[Review] The Shape of Water: Love Defines Humanity, Not Monstrosity

As a fan of director Guillermo Del Toro, I've eagerly anticipated his latest work, The Shape of Water, as one of my most awaited films of the past two years. With the film winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last year and garnering numerous nominations and awards late last year and early this year, my anticipation only grew. Ultimately, this film truly left me deeply satisfied and moved.

First, I'd like to thank 20th Century Fox for inviting me to a preview screening of The Shape of Water earlier this month. As Giles (played by Richard Jenkins) says in the opening narration, when we talk about this film, how do we begin? Director Guillermo Del Toro's past films have almost always involved monsters and ghosts, but The Shape of Water delves into themes including love, gender, sexual orientation, race, and religion, making it more adult-oriented and thematically mature than his previous works. Since its Venice premiere last year, many have compared it to the director's acclaimed predecessor, Pan's Labyrinth. After watching The Shape of Water, I found that aside from both being set during wartime and featuring female protagonists interacting with monsters, both films present their stories in a fairy-tale-like manner. The Shape of Water opens with Giles's narration about a silent princess, and those who have seen the film's synopsis and trailer know this princess is the protagonist, Elisa (Sally Hawkins).

The mute Elisa works as a cleaning woman in a high-security research facility. Her daily life is incredibly mundane: waking up, making breakfast, bathing, masturbating, greeting her neighbor Giles, going to work, and coming home. The director uses a montage here to convey Elisa's repetitive daily life, highlighting its dullness and loneliness. One day, her monotonous existence finally changes when she discovers a strange, amphibian-like creature (played by Doug Jones) held captive and studied in the institute. When introducing his appearance, the film first portrays him as mysterious and terrifying. Scientists describe this crucial "dangerous" creature, and we then see him slamming against the glass of his tank. Later, while Elisa and her colleague Zelda (Octavia Spencer) are working outside the lab, their superior, Captain Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), suddenly rushes out, clutching his bloody hand with two severed fingers. The mise-en-scène of these scenes, especially the gory moments, effectively builds a fearsome and dangerous image of this creature.

As the film progresses, we finally see the creature's other side through Elisa's perspective. Elisa takes risks, keeping it secret from her friends, bringing food and music to the creature, and forming a bond with him. She deeply sympathizes with the amphibian man's predicament and sees similarities between him and herself: both cannot express themselves verbally and are lonely, seemingly understood by no one. Elisa gradually falls in love with the amphibian man and, upon learning that Captain Strickland plans to kill him, decides to rescue him. But this is not the end of the story. Beyond some humorous mishaps at Elisa's home, the two develop an intimate relationship. I initially thought the film was rated R due to its violent scenes, but after watching, I realized it was likely because of the nudity and sensual moments. The film's ending also echoes its opening, concluding with Giles's narration. As a film about an amphibian creature, The Shape of Water's ending extends the film's fantastical elements, crafting a poignant and romantic love story, making the film truly feel like an adult fairy tale. The film concludes with an open ending; while the true fate of the protagonists and their future whereabouts may be unknown, human imagination is boundless, allowing us to envision their conclusion. Like Giles, I believe they will have a good ending, and even that they were destined for each other, which explains Elisa's scars.

As mentioned earlier, the themes explored in the film are more mature than the director's previous works. A major theme of the film is what defines us as human or monster, and Elisa and the amphibian man's story explicitly tells us that we can define ourselves by love. In the film, Elisa risks her life to save an amphibian creature she barely knows. When Giles advises her to give up and not save a creature that isn't even human, Elisa tells us that if we stand by idly, we don't deserve to be called human. What makes us human is our curiosity, love, and compassion for the world around us. Even when people or creatures we don't know suffer, we feel sad and want to help them find relief. In the film, suffering is not limited to the amphibian man; it extends to the mute Elisa, the often-discriminated-against Black woman Zelda, the gay Giles, and the passionate Russian spy Robert (Michael Stuhlbarg). Although these individuals come from very different backgrounds, they all live in their own struggles, feeling isolated, lonely, and pained. Even if Elisa cannot express herself verbally, Zelda's skin color is different, Giles's sexual orientation differs from the majority, and Robert serves an enemy government, they all possess compassion. They know how to love the people and things around them, and are even willing to give and sacrifice for them. All of this is sufficient to prove their humanity, and it tells us that physical condition, gender, race, sexual orientation, or political background cannot determine whether a person is good or bad; we are all inherently equal.

Conversely, in the film, Captain Richard Strickland clings to power, willing to kill the amphibian man and anyone who stands in his way to protect his position. As a white male, he views himself as superior, firmly believing that God created man in his image, and white men are precisely that image. Therefore, he believes the amphibian man does not deserve equal treatment; he is merely a creature to be exploited. He even views Elisa and Zelda as inferior humans, not worthy of comparison to him. Michael Shannon has played villains many times in the past, and this time he brilliantly embodies Richard's arrogance and contempt for others and other beings. Although Richard is human, he shows no love for suffering people or creatures; he cares only for his own glory, making him more monstrous than the amphibian man.

Since its premiere, the film has consistently been considered a strong contender for the Oscars in March. Admittedly, the film's themes may not be as closely tied to current social and political situations as some other Oscar frontrunners, and its critique might not be as sharp or memorable. However, as a film, The Shape of Water is absolutely comparable to other works in terms of technical skill; as a romance film, The Shape of Water is truly romantic and moving, making it undoubtedly one of the best films of the year. Set in 1960s America, the film perfectly captures the design of the streets, cinemas, and diners of that era, immersing the audience in that time. Beyond the art direction, the cinematography is also outstanding; just one shot in the ending captures its essence. At the same time, the film's score is excellent, especially the main theme music, which has a classical feel while also giving a magical, mysterious impression, even reminding me of Spirited Away's soundtrack, similarly capable of immersing the audience in a fantastical world. Additionally, the Oscars have always favored films whose themes relate to the film industry. The Shape of Water skillfully utilizes the cinema and music of that era, and the movie theater is also a very important setting in the film. I wonder if this will endear it to the judges?

Beyond the film itself, lead actress Sally Hawkins has been considered a strong contender for Best Actress for her performance. She plays the mute Elisa, speaking no dialogue, relying entirely on sign language and her eyes to convey her loneliness, her longing for love, and her optimism and perseverance. Although she falls in love with a being who is not a normal human, we can still see her love and concern for the amphibian man, and be moved by the joy she experiences when with him. As for the supporting cast, in addition to the aforementioned Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins's performance is equally brilliant. He plays a middle-aged gay man in the film, conveying a sense of melancholy and loneliness, and his reactions to discrimination and unfulfilled potential are enough to evoke audience sympathy and empathy.

For Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water is surely a very different viewing experience compared to his past works, and audiences will definitely feel the distinction of this film from his previous ones. Even if audiences are unfamiliar with the director's prior works, I believe they will be moved by this romantic and poignant love story, making it highly suitable for viewing on Valentine's Day in February. Even if you don't have a partner, you can immerse yourself in the film's fantastical world and experience that uniquely human emotion.