Cronos (1993) [Blu-ray]
Comedy | Drama | Horror

The Criterion Collection

Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) made an auspicious, audacious feature debut with Cronos, a highly unorthodox tale about the seductiveness of the idea of immortality. Kindly antiques dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) happens upon an ancient golden device in the shape of a scarab, and soon finds himself possessor and victim of its sinister, addictive powers, as well as the target of a mysterious, crude American named Angel (a delightfully deranged Ron Perlman [Hellboy]). Featuring marvelous special makeup effects and the unforgettably haunting imagery for which del Toro has become world-renowned, Cronos is a visually rich and emotionally captivating dark fantasy.

User Comment: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England, 12 January 2005 • Guillermo Del Toro's stylish and original take on the vampire legend is one of the most strangely overlooked and underrated films of the 1990's. It's films like this that make me want to watch films - films that are fresh, unpredictable and so rich in symbolism that it has leaves lots of room for discussion. Del Toro was little more than an amateur director at the time this made, but in spite of that he's more than given the professionals a run for their money. Every scene is adeptly filmed, and the way that Del Toro makes contrasts between locations and the two central families is a pleasure to observe. The way that the film switches language from English to Spanish and back again is indicative of the fact that this is a rich tapestry of contradictions and one that makes intelligent comments on many subjects, from obvious ones such as addiction, to more concealed ones, such as a commentary on family; stemming from the way that the roles of child and parent become reversed when our hero becomes afflicted with the vampire-like curse.

For the story, Del Toro has taken the classic vampire theme and mixed it with essences of mechanics and the human lust of being able to live forever. The story follows Jesús Gris, an antique dealer that lives with his granddaughter Aurora and wife Mercedes. One day, our hero happens upon a mechanical scarab that latches itself onto his palm, causing him to bleed. Jesús slowly gets addicted to the mystical scarab, but there's someone else that wants it and will stop at nothing to get it. The mythology of the scarab is told in a great opening sequence that sets the viewer up for an intriguing and original horror story. The film retains the intrigue that it sets up in it's intro for the duration, and Del Toro ensures that his audience is always left guessing and wanting to see what comes next. The film works due to interesting characters that the audience is able to feel for, and is constantly interesting by the way that Del Toro handles the contrasts that the story presents.

On the whole, this is a fabulous horror story that takes an existing legend and makes it it's own. This is exactly the sort of film that cinema needs more of; and it's not one that film fans will want to miss. Highly recommended viewing.

Summary: An interesting, original and engaging retelling of a classic story!

[CSW] -4- Cronos was Guillermo del Toro's debut feature film, a pure labor of love, made with a lot of borrowed money and plenty of passion. In 1993, it went on to become a massive box office hit in Mexico, earn eight Ariel awards (the Mexican equivalent of the Oscars), as well as the coveted Mercedes-Benz Award (for Best Feature Film during La Semaine de la Critique) at the Cannes Film Festival. Compared to the rest of del Toro's films, Cronos looks genuinely raw. Which, arguably, is what makes it so unique - it pulls in different directions, and instead of trying to retell a familiar horror story it actually manages to evolve into an excellent character study. Cronos also has a distinctive gothic flavor but isn't scary. If anything, it feels like a fairytale for adults. This is a unique film that all del Toro fans should see. If you liked Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Hellboy II, or Mimic then you are a fan. The extras in on the Criterion Blu-ray edition are almost as good as the movie as they give real insight into del Toro's personality and creativity. Make sure you see Welcome to the Bleak House. The extras not only include a fascinating trip of Guillermo del Toro's Bleak House but two audio commentaries and Guillermo del Toro's short film Geometría along with his motivation behind it.
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