By John Townsend
The Pale Blue Eye, the latest collaboration between director Scott Cooper and Christian Bale, is a moody, Gothic expression of atmosphere and melancholy. There is a mystery – or perhaps two? – at its cold heart, but Cooper understands that location and character are more important in instilling fascination in his audience.
Based on a 2003 novel by Louis Bayard, The Pale Blue Eye follows retired detective Augustus Landor (Bale) who is drawn into investigating the murder of a cadet at the nearby United States Military Academy of West Point. And this was a grisly murder, with the hanged cadet having had his heart removed, the body left on display to be discovered. The confrontational Landor growls his way through the early stages of the investigation before encountering one Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling), who he enlists to help.
The mutual fascination between these two characters – the educated Landor revealing very little while Poe’s dialogue is peppered with profundity and monologue – seems to be what excites Cooper, and scenes of their verbal jousting are among the most interesting in the film. But there is still a mystery, and while it’s slow, rather formulaic reveal is abundant with more grisly murders and miserable confessions, it’s entirely secondary to the relationship of the two leads. Bale does what Bale does, inhabiting a brooding, secretive character similar to many he has played in the past, while Melling’s Poe is superb, flirting with camp caricature yet remaining nuanced and unpredictable.
This may not be Cooper’s best film, but it is another example of how much of an expert he is when it comes to creating a tangible atmosphere.
The Pale Blue Eye is streaming on Netflix.
