Looking Into Classic Vampire Movies: Part One – Cronos (1993)

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE SECRET TO ETERNAL LIFE?

PopHorror is taking a look back at some of the most classicly told vampire tales. In part one (you can see part 2 here and part three here), we’re going back to 1993 to remember the greatness that is Cronos. In honor of the ’90s classics, I would definitely include Cronos to my collection.

Guillermo del Toro’s first film is a profound, heartbreaking story that manages to be invigorating, provocative and incomparable, while captivating that intense horror atmosphere. I’d say Cronos is one of the most imaginative films in Mexican horror. The story is an original take on the vampire legend. Although it is a rather overlooked and underrated film, this film is pleasantly unpredictable and rich in symbolism, which leaves room for discussion.

Del Toro manages to capture the true essence of cinema with his skills at masterful direction, as well as working with low budget and simple frames. For this story, he has taken the classic vampire theme and combined it with the concepts of mechanics, human desire, and lust for eternal life – with apt representation of ancient Egyptian mythology using the scarab beetle to represent rebirth. It refers to the tearing away of old flesh and revealing the new flesh beneath… being reborn.

Even though the film is not gory, Cronos manages to desecrate the mind and psyche of the viewer, altering their states of mind and making them rethink what it means to be human. The film plays on the emotions of the viewer and puts them in an empathetic mode for the character played by Federico Luppi.

The horror scenes were superbly executed with impressive cinematography and make-up effects. The added humor being rather refreshing, and apart from the subtitles, this movie is captivating from start to finish. Each scene is skillfully filmed as Del Toro jumps between the two families and locations, switching from English to Spanish. There are undertones of addiction and body horror, which are all complimentary to the masterful creation of Cronos.

Cronos was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth 2006) and starred Federico Luppi (Pan’s Labyrinth 2006), Ron Perlman (Hellboy 2004) and Claudio Brook (The Exterminating Angel 1962). This is a horror with a unique vampire spin, the main focus being a mystifying mechanical device that provides the owner with eternal life, leaving a trail of destruction in its path.

Trivia Time:

• Apparently all of the original Cronos props and creations for this film were stolen upon completion of the production. They were never recovered and the only items del Toro owns are the replicas.
• The film budget was originally $1.5 million and went way over budget to $2 million – the highest budget for a Mexican movie at the time. Half a million of del Toro’s own money was put into the production through bank loans.
• The mechanical objects and special effects were created by del Toro’s own FX company, Necropia. The company is no longer operating, but was functional for 15 years.
• Vampire of the Grey Dawn was the original title of the film when del Toro began writing his script in 1984.
• The skin that Federico Luppi pulls off his forehead resembles a beetle, or in this case, a mechanical scarab.

   

Let us know what you think and if you haven’t watched it yet, make a note to add this to your collection – you won’t regret it!