Golden Globes
Get out was pretty good in symbolism as well but the theme is pretty realistic and scary
@@TomsThoughtsonThings It won :P
This channel wisecrack and ted ed make me excited to learn new things. Learning is life long 🖖🏾
chicchick13 tell some good channel name pls
The you definitely need to check out Vsauce, It's Ok To Be Smart and Crashcourse.
chicchick13 EXACTLY!
just write is cool too
"Cold War era Gaston" is absolutely my favorite description of that character.
The most magical movie of this decade.
If we exclude magic girl,than yes
O Mestre Das Artes Místicas I thought that was the artist
Grand Budapest :(
Yeah, I'm getting really tired of the litany of mute woman falls in love with monster movies. Do you actually know what cliche means?
Yeah and movies like TSOW rarely come by. I'm really happy it earned Best Picture at the Oscars
I loved this movie so much. Thank you for doing this.
This movie was a masterpiece a complete form of art. The metaphors are everywhere and it was so beautiful and emotional to see this film. It broke my heart, mend it and broke it again. Beautiful movie and totally deserving of its award
I always considered werewolfes to be more cool, but that gil-man looks sexy...I mean like a..great dude...fish
Vicente Ortega Rubilar i thought so too!
It's because he still retains the shape of a man.... Why do you think swimmers are the most sexualized athletes during the Olympics....
Vicente Ortega Rubilar couldn't agree more with you mate!
Right?? That dip from his back to butt, his full bottom, those curvy legs!
Vicente Ortega Rubilar just like in Hellboy!
Thank you for enriching our understanding of this beautiful film. I love the "run-down" charm of Eliza's and Giles's apartment building, a brilliant counterpoint to the 1960s headlong rush to the future---the cadillacs, the green gelatin molds---that animates the rest of the movie. Their hallway is beautifully telescoped, like a camera lens. The frank sexuality del Toro brings to Eliza's character, and her relationship with the creature, is refreshing. One of my favorite scenes: early in the film, Eliza walks to the bus stop, to get to her night shift at the facility. The shoe store (where she espies a beautiful pair of red shoes) is closing, and the TV store, with its lovely green neon sign, shows a bank of gloriously analog television sets. As Eliza approaches the bench to wait for the bus, a sad-looking man sits with balloons, holding a cake with a single slice cut from it, his tie undone. Did he celebrate his birthday alone? We see his balloons again as the bus pulls away. The image has such piercing charm, showing us midnight's strangely beautiful denizens, revealing the richness beneath our days.
I just really love how despite theres a lot of adult themes going on, blood, torture and even a monster, I do not feel scared at all. Just influx of emotions. It's a movie I actually FEEL from the start to the end. It might not be for people who prefer more action based and such though. U have to really appreciate story-telling to watch this movie
The scene in the toilet when Michael Shannon wash his hand before taking a piss. Is a homage to Guillermos friend/actor Santiago Seguras spanish movie Torrente.
Shanon even says the exact same thing as the actor from Torrente.
I was the only one who started to lol in the cinema :P
Zissou Moonshot That's all I could think about the whole time I watched Shape of Water.. I completely understand a director throwing in a "nod" or two, but when the film is ladden (or leaden?) with them, it speaks to their lack of creativity. I feel the same way about a lot of TV programmes (American Horror Story comes to mind).
That the Academy honoured this film above all others just goes to reaffirm my decision the past decade or so to skip the awards telecast. I tuned in to see if the "indie" (original) films like CMBYN or Get Out would win against Pixar and normal, garbage Oscar fodder. Answer: a resounding No!!
Zissou Moonshot I still haven't seen that one!! I liked Get Out a lot. Original plot - although cheesy sometimes- simple, yet layered enough with complex social issues, dark humour, and horror.. I'll never forget the scene where he sinks into the floor - creeps the !#$@ out of me!! Plus, unlike TSOW, it will be remembered as the Zeitgeist film of the year and the BLM era. But really, anything would be better than a hodge-podge collage of someone else's work :-/
If you keep spamming that statement, maybe you'll convince us all that you are right /s
This is the first time I've ever watched one of your videos AFTER seeing the movie first. It was a real treat.
I can't remeber the last time I enjoyed a movie this much. It's so sensuous and visually pleasing.
Thank you for all the insightful explanations. One does come away from the film feeling them but one does not know how to articulate these feelings. Your brilliant analysis puts these feelings into words and makes everything we have seen come together.
The opening shot of the girl floating over the bed is also a clear reference to Tarkovskys MIRROR ;)
Guillermo definitely made his masterpiece with this movie.
Agree with del Toro, I've always been disappointed when Beast becomes human.
Another visual influence is Bioshock the game, he already play the videogames. Thanks for the video.
That's what i thought when i saw this movie is a bit like Bioshock
Favorite movie of the year with my favorite TH-cam channel of the year!! Never clicked a video so fast.
Best movie of 2017! Should win the Oscar
And it did win the Oscar! For best film and best director.
There are very few films I watch more than once and rarely a movie deserving of a yearly viewing. Del Toro's Shape of Water is one of the most brilliantly directed films I've seen in decades. The casting, set design, script... everything just flowed and the true measure of directorial brilliance became evident. I love this movie :)
I actually saw the film almost an hour ago,feeling lucky,thank you ^^
This channel is pure proof that quantity doesn't equal quality.You guys make better videos than most popular channels out there I hope you reach 1million+ subscribers soon you deserve it for sure
Ditto!
Del Torro is absolutely brilliant with his love and honesty in his art.❤ This and Pan's Labyrinth are stunning in all aspects.❤
Del Toros storytelling is do beautiful and well planned
I absolutely love watching this channel's videos. Every new upload makes me so excited!
I saw this movie today. Sally Hawkins is so mesmerizing, I think I'm in love.
Great acting
Amazing! Can you do Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name next, please?
We're working on both!
What a beautiful human being del toro is. A real mensch
When Michael Shannon shoots him by the end of the film, I instinctively yelled: "FISHPERSON, NOOOO!"
💜
Awesome work, made me appreciate the movie a whole lot more
I loved this movie so much when I first watched it. And then when I shared my thoughts about it on my social media, every single of those people who claim to be absolutely enlightened when it comes to movie knowledge made fun of my thoughts and the movie. I was convinced that day that they weren't full of knowledge on movies, they are just incredibly chauvinistic and shallow to be able to grasp the beauty of this movie.
Loooved this movie!
Another homage that I noticed was the opening monologue, which is a take on the opening of Phantom of the Paradise
This film is brilliant
I described this film to my friends as magical, beautiful, and a nostalgic homage to films of the 40s. Your analysis brings into focus some of the subliminal images I didn't fully appreciate at first viewing. It is a fairy tale for our time.
I just watched this and it was so amazing!!! Guillermo del Toro hit it out of the ball park again!
congratulations Best Picture/Director!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I also got quite a bit of Amelie from the style of the movie.
One of my all time favorite movies!! Thank you for covering it. 🥰
I'm so happy and thankful we have Mr. Del Toro making true art and kicking cynical Hollywood in its ass.
This has been one of my favorite love stories!
I knew there was something to the full frontal nudity/sex as welk as gore. in such a movie that is ultimately a romance, an adult fairy tail, an enchanting and sentimental movie. And you helped understand why this is so
An incredible film deserves an amazing video essay! This is so well done.
Del Toro has done it again 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
The “she joins his world” angle also reminds me of a few Angela Carter short stories, such as The Tiger’s Bride and The Courtship of Mr. Lyon, where the beauty becomes a beast.
I picked up on that too!
Awesome video! (My opinion the best of 2017) thank you for explaining , I didn’t catch the egg reference, Samson and Delilah, and “the creature here is literally the shape of water” this makes the movie even better
Saw this film 3 times and love it more each time. Thanks for the analysis!
Yo you definitely deserve more subscribers solely for the quality and quantity of work you put out consistently.
I went to see it yesterday and was so excited it was a beautiful film I loved it everything about it was great
One of the points they missed is it feels like a 50's "B" movie that's going on in the room next door.
As if there is some massive "save the world"" scenario, but we are just looking at the little people, while the heroes and leads are doing something elsewhere. I also think there is a distinct French flavour throughout, over the top of the American one, particulalrly in the beautiful score.
Also you might forgoten the film noir (many) references... And the mermaid (del toro usual reversal of fairytales)
As for colors...
Teal = perfectionism & desire
Contrasted to
Red = acceptance and love.
Maybe.
I've watched this video so many times. Its so beautiful. Thank you for making this video
Beautiful explained! Loved every second of it.
There was a film festival in my city in October, I watched this then, it was different and amazing :)
I see a couple of visual nods to "Delicatessen" (1991) too.
WHY IS THERE NO LOVE BUTTON! 😩
I went on here curious about the movie since I fell in love with the movie. Watching this video, I think I found a new appreciation for the movie than I ever thought possible. Thank you so very much!
This movie warmed my heart. Seeing this video gave me so many chills. Loved the movie, loved your video. ❤
its pretty much reverse "the little mermaid". a woman falls in love with someone whom is another race, but is unable to communicate her love with words to him.
Loved this, keep up the amazing work!
This movie is a masterpiece
with budget only 19.5 million USD!!
It has been a few week that I discovered your channel and I'm so in love with this concept!! I can't help myself analyzing stuff (art, films, books...) as I ma a letter student. Thank you so much for all your videos (plus I think that Shape of Water is a wonderful movie)
One of the deepest movies by one of the best directors.
Nice morals, symbolism, meaning, art, soundtrack, storytelling, character representation, lead characters (especially Elisa and the Asset),...etc
Such a really good and a bit underrated movie.
I'm surprised you didn't mention anything about The Little Mermaid. It's very much like Disney's The Little Mermaid in reverse.
And what about Wolf Children?
Anna Beno It’s closer to “Splash”, since both of those films involve a creature of the sea getting captured by evil government scientists and the creature’s human lover joining him or her under the sea where the human lover is able to breathe thanks to an underwater kiss.
But I can understand the similarities between “Little Mermaid” and “Shape of Water”, since “Splash” is basically a modern day version of the former.
The Little Mermaid is originally by Hans Christian Andersen. Most of Disney's movies are from literature or folklore, like the Grimm brothers' compilation.
Great content here. Thanks. I just finished watching this film.
I love this! Awesome video!
The analysis and narration are almost as beautiful as the film itself. Very well done. :-)
Just found your channel and I'm really surprised there's no video about Mr. Robot. I just started watching it and love it. There's so much to say about it.
very tender indeed
Great Video, I loved this movie. Now I even love it more!!!
I wasn't going to watch this movie, now I will watch the shit out of it.
Guillermo Del Toro is a wonderful person
Great review The Take!
I love how Del Toro reimagine the classic monster movie in a whole new and unique way
I also like to think that way. If you look at it in a different light, you like the idea altogether
:3
wow good video! thanks!