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Like any moody college English major, I once spent an entire summer engrossed in Gothic horror. While lounging on the beach, I read novels like Stoker’s Dracula—and, of course, I devoured the collected works of Edgar Allan Poe. Though it’s been quite a while since those moody college days, I still have a soft spot for Poe. And since director James McTeigue’s The Raven just happens to star one of my favorite actors, John Cusack, as the Gothic author himself, the film was a must-see for me—but it certainly isn’t a must-see for everyone.
When The Raven first encounters Poe (Cusack), he’s a well-known yet penniless author who’s returned to his hometown of Baltimore—and to Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve), the woman he loves. But as Poe begins planning to settle down and start a new life with Emily, something much darker is taking place around the city. A serial killer is hunting down victims, and it soon becomes clear that the murders have somehow been inspired by Poe’s works.
As the bodies pile up, Inspector Fields (Luke Evans) brings Poe in to assist in the investigation. Together, they try to follow the clues that the killer leaves behind—but when Emily is abducted, the case becomes much more personal for the troubled author.
Dark and grisly and spine-tinglingly suspenseful, The Raven is an engaging gothic thriller for the literary crowd. Especially in the beginning, as it’s developing the characters and their story, it has an entertaining touch of wit—particularly when it comes to Poe himself.
The murders, meanwhile, are appropriately horrifying—yet, even if you’ve read and studied and enjoyed Poe’s works, you might find that it’s sometimes shocking to see some of the darkest, grimmest parts of his imagination as they play out in gruesome detail on the screen. The horrors aren’t exactly frequent, but McTeigue holds little back when it comes to putting the gory details on display.
Still, while the tone may be dark and heavy, the cast members (especially Evans) offer up more than their share of wild performances and awkward overacting. Where Cusack is concerned, though, it seems to fit. It’s clear that McTeigue was looking for a Nicolas Cage kind of performance from the actor (complete with that ridiculous Cage-style hairdo), and Cusack somehow makes it work, giving the hard-partying author a hot-headed, booze-fueled swagger that makes him a fascinating character, while adding just the right touches of vulnerability to make him sympathetic.
Fans of Poe’s work, then, will enjoy seeing Cusack’s version of the author as he skulks on screen—and the language and literary references make it a guilty pleasure for lit geeks like me. If you’re not really the literary type, though, the performances might be too much and the horrors not enough. And the film just won’t have the same appeal.
Blu-ray Review:
The Blu-ray release of The Raven also includes a handful of extras. As you might expect, you’ll find the old standbys here—like six rather lengthy deleted / extended scenes and an in-depth (but not especially thrilling) commentary with director James McTeigue and his producers.
The disc also includes a number of behind-the-scenes features that offer fans a closer look at the film—from its inspiration to its production. Behind the Beauty and Horror is a short introduction to the film—one that’s pretty much unnecessary if you’ve already seen it (which is most likely the case by the time you check out the special features menu). The Raven Presents John Cusack and James McTeigue is a brief conversation between the director and star.
For a closer look at the production, you’ll want to watch The Raven Guts: Bringing Death to Life. This making-of featurette takes a look at everything from the cast and characters to filming in Eastern Europe. But if you want to learn more about the film’s score, you’ll want to skip ahead to Music for The Raven.
For literary geeks (like me), however, the most interesting feature is The Madness, Misery, and Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe, which gives a 10-minute overview of the author’s troubled life, the personal touches included in his stories, and the mystery surrounding his death.
While the extras featured on The Raven’s Blu-ray release aren’t exactly must-sees, they do include some interesting background information. So if you’re interested in learning more about Poe—or the movie itself—take a few minutes to skim through the extras.
