Reviews
Staff Review
The Haunted Airman begins with dream-like images of the countryside during the opening credits. It is based off of a novel by Dennis Wheatley called The Haunting of Toby Jugg. This is the story of a wounded World War II soldier sent to convalesce on an estate transformed into a hospital run by a Dr. Barnes. Toby Jugg clearly suffers from acute mental distress brought on by his years of service as a bomber pilot in the RAF as well as his latest experience of being shot down and thus rendered unable to use his legs. What is unclear in this story is whether or not Toby is driven mad by these mental stressors or is he driven mad by Dr. Barnes and his aunt by marriage, who he fancies himself in love with.
The cinematography has a very large dream-like feel. The colors are not sharp and true to life, but rather dull and pastel-like. The camera work is odd, but not unpleasant, with many first person and unusual angles. Most of the creepy effects seem cheap – expect to see many plastic spiders and glaringly fake cobwebs. Yet, despite this the cinematography is exquisite enough to portray a sense of creepiness about. The estate in which the film was shot was beautifully lit and filmed. It invites us to peer a little closer into the shadows heightening the fear and suspense. The dialogue is sparse and many shots are long and lingering. Altogether, the film is enjoyable to watch because it is beautiful.
Robert Pattinson plays the protagonist, Toby Jugg. He portrays a character that is world weary, a cynic, introvert, haunted, a bit deranged, and undeniably tortured. Robert effortlessly embodies Toby Jugg down to the character’s quirky mannerisms. He is able to express fear and frustration so acutely that it is almost impossible to not feel these emotions as well. Despite of the focus on Toby’s inner self, Robert as Toby is irresistible in his interactions with other characters. The voice-overs of his letters to his aunt are full of wit and charm. His increasingly stressful sessions with Dr. Barnes are introspective. His relationships with other characters are engaging. Despite his predominant world-weary condition, he is also very child-like in his fears. Toby Jugg is a rather complex character and Robert was able to convey this to the audience with a multifaceted performance filled with duality of character and acted with a firm grasp on who Toby Jugg was.
It is important for the author to mention that this movie is an adaptation of a novel, which was ultimately much superior to the film. As with many adaptations, there was a lot of plot that was minimized, characters that were cut, not to mention the ending was completely manipulated into something different. Do read Dennis Wheatley’s novel as it is just as bizarre, if not more so, than this film.
Written by Isabel for Pattinson Online. Do not post on any other website without permission.
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