As a cinephile who has spent countless nights delving into the depths of horror cinema, I can confidently say that “The Beyond” is one of those rare gems that manages to leave an indelible mark on your psyche long after the credits have rolled. This Italian gem, directed by the maestro of gore himself, Lucio Fulci, is a testament to his unparalleled vision and mastery over the genre.
New Orleans city stands unique compared to others due to its enigmatic atmosphere filled with legends and mysteries. The tales of Marie Laveau, rumored to be the Voodoo queen, and the way death is revered in places like Congo Square and St. Louis Cemetery have turned this city into a magnet for tourists captivated by Southern Gothic charm. Moreover, it’s not just myths and legends that make New Orleans intriguing; there are numerous true, eerie events, such as the story of Allen Robicheux, a resident from Baton Rouge who buried himself in his home crypt in 1973 and took his own life. His final resting place, adorned with items suggesting a secret life as a voodoo practitioner, remains an enigma to this day.
In 1981, filmmaker Lucio Fulci delved into the realms of mystery and chilling horror, setting his own unique spin on it in New Orleans, known as America’s Voodoo heartland, with the movie titled The Beyond. Known alternately as Seven Doors of Death, The Beyond is one of Fulci’s most acclaimed works, a film that exudes an eerie ambiance, enhanced by its setting and the traditional haunted house theme. The Beyond caters to both viewers who crave visually gruesome scenes and those who appreciate the atmosphere and enigma associated with Southern Gothic literature. With elements of the supernatural and grotesque, Fulci masterfully combines these elements in a narrative that transcends understanding.
A Haunting Opening Sequence
A common criticism leveled at many of Lucio Fulci’s movies is that while they deliver visually striking scenes, they tend to lack a unified narrative structure. However, this critique does not apply to the film The Beyond. In fact, the movie’s opening sets up much of the mythos that will be explored throughout its runtime. The story unfolds in New Orleans in 1927 and is presented in sepia tones to emphasize its historical distance from our present day. The narrative commences with a scene that is familiar to fans of Fulci’s work, featuring a gruesome instance of mob justice against a man named Schweick, who is accused of being a warlock. He is subjected to beatings with chains and crucified within the walls of the Seven Doors Hotel.
In my perspective as a movie enthusiast, Fulci’s Giallo film, “Don’t Torture a Duckling,” echoes scenes of paranoia and persecution with a theatrical intensity. A notable scene from this movie portrays mob violence against a woman accused of murdering a child, a chilling depiction of societal fear and prejudice towards those who deviate from accepted norms. Interestingly, Fulci seems to borrow elements from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” in his movie The Beyond, as he features Schweick being buried alive, akin to the tale’s protagonist. Both instances employ violence involving chains and serve as cautionary tales against unfounded fear and persecution.
In the opening scenes of “The Beyond,” I found myself captivated by the enigmatic atmosphere of the Seven Doors Hotel. A pivotal element in this tale is the elusive Book of Eibon, a text shrouded in mystery that serves as both catalyst and compass for the strange events unfolding throughout the movie. The supernatural forces at play, as we delve deeper into the story, will defy our understanding and stretch the boundaries of plausibility.
Building on the Classic Haunted House Motif
The aspect of a residence haunted by an unknown force is something that’s a tried and true staple of horror cinema. A common aspect of this motif involves an outsider coming to take up residence in a location that has a deep lineage of history behind it. This is accompanied by a mysterious apparition that seems only to be noticed by the individual who comes to take up residence in a new location. This aspect is firmly entrenched in The Beyond as Liza Merril (Catriona MacColl) arrives in New Orleans from New York to take ownership of the Seven Doors Hotel.
As Liza moves into her new home, Emily, a cryptic blind woman met on a sunny highway one day, emerges as her mentor in unveiling the enigmatic secrets of eternal shadows. Emily embodies the essence of the “white lady,” a ghostly figure prevalent in folklore, a spectral presence that appears to have met a sorrowful fate and is either linked to a specific individual or location.
The setting of the open highway holds deep roots in American folklore, often tied to tales like Resurrection Mary, who is said to have been seen on several occasions and belongs to the common theme known as the “vanishing hitchhiker” found in numerous urban myths. In essence, Emily’s stern caution about the Seven Doors Hotel being one of the seven entrances to hell positions her as a de facto protector of the hotel, vigilantly safeguarding that the gate remains shut.
In the first encounter between Liza and Emily, Fulci employs a distinctive style, using his signature camera angles, close-ups, and creative zooms, which intensify the intriguing clash between the characters. Again, the enigmatic Book of Eibon, the film’s central plot device, plays a significant role in various scenes that are both bizarre and shrouded in mystery. The Beyond effectively combines eerie occurrences linked to the Seven Doors Hotel with the familiar haunted house theme, and Fulci skillfully blends elements of American folklore’s mysterious legends to create an original and daring narrative.
Speculation and the World of the Unknown
In the movie “The Beyond,” the main elements propelling the story are the setting, the Seven Doors Hotel, and its central mystery, the Book of Eibon. A skeptical viewer might argue that many of the other events in the film, like someone tumbling off a ladder and being assaulted by spiders or a finale involving zombies, seem arbitrary and disjointed. However, these scenes can be seen as over-the-top and serving purely for entertainment purposes. Some might even suggest that they have no bearing on the storyline of Fulci’s film, which some might label as rather flimsy.
A counterargument can be made that real horror will always be the unknown, what one doesn’t see or have pre-existing knowledge of. The beginning of the film establishes the unknown force hidden within the confines of the Seven Doors Hotel; just what form it takes is truly irrelevant, and the speculation as to the cause of the bizarre phenomena plays to our sense of wonder. Even the film’s conclusion, which features a wasteland that would be mimicked in The Void just a few years ago, is a grandiose spectacle that allows the imagination to wander and take in the sights of desolation and dread.
An Overlooked Staple of Southern Gothic
The curiosity that the public has for New Orleans, particularly with its rich folklore of Voodoo and mysticism, has always played an intricate role in the allure of Southern Gothic traditions. A city that celebrates life and death attracts our interest, and The Beyond makes use of the location to weave a spell on audiences, one that mesmerizes them with mystery and stimulates the senses because of its visceral imagery and unrestrained violence. The powers of the city’s queen of Voodoo, Marie Laveux, might not have truly existed, but the captivating spectacle of The Beyond certainly does. Stream free on Tubi.
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2024-11-09 21:02