The House of Usher (1989)

Film Overview
"The House of Usher" is an American horror film launched in 1989 and directed by Alan Birkinshaw. The film is also known as "The Fall of your house of Usher" in some areas. The movie is based upon the notorious short story of the exact same name penned by Edgar Allan Poe. The protagonists in the motion picture are played by Oliver Reed and Donald Pleasence. The movie instills components of gothic horror, suspense, and drama.

Setting and Characters
The movie takes us to a separated estate in creepy, foggy environments in New England where the noticeably disrupted Roderick Usher (Oliver Reed) lives with his sister, Madeline Usher (Rufus Swart). The setting of the film eloquently produces a cooling and eerie background that aligns with the overall style of the movie.

Plot
The film begins with the arrival of the young and ignorant couple, Jill Michaelson (Romy Windsor) and her boyfriend, Ryan Usher (Rufus Swart), at the Usher mansion. They are going to Roderick and Madeline. Ryan is beneficiary to the Usher estate and is visiting after a long sabbatical, uninformed of the sinister secrets the estate holds. The film unravels the dark secret around the Usher household.

The shabby estate is believed to be cursed. Roderick Usher suffers from a severe hypersensitivity to all physical sensations while Madeline is cataleptic, falling under death-like trances. In spite of cautions from Roderick, Ryan demands continuing his relationship with Madeline which causes dire consequences. As the storyline advances, the house appears to serve as a character itself, showing the morbidity and illness of the Usher family.

Climax and Conclusion
As Madeline slips into another trance, Roderick encourages everybody that she's dead and buries her alive, a disturbing detail true to Poe's original story. However, Madeline resurrects from the dead and in a frightening series of events, the house begins to fall apart. In line with the original story, the fear, dread and supernaturally-driven events lead to the decrease of the Usher household and the collapse of their estate, symbolizing the fall of their family tree.

The climax is a renowned visual takeover where the estate, consumed by fire, sinks into the bleak tarn that surrounds it, drawing parallels with the collapsing peace of mind and physical health of the Ushers. In the end, the young couple escapes but the legacy of Usher pertains to an awful end with the implosion of the estate.

Vital Reception
"The House of Usher" retained the essence of Edgar Allan Poe's work, with its gothic portrayal of a mansion bring a familial curse. The audience appreciated Oliver Reed's performance as the reclusive and tormented Roderick Usher who sends a sense of fear. However, some critics argue that lightweight character advancement and a slowly progressing plot makes the motion picture appear prolonged. Yet, the film stands out for the onscreen symptom of Poe's traditional tale, especially highlighted by bleak aesthetic components and the chilling climax.

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