My introduction to director Christophe Gans came in 2001 with the film that put him on the map, Le Pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf). What I witnessed was a motion picture of startling magnitude; a film loaded with awe-inspiring cinematography, intense action and adventurous storytelling. To put it in a more blunt fashion, it is daring, exciting and sexy (yes, I said sexy!). Although some may feel differently about the film, Le Pacte des loups is one of my all time favorite films. When I learned that Gans’s next project would be a big screen adaptation of the popular survival horror video games, Silent Hill, I was exhilarated. Finally, we will have a film of this rather mediocre genre (Resident Evil, Alone In The Dark, Super Mario Bros. anyone?) that will possibly achieve some artistic merit!
The film’s plot does not directly follow any of the storylines from the four games in the series, but it takes the same path. Rose Da Silva (Radha Mitchell) has a bit of a problem, her daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland) has a tendency to sleep walk in the middle of the night and her condition is getting worse. During one of these spells, she screams out something about a West Virginia town by the name of Silent Hill. After doing some research, Rose feels that a little trip to this mysterious town might be the cure to Sharon’s problem (don’t ask why, its not fully explained). When arriving at Silent Hill, Sharon mysteriously disappears. Rose searches for Sharon and follows what appears to be a silhouette of the little girl. Rose eventually learns that Silent Hill isn’t exactly a great vacation spot, as she discovers that it\'s swarmed with creatures and a living darkness that abolishes anything that it touches. Rose meets up with Cybil (Laurie Holden), a cop who is willing to help, and a small group of townspeople who seek refuge in a church as she desperately seeks out Sharon.
Applauded by many gamers for its emphasis on frightening atmosphere and deep plot and character development, the Silent Hill series stands apart from other games in the survival horror genre and Gans’s cinematic interpretation stands apart from other movies in the video game adaptation genre. For those who are worried about whether or not this talented director would be able to capture the signature look and feel that the games are known for, fear not, as soon as Rose and Sharon hit the town, the gloominess and macabre of Silent Hill take over. By day it’s a quiet and foggy ghost town covered in soot. When the siren blares and darkness falls, the white silence is replaced with a sinister and chaotic aura of evil that is guaranteed to send chills down the viewer’s spine. Lets not forget the creatures of course! That same evil that lurks throughout the town is then followed by evil manifestations so terrifying and so grotesque; any diehard horror fan will bring Clive Barker to mind! The score is a great accompaniment to all of this madness. It is arranged by composer Jeff Danna and consists of many of the memorable pieces of music found in the games!
Although I highly praise Gans for doing his homework and delivering a film that captures the look and feel of the games, there are some deep flaws here. For instance, the acting is rather vanilla. Meaning that we’ve seen it all before! Radha Mitchell gives a performance that seems to just “go through the motionsâ€. She runs, cries, asks a ton of questions, then runs and cries some more. Laurie Holden gives us the same feeling with her performance as the no-nonsense tough as nails female cop. Perhaps the only two outstanding performances in this film were Jodelle Ferland, who works the “creepy little girl†template in a manner that rivals Daveigh Chase’s performance in The Ring, and the always spectacular Deborah Kara Unger, whose portrayal as Dahlia, the outcast of the townspeople, is utterly dark, enigmatic and brooding. Other than that, be prepared for some shallowness and moments of unintentional comedy.
The other issue I had with Silent Hill was the obsolete subplot involving Christopher Da Silva (Sean Bean) as he searches for his wife and daughter. From what I’ve gathered, the character and his dilemma was written into the script after it was approved. If this sidebar were removed, it would probably have little to no effect to the main premise of the movie. It fails to deliver and makes you feel that it was a complete waste of time and added little to no depth to the story (on the other hand, it does help leave room for a sequel).
Even though the “run of the mill†performances may seem to be a hefty factor, Silent Hill is a display of passionate filmmaking. Its isolated and downright frightening atmosphere makes it the best “video game to film†adaptation of the entire genre. With all of the tie-ins and references, having some knowledge about the games may help. Nonetheless, Christophe Gans has presented a visual treat that is feast for the eyes!
"Silent Hill" opens April 21, 2006 and is rated R. Horror. Directed by Christophe Gans. Written by Roger Avary. Starring Laurie Holden, Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Jodelle Ferland, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coates.
