Gothic (1986)
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50% of critics liked it
(12 reviews) -
49% of users liked it
(5,716 ratings)
Director Ken Russell applies his trademark excess to this surreal, experimental examination of the creative dementia which shaped Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein. The story is embellished from events which allegedly took place at the Swiss villa of Lord Byron (Gabriel Byrne) on the… More Director Ken Russell applies his trademark excess to this surreal, experimental examination of the creative dementia which shaped Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein. The story is embellished from events which allegedly took place at the Swiss villa of Lord Byron (Gabriel Byrne) on the night of June 16, 1816. Byron's guests include poet Percy Shelley (Julian Sands) and his future wife Mary (Natasha Richardson); Mary's half-sister Claire (Myriam Cyr) and Byron's leech-happy personal physician Dr. John Polidori (Timothy Spall). Byron promises them a night of horror like only a mad poet can deliver -- after partaking of laudanum and other hallucinogens, the guests tell ghost stories while exploring the dark corridors of his home. From here, Russell dives headlong into madness, discarding plot structure in favor of fever-dream setpieces in which the guests confront living manifestations of their own fears and insecurities -- creative, mortal and sexual, among others. The raging Romantics are also given to lengthy discourse on the nature of fear and the fine line between creative genius and insanity; by the film's end, viewers may find themselves wondering the same thing about the director. Those who may prefer a more subdued speculation on the same theme should seek out Ivan Passer's Haunted Summer. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- Ken Russell
- Written By
- Stephen Volk
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 2002 Wide
- Studio
- LionsGate Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
I'll take my Byron and Shelley straight.
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Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
'Gothic' can be taken neither seriously nor with a saving pinch of salt.
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Clint Morris, Moviehole
There's no sleeping tonight
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James O'Ehley, Movie Gurus
I had forgotten just how plain weird director Ken Russell can be . . .
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Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
A weird and visually memorable film that Russell fans will love and others will find interesting and at least slightly more accessible than most of his other films.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Gabriel Byrne
as Lord Byron
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Julian Sands
as Percy Bysshe Shelley
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Natasha Richardson
as Mary Shelley
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Myriam Cyr
as Claire Clairmont
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Timothy Spall
as Dr. John Polidori
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Andreas Wisniewski
as Fletcher
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Alec Mango
as Murray
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Dexter Fletcher
as Rushton
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Pascal King
as Justine
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Tom Hickey
as Tour Guide
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Linda Coggin
as Turkish Mechanical Doll
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Kristine Landon-Smith
as Kristine/Mechanical Woman
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Chris Chappell
as Man in Armour
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Kiran Shah
as Fusell Monster
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Christine Newby
as Shelley Fan
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Mark Pickard
as Young William
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Kim Tillesley
as Shelley Fan