Children have been implemented in literature for a long time. Artists have used them in many different ways, from fantasies and folk tales, to myths and science fiction. The Others is a supernatural horror film, where a mother and her two children form part of the main characters of the story. It is based in an isolated, dark mansion. The children also form a very important part in the story, as they inspire both sympathy and fear throughout the movie, the first progressively decreasing as the movie develops. They also add a surge of gothic sensibility to the film, mainly with their actions which relate to the darkness present in the environment. The children in The Others add to the overall gothic atmosphere of the movie due to their creepiness, reflected through their actions, personality and connection to the supernatural.
Anna and Nicolas, the children in The Others, have a particular personality: they inspire both sympathy and fear throughout the movie. At the beginning of the film, before even seeing the children, Grace, the mother of both, reflects signs of fear when she refers to them, acting in a mysterious way as she insists on closing all of the curtains when she is presenting them to the new maids, as if she were hiding something. Then, we realize that this is all due to their life threatening photosensitivity, a disease characterized by “an abnormally high sensitivity to sunlight” (DePietro); when exposed to this type of energy, the skin develops severe blisters and rashes, eventually leading to their death.
When they first come out of the bedroom, Anna and Nicolas are sweet kids with an innocent, childlike aspect; they are quiet, polite and obedient, as they follow the instructions given by their mother. Once they are fully awake, the children are very sympathetic, filled with joy and happiness, with a great sense of humor, as they joke about a story they are reading.
As the film moves on, Anna starts adding fear to the story, as she starts speaking and interacting with other people that are not seen on screen. Slowly, strange events start to happen. For instance, in the middle of the night, the curtains open, and Anna claims it is Victor, a boy that is in the house. At this point, Nicolas is completely frightened by the actions of Anna, which at first he didn’t believe, until experiencing a strange event himself where he ends up waking his mother with a frightening scream.
With the children’s actions, one now has a clear view of their personalities, which we continue to observe till the end of the film. Anna’s actions cause fear, due to all the incidents that occur; however she maintains calm most of the time, and Nicolas is completely scared of all the things his sister claims are happening. Despite the sympathy both children inspire at first sight, the incidents occurring in the house progressively start to increase, and the warmth of their personalities slowly starts to fade, producing fear among the viewers.
Throughout the movie, there are a large range of techniques and ideas that are used to emphasize and contribute to its gothic style, such as the desolated and remote location and the actions and personalities of the characters. The most striking gothic characteristic is the house, with its architecture style presenting, “strong vertical lines, high vaulted ceilings, minimal wall space, pointed window and door openings, and buttressed walls” (Ross). This also provides “an atmosphere of mystery and suspense” (Harris), with fear that is enhanced by the unknown outsides of the location.
Within these aspects are also the children, which add to the gothic sensibility of the film in various ways, starting out by the darkness involved in their life, not being able to see the sunlight, and that everything must be closed in order for them to be there safely. This issue isolates them from the world, keeping them from interacting with the outside, leading their mother to be in a depressive state, with constant suffering. The big reveal rests on the viewers’ learning that the children had been dead all along, and that their mother had killed them. This is in tune with the gothic elements, as it adds an extra amount of creepiness and mortality to the film.
In this sense, the supernatural beliefs they have regarding ghosts and the dead, this is represented with Anna constantly teasing her brother superstitious acts and with the appearance ghosts, adding suspense throughout the film. Added to this is the violent incident that occurred with Anna and her mother in her communion dress, adding hate and fear to their relationship, which slowly lead Grace to feel shunned, even by her own children. These actions presented by the filmmakers, such as the lonely house, the darkness in the children’s lives, and the violence of their own mother, contribute towards the gothic style of the film, creating emphasis on this atmosphere and the subject of darkness and isolation of the human soul.
In conclusion, The Others is a film based on a gothic style that the children add a significant contribution due to their suspicious actions, personality and link to the supernatural. The filmmaker uses the children to reinforce this aspect throughout the movie, representing sympathy which later turns into fear. This is due to all the superstitious events that happen in the house, contributing to the creepy feel and suspense that makes this move so intriguing and gothic. Also, Anna and Nicolas serve to emphasize this symbol, mainly with the darkness in their lives. The children represent gothic children in many ways, including their actions, personality and connection to the supernatural, being one of the key elements in this masterpiece. It is creepy, yet impressive, to see how an artist can do so much with something so simple of daily life, like children.
Works Cited
DePietro, Mary Ann. “Photosensitivity.” (2014). Online Article. July 11 2016. <http://www.healthline.com/health/photosensitivity#Causes3>
Harris, Robert. "Elements of the Gothic Novel." (2015). Online Article. July 12 2016. <http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm>.
Ross, David. “Gothic Architecture in England.” Online Article. July 11 2016. <http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Gothic-architecture.htm>
