Gothic Cinema and the Legacy of Edgar Allan Poe: A Study of “The Pale Blue Eye”
Abstract
The primary objective of this study is to analyze the film The Pale Blue Eye, which combines the Gothic horror and detective genres in the same narrative, through its connection to Edgar Allan Poe. In the film, Poe appears as a key character who assists the protagonist in solving crimes. However, this is not the only connection the film has to Poe. The film’s narrative technique is created by utilizing the distinctive characteristics that Poe exhibited in his personality and works, which sometimes seem contradictory. In the film, madness, dark supernatural elements, blurred boundaries between life and death, and complex characters, which Poe frequently used in his literary works, play a significant role. This storytelling technique reveals Poe’s metaphysical side and is a defining element of the cinematic language of “The Pale Blue Eye.” At the same time, C. Auguste Dupin, the character invented by Poe and known as the archetype of all detective films and stories, has been transformed into the film’s detective, Augustus Landor. Thus, the rational perspective that Poe employed in some of his works has also been incorporated into the film. In this context, the film combines the methodological foundations of Enlightenment thought with the dark, supernatural, and metaphysical aspects of the Gothic, as well as Poe’s persona as a poet and artist. In this study, the film will also be discussed in conjunction with this background, along with its building blocks and references.
Keywords
Film Studies, Film Analysis, Gothic, Detective Film, Edgar Allan Poe
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