The Pale Blue Eye

Last updated

The Pale Blue Eye
The Pale Blue Eye poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Scott Cooper
Screenplay byScott Cooper
Based on The Pale Blue Eye
by Louis Bayard
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Masanobu Takayanagi
Edited by Dylan Tichenor
Music by Howard Shore
Production
companies
Distributed by Netflix
Release dates
  • December 23, 2022 (2022-12-23)(United States)
  • January 6, 2023 (2023-01-06)(Netflix)
Running time
130 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$72 million [1]

The Pale Blue Eye is a 2022 American mystery thriller film written and directed by Scott Cooper, [2] adapted from the 2006 novel of the same name by Louis Bayard. [3] The film features an ensemble cast that includes Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall, and Robert Duvall. Its plot follows veteran detective Augustus Landor in 1830 West Point, New York, as he investigates a series of murders at the United States Military Academy with the aid of Edgar Allan Poe, a young military cadet.

Contents

The Pale Blue Eye was released in select cinemas on December 23, 2022, before its streaming release on January 6, 2023 by Netflix. The film received mixed reviews.

Plot

In October 1830, alcoholic retired detective Augustus Landor is asked by the military to investigate the hanging of Cadet Leroy Fry at the United States Military Academy. Landor is a widower whose daughter Mattie ran off a few years ago.

After Fry was hanged, his heart was removed from his body. Examining the corpse, Landor finds a small fragment of a note in Fry's hand. Marks suggest that he did not hang himself but was murdered. Landor secretly enlists the help of Edgar Allan Poe, another cadet at the academy. Poe and Landor deduce that the note was summoning Fry to a secret meeting. After a cow and a sheep are found butchered with their hearts removed, it is suspected that the murder could be linked to black magic rituals.

Another cadet, Ballinger, is found hanged with his heart and genitals removed. A third cadet, Stoddard, disappears; Landor presumes Stoddard had reason to believe he was next in line to be killed. Landor and Poe suspect the family of Dr. Daniel Marquis, who performed the autopsy on Fry. Particular suspicion is on his son Artemus and his daughter Lea, who suffers from random seizures. Landor confronts Dr. Marquis, who admits that he resorted to black magic to cure Lea of her seizures.

Poe is drugged and finds Artemus and Lea about to cut out his heart in accordance with the ritual. Landor rescues Poe, but the building catches fire and Lea and Artemus die. Thinking that the case is solved, the military thanks Landor for his service. However, Poe confronts Landor with his realization that the handwriting on the note fragment in Fry's hand matches that of Landor. It becomes apparent that Landor was the killer of the cadets.

Two years earlier, Landor's daughter Mattie was raped by Fry, Ballinger, and Stoddard after attending her first ball. Traumatized, she killed herself by jumping off a cliff. Landor pretended that she ran away. Distraught, he set out to avenge his daughter. He left the note for Fry, luring him to a lonely spot before hanging him. A patrol happened to walk by so he was forced to leave the body there. Lea and Artemus stole Fry's heart for their ritual. After killing Ballinger, Landor mutilated his corpse to make it appear that the cadet had been murdered by the same "madman" who desecrated Fry's body.

Poe tells Landor he has two notes with handwriting samples that link Landor directly to the murders, but burns them instead. Landor later stands at the cliff where his daughter leapt to her death. He lets her hair ribbon float away in the wind, saying "Rest, my love".

Cast

In addition, John Fetterman, then Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, and his wife, Gisele, appear as a couple in an uncredited cameo.

Production

In 2011, Scott Cooper signed on to write and direct an adaptation of Louis Bayard's novel of the same name for Fox 2000. [4]

A decade later, in early 2021, it was announced that Christian Bale would star in the film, to be produced by Cross Creek Pictures. It was to be Bale and Cooper's third film together, after Out of the Furnace and Hostiles . Bale and Cooper were also set to produce with John Lesher and Tyler Thompson. [5] Netflix acquired rights to the film for around US$55 million at the European Film Market. [6] [7] In June 2021, it was reported that Harry Melling would co-star as Edgar Allan Poe. [8]

Filming began on November 29, 2021 at the historic Compass Inn in Laughlintown, Pennsylvania. [9] In December, filming took place at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. [10] That month, additional cast members were announced, including Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Timothy Spall, Fred Hechinger, and Robert Duvall. [11]

Sitting US Senator John Fetterman and his wife Gisele Barreto Fetterman are extras in a scene in the film. [12] They became friendly with Bale and Cooper in 2013 while they were filming Out of the Furnace in Braddock, Pennsylvania, where Fetterman was mayor at the time. Bale stated, "John's got this fantastic face, hulking figure... So I said to Scott, 'We've got to have him in the tavern... That's a face that fits in the 1830s.'" [13]

Release

The Pale Blue Eye was released in select cinemas on December 23, 2022, before its streaming release on January 6, 2023, by Netflix. [14]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 63% of 182 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10.The website's consensus reads: "The Pale Blue Eye lacks its source material's piercing gaze, but this well-cast mystery is just intriguing enough to investigate." [15] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [16]

Matthew Monagle of The Austin Chronicle wrote, "The Pale Blue Eye holds together remarkably as a gothic piece of horror... right up to the point that it doesn't," and that it "seems to lose its nerve in its final minutes, when Cooper's script reverts to a procedural story and reshuffles our relationships to both main characters, relying too heavily on red herrings – and ugly tropes of sexual violence – to bring the narrative home. Indeed, the entire film damn near falls apart." [17]

James Verniere of the Boston Herald called it an "over-acted, badly written, murder mystery dud." [18] Peter Travers of ABC News wrote: "Even when the murderer kills again and characters start daubing their faces with blood and howling at the moon or whatever's handy, the film keeps circling its convoluted plot without finding a satisfying place to land." [19]

Accolades

The film was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature at the 21st Visual Effects Society Awards. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe</span> American writer and critic (1809–1849)

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, author, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States, and of American literature. Poe was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story, and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre, as well as a significant contributor to the emerging genre of science fiction. He is the first well-known American writer to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Black Cat (short story)</span> Short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Black Cat" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. In the story, an unnamed narrator has a strong affection for pets until he perversely turns to abusing them. His favorite, a pet black cat, bites him one night and the narrator punishes it by cutting its eye out and then hanging it from a tree. The home burns down but one remaining wall shows a burned outline of a cat hanging from a noose. He soon finds another black cat, similar to the first except for a white mark on its chest, but he develops a hatred for it as well. He attempts to kill the cat with an axe but his wife stops him; instead, the narrator murders his wife. He conceals the body behind a brick wall in his basement. The police soon come and, after the narrator's tapping on the wall is met with a shrieking sound, they find not only the wife's corpse but also the black cat that had been accidentally walled in with the body and alerted them with its cry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tell-Tale Heart</span> 1843 short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is related by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of the narrator's sanity while simultaneously describing a murder the narrator committed. The victim was an old man with a filmy pale blue "vulture-eye", as the narrator calls it. The narrator emphasizes the careful calculation of the murder, attempting the perfect crime, complete with dismembering the body in the bathtub and hiding it under the floorboards. Ultimately, the narrator's actions result in hearing a thumping sound, which the narrator interprets as the dead man's beating heart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Awards</span> Literary award for work in the crime genre

The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film, and theater published or produced in the previous year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Bale</span> English actor (born 1974)

Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Forbes magazine ranked him as one of the highest-paid actors in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fall of the House of Usher</span> 1839 short story by Edgar Allan Poe

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, then included in the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque in 1840. The short story, a work of Gothic fiction, includes themes of madness, family, isolation, and metaphysical identities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Melling (actor)</span> British actor (born 1989)

Harry Edward Melling is an English actor known for playing Dudley Dursley in five Harry Potter films and for his role as Harry Beltik in The Queen's Gambit. His grandfather was actor Patrick Troughton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe in television and film</span>

American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe has had significant influence in television and film. Many are adaptations of Poe's work, others merely reference it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe in popular culture</span>

Edgar Allan Poe has appeared in popular culture as a character in books, comics, film, and other media. Besides his works, the legend of Poe himself has fascinated people for generations. His appearances in popular culture often envision him as a sort of "mad genius" or "tormented artist", exploiting his personal struggles. Many depictions of Poe interweave elements of his life with his works, in part due to Poe's frequent use of first-person narrators, suggesting an erroneous assumption that Poe and his characters are identical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Boynton</span> British-American actress (born 1994)

Lucy Boynton is a British and American actress. Raised in London, she made her professional debut as the young Beatrix Potter in Miss Potter (2006). She starred in television productions Ballet Shoes (2007), Sense and Sensibility (2008) and Mo (2010), making guest appearances on Lewis, Borgia, Endeavour, and Law & Order: UK. Boynton portrayed writer Angelica Garnett on Life in Squares, which aired on BBC. She appeared as an isolated popular girl in The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015) and starred as a bold aspiring model in Sing Street (2016), which was met with critical acclaim. She appeared in horror films I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016) and Don't Knock Twice (2016), receiving praise for her performance in the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Cooper (director)</span> American actor and filmmaker

Scott Cooper is an American director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is known for writing and directing Crazy Heart (2009), Out of the Furnace (2013), Black Mass (2015), Hostiles (2017), and Antlers (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Bayard</span> American author

Louis Bayard is an American author. His historical mysteries include The Pale Blue Eye, Mr. Timothy, The Black Tower, The School of Night, and Roosevelt's Beast, and they have been translated into 11 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Bale filmography</span>

Christian Bale is a British actor who has starred in various films. Bale's role in Empire of the Sun, as a young boy interned in China by the Japanese, received praise from most film critics. Two years later, Bale had a minor role in Henry V, a drama film based on William Shakespeare's play The Life of Henry the Fifth. It has been considered one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations ever made. In 1992, Bale starred as Jack Kelly in the Walt Disney musical drama Newsies, which was a critical and commercial failure; however, it gained a cult following. He received a role in the 1994 drama Little Women, which garnered positive reviews. Bale lent his voice to the Disney animated film Pocahontas in 1995; it received a mixed reception, but attained box office success. He starred as British journalist Arthur Stuart in the Todd Haynes-directed drama Velvet Goldmine (1998). Although critics were divided on the film, Bale's role was "eagerly anticipated". Bale portrayed Demetrius in the critically praised 1999 film A Midsummer Night's Dream, an adaptation of Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Michael Hoffman. The same year, he portrayed Jesus of Nazareth in the television movie Mary, Mother of Jesus.

<i>Edgar Allen Poe</i> (film) 1909 film

Edgar Allen Poe [sic] is a 1909 American silent drama film produced by the Biograph Company of New York and directed and co-written by D. W. Griffith. Herbert Yost stars in this short as the 19th-century American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe, while Linda Arvidson portrays Poe's wife Virginia. When it was released in February 1909 and throughout its theatrical run, the film was consistently identified and advertised with Poe's middle name misspelled in its official title, using an "e" instead of the correct second "a". The short was also originally shipped to theaters on a "split reel", which was a single reel that accommodated more than one film. This 450-foot drama shared its reel with another Biograph short, the 558-foot comedy A Wreath in Time. Prints of both films survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intrepid Pictures</span> US independent production company

Intrepid Pictures is an American independent film and television production company dedicated to producing elevated commercial content for global mainstream audiences. It was founded in 2004 by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans, and is currently run by Trevor Macy and Mike Flanagan. The company is based in Los Angeles, California.

<i>Terroir</i> (film) 2014 American film

Terroir is a 2014 American-British-Italian mystery film written and directed by John Charles Jopson. It is based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado". The film stars Keith Carradine, who also served as executive producer. The film premiered at the Wine Country Film Festival in 2014.

<i>The Fall of the House of Usher</i> (miniseries) American horror drama television miniseries

The Fall of the House of Usher is an American gothic horror drama television miniseries created by Mike Flanagan. All eight episodes were released on Netflix on October 12, 2023, each directed by either Flanagan or Michael Fimognari, with the latter also acting as cinematographer for the entire series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angeline Boulley</span> Chippewa-American author

Angeline Boulley is a Chippewa (Ojibwe) author and has worked to improve education for Indigenous children. Her debut work, Firekeeper's Daughter, was named one of the top 100 young adult novels of all time by Time magazine, was a New York Times best seller, and won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel in 2022. The novel will be adapted into a miniseries by Higher Ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosalie Mackenzie Poe</span> Poet, sister of Edgar Allan Poe

Rosalie Mackenzie Poe was an American poet and the sister of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Pale Blue Eye is a 2006 novel by American writer Louis Bayard. The book is a murder mystery set at West Point in 1830, where the young Edgar Allan Poe was a cadet. The novel was nominated for both an Edgar and a Dagger. It was adapted into a film by writer-director Scott Cooper and stars Christian Bale and Harry Melling.

References

  1. "House of Jean Pepe - The Pale Blue Eye (2023)". www.fantrippers.com. January 18, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  2. Kroll, Justin (May 18, 2023). "Paramount's 'Gladiator' Sequel Rounds Out Cast With 'Moon Knight' Breakout May Calamawy & Others; 'White Lotus' Actor Fred Hechinger In Talks For Emperor Geta Role; Barry Keoghan Exits". Deadline. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  3. Zee, Michaela (December 7, 2022). "'The Pale Blue Eye' Trailer: Christian Bale Teams With Edgar Allan Poe to Investigate a Grisly Murder in Netflix Thriller". Variety. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  4. Sneider, Jeff (January 21, 2011). "Exclusive: 'Crazy Heart's' Scott Cooper to Direct 'The Pale Blue Eye'". The Wrap. The Wrap News, Inc. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  5. Galuppo, Mia (February 26, 2021). "Christian Bale & Director Scott Cooper Re-Team On Cross Creek's 'The Pale Blue Eye' – EFM". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  6. Wiseman, Andreas (March 6, 2021). "Netflix Strikes EFM Record $55M Worldwide Deal For Christian Bale Thriller 'The Pale Blue Eye'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  7. Scott, Roxborough (March 6, 2021). "Berlin: Netflix Signs $55 Million Global Deal for 'The Pale Blue Eye'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  8. Kroll, Justin (June 9, 2021). "'Queen's Gambit' Alum Harry Melling To Play Edgar Allan Poe Opposite Christian Bale in Scott Cooper's 'The Pale Blue Eye'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  9. Axelrod, Joshua (December 2, 2021). "Christian Bale film 'The Pale Blue Eye' kicks off production at Compass Inn in Laurel Highlands". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  10. Sirianni, Pete (December 9, 2021). "'Cool to see': Filming for Netflix movie starring Christian Bale transforms Westminster College campus". The Tribune-Democrat . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  11. Grobar, Matt (December 1, 2021). "Scott Cooper's Netflix Pic 'The Pale Blue Eye' Adds Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Timothy Spall, Fred Hechinger, Robert Duvall & More". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  12. Adragna, Anthony (December 9, 2022). "John Fetterman has a cameo in an upcoming Christian Bale movie". Politico . Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  13. Tornoe, Rob (December 12, 2022). "John Fetterman is in a new Netflix crime drama starring Christian Bale". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  14. Malhotra, Rahul (August 30, 2022). "'The Pale Blue Eye' Introduces Christian Bale's Grizzled Look in Eerie First Image". Collider . Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  15. "The Pale Blue Eye". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved January 15, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  16. "The Pale Blue Eye". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  17. Monagle, Matthew (December 23, 2022). "The Pale Blue Eye - Movie Review". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  18. Verniere, James (December 22, 2022). "'The Pale Blue Eye' spies a badly written mystery flop". Boston Herald. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  19. Travers, Peter (January 6, 2023). "Review: 'The Pale Blue Eye' circles its convoluted plot without finding a satisfying place to land". ABC News. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  20. Tangcay, Jazz (January 17, 2023). "Avatar: The Way of Water Leads Visual Effects Society Awards Nominations". Variety . Penske Media Corporation.