• Crimson PeakFilm Review: Crimson Peak

    Director: Guillermo del Toro

    Release date: October 2015

    Plot summary: 10-year-old Edith Cushing, who didn't get to properly say goodbye to her mother because of the closed casket, is visited at night by her ghost. The monster warns her about "Crimson Peak". 14 years later, the now would-be novelist encounters a charming English baronet, Sir Thomas Sharpe. Although her father does not sanction the match, his sudden death - murder - removes any obstacle. Edith, Thomas - and his sister Lucille - thus leave America together to start their new life in the family manor in England. But her mother is not the only ghost Edith is bound to encounter in her life...

     

    As I am supposed to be working on my Master's dissertation - about Jane Austen and Ann Radcliffe - I found myself, of late, doing my best to avoid the subject almost entirely and finding always new ways of culturally entertaining myself instead of actually reading the books... This led me to discover - and incidentally become a huge fan of - Tom Hiddleston (a long review of the Thor series is coming soon(er or later)). Browsing through his filmography, I discovered that he had actually taken inspiration from The Mysteries of Udolpho (the supposed topic of my dissertation) and other gothic romances for his character in Crimson Peak. That was, then, the perfect excuse for me to watch this hugely handsome talented actor while somehow documenting *cough cough* the atmosphere of gothic romances.

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  •  

    The Lovers of Reading Abbey

     

    The Lovers of Reading Abbey - part 5

     

    Actually, there were three flowers shops in the main street of Reading. Anne went in the first shop and asked if they sold yellow roses. They didn’t, neither did the second shop. But the third one did! With her charming smile she asked the owner of the shop who bought yellow roses. He told her that there was only one person. His name was John Wolf, and he lived in a beautiful house near Reading.

    Anne immediately deduced that this John Wolf was obviously Mrs. Hamilton’s lover!

    She went to his house which was real pretty and welcoming. She found him in his garden and introduced herself as Frederick’s friend. Then Anne asked him a few questions about the General:

    Just before I visit you, I went downtown to find the only flower shop which sells yellow roses. The owner told me that you were the only person who buys them. Reading Abbey is a mysterious place and I’m sure that there is something strange about the death of Mrs. Hamilton. I found some clues and I’m searching for proofs. The gardener told me that it was forbidden to have yellow flowers in the Abbey, but he happened to see Mrs. Hamilton with some. I was thinking that she may have a lover who gave her the roses.”

    To be completely honest with you, your suspicions were right. Indeed I was Susan Hamilton’s lover. It’s me who sent her yellow roses because she was not allowed to buy any by herself. I’m really surprised that I’m not the only one who thinks that there is something wrong with this Abbey. Twelve years ago, Susan and I met and we fell in love. She was one of the most incredible creatures I had ever seen in my life. We decided to elope with her three children during the night she died. We had an appointment at the exit of the town, but I never saw her coming. During the following day, I learnt that she died because of a broken step.”

    Anne was shocked about what she was hearing. The husband might have been jealous of her lover and decided to kill her. He could have pushed her in the stairs.

    And what do you think about the General? I mean, he scares me a lot!”

    I always thought that it was him who killed my Susan. Who else could it be?!”

    Yes of course he was one of my suspects! But, I mean, if you are the only person who buys yellow roses, why did I find a yellow petal in front of Mr. Swan’s room?”

    Mr. Swan? Oh yes I understand now. Matthew is the brother of the man you spoke to in the flowers shop. He only told you who buys what in his shop, but his brother doesn’t need to buy them. But it makes no sense, why did he have yellow roses? He never ever liked Susan! Unless… Do you think it’s insane to believe that she is still alive? ”

    Suddenly, Anne remembered the noises that she heard when she just arrived in the Abbey and realized something terrible. The noises weren’t simple noises like a crack or something. No, they sounded like a female voice! Therefore if Susan was alive, she must be in the old wing. And if the butler wasn’t there, the night the accident happened, the General must be guilty! He wasn’t brave enough to kill her, so she became his prisoner. Therefore Mr. Swan brought her food every night when everyone was asleep. It explained everything! General Hamilton could live his love story with the butler without any witnesses. There was just one strange thing. Why did Matthew have yellow flowers? Anne thought that he must have some remorse and brought her very often some yellow roses, so she can keep some hope.

    I’m so sorry to interrupt you but I have to go. It’s almost night and every one must be waiting for me. I think I have the answer to your question, sir.”

     

    She rushed at the Abbey. After dinner, she waited in her bedroom until everyone fell asleep, and ran to the old wing. There, in a big bedroom, she found Mr. Swan with Mrs. Hamilton who was crying.

    You! I knew it was you!” Anne cried.

    When the butler heard the sound of Anne’s voice, he left the place as fast as he could. Anne didn’t pay attention to it because she had to save Mrs. Hamilton. The prisoner told her the whole story, exactly the same as Anne had imagined in her head.

    The “savior” went to Frederick and Charlotte’s rooms, and woke them up! In ten minutes, everyone in the Abbey was awake. They all rushed, including the General, to the old wing. Everyone was shocked about what they saw. It was the first time Emma saw her mother. Mrs. Hamilton was tired but really happy and relieved to finally meet her children again.

    The reunion was short because they heard someone screaming in the kitchen. Indeed it was Catherine who had found Mr. Swan hanged. He had committed suicide because he felt too ashamed about what he had done. Actually, when he had escaped from Anne, he was too scared to run away and had so many regrets, therefore he had killed himself. However just before, he had written a letter to the family where he said that he was sorry and he had remorse. He didn’t want to hurt anyone but because he loved the general so much, he did everything he told him to do. Everyone was focused on the corpse and the letter. The General took advantage of this mess to run away from the Abbey. The family decided to go to the police who started to look for him.

    Frederick felt very embarrassed and suggested to bring Anne back in her family. However, she refused. Frederick’s mother was really afflicted and they needed some help to start afresh. Therefore, Anne decided to stay. It was a new opportunity for them to spend time together and on the 31st of March, they finally got married.

    The police finally found out that General Hamilton had bought a ticket for the boat named The Titanic. The boat had just left Southampton on the 10th of April 1912, two days before, at a quarter past twelve.

     

     

    THE END

     


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  • The Lovers of Reading Abbey

     

    The Lovers of Reading Abbey - part 4

     

    Anne was very upset with this investigation. While she was looking the next day for a portrait of the mother, she arrived in the General’s office. It was an austere place. Everything was dark and organized. She didn’t find anything expect a mysterious key that was on his desk. She noticed that it was pretty old; therefore it must open an old chest or something where the General kept some secrets. He may not have killed his wife, however, there was something shady about him. She took the key and brought it back in her room. Despite her fear, Anne woke up during the night, walked down the stair and tried to find the matching chest in the house. While she was walking discreetly in the corridor, she heard a conversation between two men in the General’s room. She immediately recognized the butler’s voice. Indeed the General and the butler where together in the middle of the night in the General’s bedroom! Anne was shocked about what she discovered. Both were speaking about their relationship.

    You know how much I love you. I don’t want to be separated from you.” said Mr. Swan.

    If you continue to do your duty, there is no reason for us to be separated.” answered the General.

    I will do everything for you, my love.”

    Anne understood that they had an affair together! General Hamilton was in love with Matthew Swan!

    She was petrified and decided to go back to her room. She didn’t sleep, she couldn’t! Anne didn’t really know if Frederick or Charlotte or any other member of the family knew about it! She was sure that if Frederick knew something he would have told her. He loved her. And did it have anything to do with Mrs Hamilton’s murder?

     

    The next night Anne wanted to find some proofs about what she was suspecting. She was upset about this murder! Mrs. Hamilton couldn’t fall down the stairs! If, as the General told her, the old wing was old and dilapidated, why did she have her room there? The Abbey must have an architect or a plan where there were dates of buildings and repairs. She did the same thing as the previous night, but she heard some footstep noises which were coming from the corridor of the old wing. She was intrigued: Was someone supposed to be awake in the middle of the night? Who could it be? Everyone was supposed to be asleep.

    She tiptoed to the old wing and saw a masculine outline. The man was wearing a black fitted coat and some white gloves!

    The only person that could wear gloves in the Abbey was the butler, Mr. Swan!

    Anne didn’t understand what was going on. The General forbade anyone to go there. Therefore why did the butler go in the old wing in the middle of the night? There must be something there that was hidden or something like that.

    She came back in her room and saw the mysterious key that she had found previously. She decided to find the matching chest during the next day. Maybe she could go in General Hamilton’s room. It was the place where she imagined that she could find much clues.

     

    During the following day, she slipped inside Frederick’s father’s room. She began to search in the drawer of a closet. However she didn’t find anything. Suddenly, she saw that there was an old chest which was in front of the bed. She came nearer and noticed that it matched the key. Despite her fear, she began to turn the key and opened the chest. She found in it very aged papers. Anne thought that it was some parchments or something like that, which was talking about the Abbey. Indeed it wasn’t. The chest contained one a-century-old laundry lists.

    Anne was really disappointed about that. She believed that it would be something interesting.

    As usual, she came back in her room, put the old key on the table next to her door and read one of her novels. At eleven o’clock, someone knocked on her door. It was Frederick who wanted to know if everything was alright. Unfortunately for Anne, she was a very bad liar and he saw the old key on the table:

    Why do you have this key? Where did you find it?” said he.

    Oh! I found it in your father’s office…”

    Excuse me?”

    Frederick, I think there is something wrong in this Abbey and I try to find what it is.”

    I’m sorry but I think your read too many novels! This key is from a chest that belonged to my grand-mother. And you are not allowed to search in my father’s room!” said he really angrily, “I am very disappointed about you!”

    Anne was shocked about this conversation. But her goal was to absolutely find the secret of this Abbey. When she was walking to go in the dining room for lunch she stopped in front of Mr. Swan’s room. In front of this room, in the corridor, there was a yellow petal from a rose. She didn’t believe what she saw. It was impossible! Instantly, she remembered that the gardener had told her that it was forbidden to have yellow roses in the Abbey because the General couldn’t stand them! So why was there a yellow petal in front of the General’s lover’s room? Anne must investigate about those flowers. She decided to go downtown to see if there was a flower shop who sold yellow roses. They may know something!

     

    The Lovers of Reading Abbey - part 4

     


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