The Mothman Prophecies - a Review
© Florence Cardinal
Director Mark Pellington is quoted as saying he didn't want to make a monster movie. He wanted to strip out the melodrama and leave the audience with unanswered questions. I believe Pellington has succeeded beyond his expectations.
"Mothman" is definitely not your usual supernatural horror picture. Nor is it a slice 'n dice horror movie. In fact, there is very little violence in this picture.
So, then, is it scary? Yes, definitely. The entire movie gives off an aura, an atmosphere of wrongness, of something about to happen, of hold-your-breath terror. And it often fulfills that promise, leaving the audience gasping as that something does, suddenly, happen.
The movie is loosely based on events that took place in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966 and 1967. Dozens of people reported sighting this tall, red-eyed creature they dubbed The Mothman. UFO sightings became more frequent. Cattle mutilation, mental telepathy, mysterious visits from Men in Black, all these took place in this peaceful little corner of West Virginia.
It all culminated with the collapse of the Silver Bridge between Kanauga, Ohio and Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The filming of that scene must have been something to see. The collapse happens at night, and the car lights on the bridge, and, later, shining up through the water, cast an eerie halo around the entire scene.
During the strange events at Point Pleasant, a reporter, John Keel, became deeply involved in the mysteries. Later he wrote a book "The Mothman Prophecies" about his strange adventures with the people and the events of the town. The movie evolved from Keel's book.
Richard Gere as reporter John Klein, does a great job portraying a man haunted by guilt and grief over his wife's death. Laura Linney as Connie Parker plays the new love interest. Debra Messing plays the deceased wife, Mary, and makes a startling post-death appearance.
The Mothman? We catch occasional glimpses, brief tastes of the sheer terror and mystery of this being that is -- what? This is one of the questions left unanswered. Just who or what is this Mothman?
I think Mark Pellington, his actors and his crew have done a fantastic job in bringing this strange story to the screen. The use of music helps to intensify the anticipation of approaching terror. Much of the picture, including the collapse of the Silver Bridge, takes place in darkness, again increasing the audience's uneasiness.
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