|
Alphabetic Index
|
Ratings Index
|
Web Resources
|
Alphabetic Index
|
Ratings Index
|
Web Resources
In a flash the view changes to Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss) as she stumbles through a tunnel, plainly scared rigid by something that's chasing her. All that can be heard is the scraping of metal against metal and a throaty, evil laugh. Now in a boiler room Tina runs blindly, allowing herself to become trapped; easy prey for the glinting claw. Fortunately she wakes screaming, for it was only a fading nightmare and thus no threat -- but what about the parallel tears in her dress? Such things can easily be dismissed when the sun rises though, allowing Tina to go to school with barely a second thought. Once there Tina seeks out her best friend Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), needing someone else to talk to and reassure her.
As required, Nancy placates Tina, tactfully playing down the fact that she suffered the exact same dream. As might be expected, their respective boyfriends Rod Lane (Nick Corri) and Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp) poke fun at the girls for their over-active imaginations. However, all agree to stay over at Tina's house that night while her mum's out of town (Rod isn't directly invited but he appears anyway). While all sleep, the trouble starts again for Tina, despite Rod slumbering like a rock next to her. This time, however, she fails to escape the metallic clutches of Fred Krueger (Robert Englund). The resulting bloodbath traumatises Nancy, throwing her into direct conflict with her alcoholic mother (Ronee Blakley) and insensitive father (John Saxon).
Marking a significant change in fortune for the moribund horror industry, A Nightmare on Elm Street introduced the distinctive presence of Fred Krueger. A one-time child murderer, his particular gift is the ability to pass like a ghost between the real and dream worlds. Thus when Krueger slays you in your sleep, his actions play themselves out on your resting body (often to bloody effect). With such an original and intelligent idea to work with, director Wes Craven's biggest challenge was to ensure a gripping execution. Fortunately, at this point, slasher pictures had not yet succumbed to ever greater parades of gore; instead Craven's touch is light, suggestive rather than blunt. An air of palpable menace hangs over the story, generated by a mounting anticipation -- we know that Krueger's out there but we don't know what he'll do next. It's a classic fear/desire complex, with Craven conducting the audience like an orchestra (at least, until the finale).
While typical slasher flicks feature barely one-dimensional characters, fodder for the killer, A Nightmare on Elm Street bucks this trend. The central roles are both interesting and fairly smart, while the acting is reasonable rather than outstanding. Langenkamp makes a fine potential victim, spunky enough to avoid being picked off yet young enough to have trouble convincing the authorities. She convincingly communicates a real will to live, staving off sleep with coffee and pills. Her friends are a little more sketchy in characterisation, though Wyss, Corri and Depp are never less than charismatic. From these few only Depp has gone on to create a noticeable impact, mainly with far less straightforward roles. The star of the show is, however, undeniably Englund; cunning enough to throw people off the scent (by varying his modus operandi) he's both serious and jokey. It's a fine performance, especially considering the make-up and props that Englund labours beneath.
Above all else there are two elements that work to make A Nightmare on Elm Street a classic of its time; the score and the waking/dream divide. The former, by Charles Bernstein, stretches the tension unbearably, cleverly foreshadowing events about to take place. For instance, this technique is rather noticeable when Krueger's around -- the sonic motif of crackling flames precedes him. The latter is a porous barrier, with the dream-reality transitions being particularly smooth. Hence the audience are always kept on edge, uncertain whether or not they're seeing an illusion; it's an astonishingly effective method, bringing to life the whirlpool of destruction that is nightmare. The only problem is that after all of this effort, Craven tacked on a dreadful and silly ending. Sure the film is over at that point, having scared everyone witless, but that's not the point -- it sours the remembrance of a fine horror experience.
|
Alphabetic Index
|
Ratings Index
|
Web Resources