PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s 1892 short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, until last year. I was discussing favorite reads on Facebook and a friend of mine asked me if I read the tale, as it was one of her favorites. She said to me if you don’t love it, I’ll reimburse you the money you spend on it. I am not sure how I never knew about this one, but I immediately reached for my phone and searched Amazon to downloaded a copy. She didn’t have to reimburse me. This story didn’t disappoint, and it is one of my favorites now as well.
So, when I saw the news about Kevin Pontuti’s (read my interview with him here) adaptation of it, I knew I had to see it. What did I think? Read on for my spoiler free review!
The Yellow Wallpaper synopsis:
Jane, a writer and young mother, is prescribed a rest treatment by her physician husband John, who takes her to a remote country estate for the summer. She becomes obsessed with the peculiar yellow wallpaper in the bedroom he has chosen for her. In her isolation, she secretly writes about a woman trapped in the wallpaper—that she must free.
My Thoughts:
The opening scene of The Yellow Wallpaper is fantastic. I don’t want to give it away, but it definitely piqued my interest right away. Jane (Alexandra Loreth – read my interview with her here) a young new mother and writer, is brought to a beautiful remote estate by her husband John (Joe Mullins) for the summer. John brings her there to rest, as presumably she suffers from postpartum depression. He believes he has her best interest in mind by controlling her and basically not truly listening to Jane’s expressions of concern, which wasn’t uncommon during this time frame in history.
He picks this room for her with this tacky, odd, yellow wallpaper, which, she doesn’t feel comfortable in. She wants to switch rooms, but John insists on her staying in this one. At first, she enjoys the beauty of the estate, especially the outside. But, as time goes on, she becomes more and more consumed by this room. She locks herself inside more and more often, coming to believe that there is a woman trapped in the wallpaper that she must free. This is when the woman really begins to spiral down in madness. What happens to Jane? You may know, however, the ending is effective and stays with you long after the film.
The location of the story’s setting is breathtaking. It’s beautiful and peaceful. The colors used in the film are both rich and bold and aid in the telling of the story. Each scene has been carefully thought out, and it shows. There’s so much detail to the time period. Each performance is solid and believable and perfectly cast. The story is narrated by a monotone Jane. Some may have an issue with that as being boring; however, I did not. I believe that a monotone voice is the only way to narrate this dreary tale. This film is worth a watch, especially if you are a fan of the short story.
Final Thought:
The Yellow Wallpaper brings an original touch to Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story and does the 18th century tale justice. If you are a fan of the story, you will be a fan of this film.
