Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

 

Universal created some truly memorable and classic depictions of monsters and creatures. To this day, most people instantly think of Universal's depiction of Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Wolf Man... Alas, the creature from the Black Lagoon, though iconic in every way, might not have the same status as those aforementioned. This has nothing to do with the quality of the film, as this is truly a masterpiece on several levels, but perhaps more to do with the 3D gimmick they attached to it back then. Unfortunately, a lot of theatres weren't equipped for decent 3D projection and as a result the film and word-of-mouth suffered. But more and more people have grown to appreciate this film through the years and perhaps it is time the gill-man gets the same respect as say the Wolf Man? 

During an archeological dig in the Amazon a professor discovers the remains of a prehistoric hand that has characteristics of both man and fish. Shortly after, it is decided to mount an expedition to see if they can find the rest of the skeleton, but upon arrival, it turns out the assistants have been murdered. Spurred on by the gloryhound financier, they head deeper and deeper up the Amazon, into a secluded lagoon where it turns out the detritus of the rock has indeed been washed to. But there is also a creature here, a human-fish hybrid, a remnant of prehistoric times. 

This creature has a fascination for the female scientist, but it's not devious: he truly is just curious. But when our gloryhound discovers this thing and wants to kill it and bring it back to civilisation, things take several turns for the worse... 

There is much to love about this one. The principal actors are all really good. Richard Carlson was often the dependable actor to portray the voice of reason, and he does so again in this outing. He is sympathetic to nature and the creature. In fact, so is his girlfriend Kay (Julie Adams) who is more than a mere damsel in distress. The requisite arsehat, played by Richard Denning, is still realistic enough in his insistence of bringing back the creature at any cost. It's is not that far fetched and even though he is quite an ass, he isn't one-dimensional. 

The creature looks wonderful and you don't see it until nearly halfway in. And it is sleek, elegant and designed beautfully. Most of the posters don't do it justice and it didn't have garish red lips as you often see. The 'dry' close-ups reveal a rather intricate face, with moving gills and stark eyes. It really is wonderful design. Under water, it is played by diver Ricou Browning, who decided to do his shots without an asualung, as the bubbles would ruin the illusion. And the swimming shots are pretty intense and rather long, so hats off to the man for his dedication. In fact, all of the underwater stuff is gorgeous and there is even a part where Julie Adams goes swimming and the creature mimicks her movements, as if in a mirror. It is stunning to watch, even today. 

The environmental message is also subtly introduced, as they try to drug the creature by dropping some sedative in the water. You also see Julie Adams drop a cigarette into the water and the next shot is filled with dead fish on the surface. It is subtle, yet not so subtle no one gets it. 

This is also one of those films where you feel nothing but sympathy for the creature and not for the people. The humans invaded his home, they took the first shot at him, tried to drug him, use nets... You can't really blame the guy for becoming rather pissed off, right? Which is why the ending is so tragic. 

I mean: sure, they did two sequels and you could argue the ending is sort of ambiguous. But in all honesty: it isn't. Not really. 

Most people will not be as familiar with this creation, but I sincerely recommend checking it out. Even by today's standards, this is a very well made film with a clear message and some technical mastery. Of course, some of the acting is a bit stilted, but it was made in the 50s, after all. 

We're sorry, Gill-Man. Humans truly are despicable.