GOTHIKA

US, 2003, 97 minutes, Colour.
Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jnr, Charles S. Dutton, John Carroll Lynch, Penelope Cruz.
Directed by Matthieu Kassovitz.

The press notes remind us that 'Gothic' is an adjective that means 'relating to a style of fiction characterised by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious or violence incidents. Yes, that describes Gothika.

At one stage two guards are watching television and refer to B movies. In a way, the trouble with Gothika is that it is a B movie plot given A movie production budget and style. This means that, because it looks good, it should be judged as high drama instead of the mixture of horror, slasher, nightmare, ghost story thriller that it is. Because it is set in an institution for the criminally insane and the staff sound as if they know what they are doing, the expectation is that it should be psychologically sound. But, that is not the concern of the screenplay. The producers, Dark Castle Company, want to make old-fashioned horror stories (they have already made The House on Haunted Hill, Thirteen Ghosts and Ghost Ship), not worrying too much about realism or plausibility.

The first half of Gothika sets up a frightening scenario for Halle Berry as Dr Miranda Grey, top psychiatrist who is married to the boss (Charles S.Dutton) and has an admirer in her co-worker (Robert Downey Jr). After a car accident on the way home (on a rainy night at a small and lonely bridge), she finds herself as a patient-prisoner in her own institution accused of brutally murdering her husband. Has she repressed memories? Halle Berry spends a lot of time in anguish because she has seen a ghost, is put into the common room and the shower area with her former patients, escapes and goes on the run. The second half of the film gives us the rational explanation of what went on and whodunnit.

If mistaken for an attempt at high art, Gothika will seem ridiculous. If taken as a pop art thriller that looks good with a strong cast, it delivers an entertaining strong-woman-in-distress-who-wins-out melodrama.

1. The impact of the film as psychological drama? Horror? Slasher film? Nightmare?

2. The title, the tradition of Gothic dramas? Fear, the definition "relating to a style of fiction characterised by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious or violent incidents"? This film fulfilling that definition?

3. The director and his French film-making sensibilities? The cast?

4. The settings, the institution, the homes, the highways, country roads? The night sequences, the storms? The apparitions? The special effects?

5. Miranda Gray, her work at the institute, her listening to Chloe? Her not believing Chloe? Chloe and the description of the rape, her stepfather, her imagination? Miranda and her relationship to Doug, husband and wife? Her relation(ship?) to Peter, his wanting to have an affair with her, her being married? At the institution, the swim, the blackout, her going home, friendship with the guard (and his later concealing her and giving her the car keys)? The drive home, held up by the police? The country road, the bridge, the apparition of the girl, her crash?

6. Her waking up in the cell? Her being treated as an inmate? The accusation that she had killed her husband? Her desperation, fearing it was a nightmare? Pete and his therapy, her going back, remembering? The description of her going home, finding her husband's body, the blood-spattered wall, the statement Not Alone? Her later memory of her wielding the axe?

7. The treatment by the staff, the parallels with how she treated the inmates? Her going into the assembly room, meeting Chloe, the discussions with Chloe, Chloe saying she would never get out? The shower sequence, the apparition in the shower? Her seeing the dead girl? Her wanting to speak to Phil? Discovering that the dead girl was his daughter and that she had committed suicide?

8. The storm, her attempts to escape? The interrogation by the sheriff, his friendship with Doug, his anger with her? Her repressing her memories? Her dreams?

9. The escape, her skill in avoiding the guards, hiding in the swimming pool, seeing the girl? The guard giving her the keys of the car? Her going to her husband's country home? Searching, the video camera, going downstairs, the discovery of the truth, looking at the video, her husband who had referred to playing God and his sexual brutality? The rescue of the girl in hiding?

10. The sheriff, his attack on Miranda, his following her to the house, the discussion, her acting as a psychiatrist, analysing him, his listening, his needing to confess - but his denial that he tortured small animals when a child? His explanation of his friendship with Doug, dependence on him, the tattoo on him, the satanic overtones, sexual predator? His attack on Miranda, her killing him?

11. Pete, his work in the institution, friendship with Miranda, the possibility of an affair? Her not having the affair with him? His work, discussions about cases, especially Chloe's? His looking after her when she was interned? Audience suspicion that he was the killer? His looking up the tattoos on the Internet? His following Miranda, saving her?

12. Chloe, her fantasies, the sessions with Miranda, her anger at Miranda's not believing her? Their discussions when Miranda was interned? The discovery of the truth, being raped by the sheriff? The tattoos? The finale with Chloe back to normal, Miranda seeing her off?

13. Phil, his work at the institution, his not believing Miranda? The grief about his daughter? Discovering that she was killed and the relief that she had not killed herself? The other staff, their work, care of Miranda? The guards?

14. The atmosphere of the institution, its look, darkness, menace? The atmosphere for a Gothic tale?

15. The transition from the ghost story to the realistic story and the rational explanations of what had happened? The finale with Miranda seeing the boy in the street, the truck - and the notice of his being missing? Her future work?