Movies: The Raven

Edgar Allen Poe was a poet of the dark. He wrote macabre but highly entertaining tales about murders and other grizzly incidents. In some of his stories he described gruesome and deadly machineries, a kind of sinister science fiction. This inspired Hollywood to make a movie in which the writer himself has to deal with a serial killer who constructs his murders in the same manner as Poem described in his stories: "The Raven" (imdb) .

I didn`t care much about the plot. As in many contemporary thrillers the story was heavily constructed and ridiculous. But I enjoyed the sinister atmosphere created by the director James McTeigue and his cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann.

The film is set in Baltimore in the year 1849 and lures the viewer into the then ruling Victorian era, which was influenced by romanticism and mysticism (wikipedia). The pub scenes, a ball in an opulent mansion and other settings show dark gothic tableaus which support the grizzly tale a lot.

John Cusak, is in my opinion one of Hollywood`s finest actors, and is a perfect incarnation for the funny, cynic and alcoholic Poe. The rest of the crew also is convincing. But my favorite actor is a raccoon, which acts as Poe´s  pet.

"The Raven" is a peek into the macabre fantasy world of Edgar Allan Poe  and an enjoyable way to get some goose pimples on a lazy afternoon.