Running Time: 92 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Tamara Shanath, Margarita Isabel
Across his astonishing career, Guillermo del Toro has delivered fascinating works which blend fairy tales and the gothic to find beauty within the grotesque. It has led the Mexican filmmaker to imbue larger franchises with his unique touch, host an anthology series named after himself, and win multiple Academy Awards. Preceding all of these curious works is Cronos, del Toro's feature debut that reworked the vampire myth to awards glory at the Cannes Film Festival. Thanks to the BFI, this film is now newly restored in 4K to be widely viewed by UK audiences.
In his shop, elderly antiques dealer Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi) makes a curious discovery within an angel statue. Residing inside is an ancient artefact that resembles a golden mechanical scarab - the Cronos device. After being scratched by the mechanism, Jesús discovers that the parasitic device can grant eternal life to its host, a gift that comes with extreme side effects including an aversion to daylight and an unquenchable thirst for human blood. Meanwhile, dying millionaire Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) is desperate to claim the device for himself, so sends his brutish nephew Angel (Ron Perlman) in pursuit.
Rarely one to stick to genre expectations, del Toro plays with vampirism tropes from early on with the central mechanism. Aiding the style is fascinating imagery that is loaded with meaning, as shown when bugs creepily crawl out of the eye of an archangel statue, to show that what seems like a gift from heaven can actually be rotten from within. A regularly used inclusion are the whirring gears, which capture the central mechanism in motion while also reflecting the character's decision to turn back time. It also helps that the practical effects are very well done, bringing alive the body horror elements so effectively.
Central to this tale is Jesús, the kindly owner of an antiques shop who has settled into a life with his beloved wife and their darling granddaughter, Aurora. While the latter may not speak much, her feelings are wonderfully realized through the loving relationship with her grandfather. A touching moment focuses on a conversation, as Jesús vocalizes his understanding of Aurora's worries. No matter how fantastical or gruesome the scenes may get, del Toro never forgets about the films beating heart.
This is also the first film in a long partnership with Ron Perlman, playing the nephew awaiting the eventual passing of his demanding and abusive uncle. He wishes to get a new nose via plastic surgery, desiring to change nature's demands to fit his own desires. At its core, this is a story of people trying to best the inevitable foe that all must face; time. While some try to combat it through lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, others take a cosmetic approach.
Jesús' tactic is a more extreme version of this, as his pursuit of youth warps him into a shadow of his former self. This is notable in the striking way his bloodlust arrives, transforming him into a more traditional idea of a vampire. Life can bring pain as we grow older, leaving us different from who we once were, and what a pursuit of youth delivers is a corruption that infects ourselves and others within the vicinity. It is all part of an exceptional debut from a superb director, in the bloodsucking form of Cronos. If you have never seen this film before, do yourself a favour and seek out this gorgeous edition from the BFI.
Cronos is available on Limited Edition UHD and Blu-Ray now
Comments