REVIEW: The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water
Author: Guillermo del Toro, Daniel Kraus

An expedition from the Occam Aerospace Research Center treks into the Amazon to find the legendary Gill God, an aquatic creature rumored to live there. They capture it and bring it back to Baltimore. Elisa is mute and works as a janitor at the facility. While her muteness cuts her off from some facets of society or makes people treat her differently, she finds ways to express herself like wearing colorful shoes she loves to work. Nobody else does janitorial work in high heels, but it makes Elisa happy. When she befriends the man-fish creature they have trapped in a holding tank at Occam, she feels she understands his feelings of being trapped, the emotions he must feel about being "other'' and misunderstood. She knows that the creature will die if kept in captivity, so she hatches a plan to rescue him.

The Creature From the Black Lagoon is my favorite monster movie. When the film version of this story won academy awards, I knew I had to read the book....and then watch the film. I have a firm rule....always read the book first. So I did -- even though with this particular story the film and book were released at the same time. The film concept came first.....the book after. A special situation....but I still followed my rule. I read the book. And I now have the sealed Blu Ray Disc on my desk to watch later today. :) I'm glad I read this story. While it is about the capture of a creature from the wild, it's also a complex commentary on how society treats those who are different. Other characters in the book also feel that "otherness''....Elisa is mute. Giles is gay. Strickland has PTSD. His wife yearns for more in an era where women are supposed to be content being wives and mothers. Zelda is black and trapped in a bad marriage. Dr. Hoffstetler has a deep desire for knowledge and scientific discovery but is victimized by the politics and greed of others. It isn't just the "monster'' that's trapped.

Elisa ends up having emotional ties to the fish creature. While that is a bit disconcerting if looking at things in a realistic manner....this story isn't realistic. It's fantasy. So the story line and ending work perfectly.

This story left me feeling very thoughtful about life, my place in it and my own sense of "otherness.'' Sometimes you just have to find inner freedom within individuality. But I do sympathize with the creature in the tank.....I'm sure we all feel a bit chained at times.

Beautiful story! I can't wait to watch the movie!