Intro"The Reflecting Skin" is an arthouse horror-drama film from 1990, directed by Philip Ridley. The British-Canadian co-production is set in the midwestern United States throughout the late 1950s, it is known for its spectacular and modernistic imagery, monstrous nature, and neurasthenic characters.
Primary Characters and SettingThe story generally revolves around an 8-year-old kid, Seth Dove (played by Jeremy Cooper), and his maturing in the rural Idaho landscape dominated by wheat fields. Seth has problem with his understanding of life, death, and the horrifying reality of the adult world. He copes with his authoritarian father Luke (played by Duncan Fraser), who runs a disappearing gas station and his pregnant, mentally distressed mom, Ruth (played by Sheila Moore). Seth's bro, Cameron (played by Viggo Mortensen), returns from his military responsibilities in the Pacific, mentally tired and physically ill from nuclear tests.
Plot SynopsisSeth's darkly innocent viewpoint frequently results in misunderstanding scenarios with grim implications. When he discovers a fetus in the barn, he believes it to be an angel. He and his good friends encounter Dolphin Blue (played by Lindsay Duncan), a widowed next-door neighbor, who they deem to be a vampire due to her age, reclusive nature, and a fixation with mortality. Awful occasions spiral when Seth associates a group of leather-clad bikers to the disconcerting boost of deaths in his town. Seeing them as The Frogmen - monstrous beings hunting people, he is persuaded that they are feasting on souls.
Cameron starts a romantic relationship with Dolphin, uninformed of Seth's vampire theory. Seth attempts to safeguard Cameron by informing him about Dolphin being a vampire, however Cameron neglects this as childish creativity. It then appears that Cameron starts to fall ill, which Seth attributes to Dolphin sucking his bro's life away.
Metaphors and Symbolism"The Reflecting Skin" is abundant in metaphors and symbolic allegories, using a critical commentary on America's innocence lost through the lens of post-World War II. Seth embodies the visceral worry of the unidentified, which shows in his analysis of the adult world. The recurring image of large wheat fields represents life and death, contrasting the beauty of nature with the awful occurrences it conceals.
Climax and ConclusionThe climax intensifies as Seth leads Cameron to think that he is becoming a vampire, causing him to dedicate suicide in despair. Seth's mother immolates herself after discovering Cameron's suicide and exposing his dad's death in the hands of the leather-clad bicycle riders. In the last scene, among the Frogmen approaches Seth, providing to provide him a ride, implying a grim end.
Important ReceptionUpon its release, "The Reflecting Skin" got mixed evaluations due to its troubling nature and unorthodox storytelling. Nevertheless, its creative visuals, metaphorical depth, and excellent performances, specifically by young Jeremy Cooper, gathered appreciation. In retrospection, the film has actually gained cult status and is often considered as a darkly poetic expedition of a kid's loss of innocence amidst adult scaries.
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