I've watched this movie many times (and love it) and what stikes me the most is how claustrophobic the house makes you feel. There's so many things in it to make you feel trapped. Nice and creepy. Anyone else get this feeling when watching Gaslight?
"I was feeling well enough to eat the pears." -Lizzy Borden
Yes, there's a lot of clutter. Not minimalist like today's style.
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"Hi, hi, hi there! At last we meet."
ALL,
This is the first time, I watched this film, so I want to watch it several more times to get the feel for it before I comment. But yes, I too, noticed how cluttered the house is also, and the feeling of claustrophobia it brought to the screen. I think having alot of clutter was the in style for the well off and rich in the Victorian era!! Sort of like a status symbol. My house has more possessions than yours!! I noticed this in other Victoria era horror films as well!!
Anthony
I think that the drawing room, in particular, was meant to look overly-cluttered to highlight how claustrophobic and suffocating her home life really was. She was a prisoner in her own home and forced to suffer daily ignominy in front of her servants in that room. I looked at the drawing room as being the epicenter of all her misery.
On an other design note, I loved how at almost every opportunity, there was a gaslight in the shot, whether in the foreground and off in a corner, or, anywhere else, there was almost always a gaslight in view. And they were not being shown in an obvious "look out! here it comes, folks!" kind of way either.
I just re-watched the 1940 version, and the main setting (the interior of the house) is similar and has the same effect, obviously another reason MGM tried to suppress the earlier version, so no one would notice how much the 1944 version 'borrowed' from its predecessor.
"'Nature,' Mr. Allnut, is what we are put here to rrrrrriiiiise above!"
I watch this film almost every night, before we go to bed. I'm addicted to it. I usually watch either "Gaslight", or "Shadow of a Doubt". But, I love the romance and suspense (even though I know both films by heart by now!) of "Gaslight".
shareVictorian domestic interiors were defined by 'horror vaccui" and the clutter was typical of the period. Even more cluttered was how the lady of the house would dress to match the clutter of her home decor. Lots has been written in the 90s of the domestic space and the female role in the Victorian home. Check it out, it is quite fascinating.
-- Ew lover, you gonna make me clutch my pearls --