The Conjuring ****
Horror films about haunted houses and the paranormal are aplenty. Some are so contrived they are simply farcical; others lay claim to true stories backing up events that naturally elevate the chill factor. The Conjuring has just the right mix of horror troupes – most of which are featured, plus a creepy real-life back-story. However, it gets more sinister (in a Poltergeist kind of way) after hearing about some unexplained events during production.
The Conjuring is after clichéd scares but the essence of the story is the personal journey taken by two sides of the paranormal experience (the victim and the helper), and how they cope with what they are witnessing. It could be argued director James Wan could have made a documentary instead on his demon-hunting duo of Ed and Lorraine Warren – aptly played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga respectively. Doing a feature film does give him a little artistic licence and the result is a very succinct and highly effect horror to pre-date the Amityville saga, so much so, that it will affect bedtime for many…
It’s the 70s, and Roger and Carolyn Perron (Ron Livingstone and Lili Taylor) and their five daughters move to the country to escape the rat race, only to find not all is idyllic in their spacious new home. What starts out with things being misplaced ends in a terrifying ‘infestation’ and bodily possession. Desperate for help and fearing for her family’s safety, Carolyn pleads with demonologists, the Warrens, to come check out her new abode and its tragic history. What transpires places not just the Perrons in harm’s way, but also Lorraine Warren, still struggling to come to terms with the after effects of another case.
Wan skilfully exposes and plays with our deep-rooted (some childhood) fears, from possessed objects like creepy looking dolls and tinkling toy musical boxes, to bumps, bangs and creaks in the night coming from the basement or things under the bed. It’s all textbook stuff but the director mixes things up while really stretching out the nail-biting tension to beyond breaking point, without any reprieve. There is literally something for everyone in this to tap into and be affected by: Anyone who says otherwise is lying.
In addition, any parent watching will tune right into the mothers’ anguish. The maternal instinct in this story is potent, which instantly makes you empathise further with the characters and their ordeal. The initial sense of helplessness is replaced by a will to protect. Granted, the strong religious messages are inevitable – from the practising Catholics, the Warrens who routinely set about trying to prove paranormal activity was bogus. However, the standard, heavy overtones of religious symbolism are only peddled out when things get seriously heated. The key weapon is parental bonds, so much so, that religion doesn’t get as much credit as in other similar films in the genre.
Farmiga cuts a gracious and haunting figure as Lorraine opposite Taylor’s matter-of-fact mum Carolyn, and the different backgrounds make a nice contrast then become irrelevant as the fight for good begins. There are also some great performances from all the other cast members making for a believable story of terror.
There is also an interesting link that is left unexplored and unexplained when Lorraine loses a locket given to her by her own young daughter that acts like an eerie portal of evil. In fact, so much is made of the Warrens’ paranormal treasure room that it’s a shame this subplot is not further elaborated on. Perhaps Wan wanted attention focused on the source, which is the Perron house and the centre of the story, but it feels wasted nevertheless.
The Conjuring is possibly more effective than most haunted house tales as more is invested in the participants’ relationships. Expect the expected, but you will come away spooked, possibly experiencing mind games long after viewing. One final thought – which admittedly could be part of the film’s clever marketing – is Farmiga couldn’t have the script in her own home, and the real-life Carolyn Perron who did not want to relive the nightmare on set experienced a whole new creepy episode miles away in another state…
4/5 stars
By @FilmGazer
