# The Shape of Water (movie) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318 "2017-12-26T16:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/61 "2018-03-27T06:02:21Z")
You’re worried about the fact that there are some big gaping holes in the plot logic? That’s pretty common. I don’t worry so much about films (like this one) which don’t pretend to be anything close to scientifically accurate. I’m more bothered by all the films based on true stories which are wildly different than that true story. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/62 "2018-03-30T13:04:18Z")
Saw it the other night. I wanted to like it more and appreciate the love story in it but didn’t really find much there. In fact I found Eliza to be the least interesting character and rather immature. She didn’t come off as “lonely” but rather just “really, really horny”. I thought Russian mole was the more sympathetic character and had a more interesting story to tell. Richard Jenkin’s character was also interesting and again more sympathetic. Same with Octavia Spencer. Michael Shannon was a bit over the top but at least they didn’t make him a prick at home also. His wife was really into him and the kids liked him. Having him under the heavy thimb of the general also showed some of his motivations. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/63 "2018-03-30T13:34:45Z")
She’s not deaf. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/64 "2018-03-30T18:50:54Z")
I really enjoyed this movie. Not sure if it should have won Best Picture, but it did. I thought part of Strickland’s problem, besides the aforementioned pressure from the General, was all the painkillers he was slamming. He was still a huge dick, but not entirely his fault. (90%?) Another thing that make me chuckle when I thought of it, she sure boiled a lot of eggs before the end! ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/65 "2018-08-28T09:15:29Z")
Just saw the film on video. > [@Malthus](#): > > I think the antagonist was the weakest part of the movie. He was just sadistic for no reason - yet so duty-bound he was willing to fulfill his mission even though he was dying from untreated gangrene. > > Thing is, he wasn’t really very interesting. He’s just there to have an American 50s Straight White Repressed Asshole to Hate. > > This presentation seriously lowered the enjoyment of the movie for me. If they could have made the villain as interesting as the other characters, it would have been better. … > > I thought the romance wasn’t fleshed out enough. They went from ‘wow, we can communicate through sign language’ to ‘let’s have sex!’ really quickly. … Agree with all of this. The Michael Shannon character was way over the top, and cartoonish. Another problem for me was the Hoffstetler character (Russian spy). The murkiness of his motivations bugged me. Having said all that, I’d give the film a positive review. Perhaps three stars out of four. The performances were good, and the visuals were fabulous. Just didn’t live up to all the hype for me. Nevertheless, ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/66 "2018-08-28T14:11:06Z")
It was weird, worth watching once I guess. I’ll never see it again. And I sure as hell don’t know how it won an Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/67 "2018-08-28T17:55:11Z")
I agree that it’s strange and surprising that it won, but although I didn’t think it was the best movie of the year I do think it was more deserving than the other nominees and a better choice then we get most years. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/68 "2018-08-29T00:57:02Z")
So what did you think was the best film of the year? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/69 "2018-08-29T04:07:14Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > So what did you think was the best film of the year? Glad you asked! 😃 Here are my top 10: Loving Vincent Blade Runner 2049 King Arthur: Legend of the Sword The Shape of Water Phantom Thread Spider-Man: Homecoming Downsizing Call Me by Your Name The Killing of a Sacred Deer Battle of the Sexes So I believe “Call Me” is the only other one on that list that was even nominated. ETA: Or was “Phantom Thread” also nominated? That’s a close call, so I would have been happy with it winning as well. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2018, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/70 "2018-08-29T06:23:39Z")
_The Shape of Water_, _Call Me by Your Name_, and _Phantom Thread_ were all nominated. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/71 "2018-12-19T05:37:05Z")
I finally saw it a couple days ago, and the best way I can describe it is “Wow - what a trip!” I enjoyed it, although I probably won’t see it again. The whole thing was an exercise in credulity-straining from start to finish, and that’s OK by me. ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/72 "2018-12-19T20:38:01Z")
The opening scenes show us gliding through a ship at the bottom of the ocean, eventually reaching Elisa, who is asleep and alone. The rest of the movie that follows shows how she got there. Maybe the point of the movie is not about a developing love story, but about Elisa’s journey “home” (which was Dorothy’s motivation in The Wizard of Oz). Note that as Elisa was passing a store on her way out, she stopped for a moment to peer longingly at a pair of red slippers. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/73 "2018-12-19T20:55:31Z")
> [@vertizontal](#): > > The opening scenes show us gliding through a ship at the bottom of the ocean, eventually reaching Elisa, who is asleep and alone. That’s not a ship. Although we enter through an underwater cave or opening, that’s [Elisa’s hallway and then her apartment.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnoqxy934-Q) Look at the windows and [the furniture.](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5a0248374cddea6e35171f2e/master/w_768,c_limit/t-Shape-of-Water-Set-Design.jpg) She’s “home,” but it’s now underwater. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/74 "2018-12-20T03:16:54Z")
Just finished watching it and boy that was a weird movie. I loved it though. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/75 "2018-12-20T03:46:16Z")
I have a question for people who watched the movie: I found the novelization of TSoW in the library a few months ago, and checked it out. And, like, ninety percent of Strickland’s (that was his name, right?) characterization was internal. Take away all the stuff going on in his head, and you’ve pretty much got nothing left. Just a bland, boring cardboard cutout of a bad guy. How did the movie handle this? How did it show his inner turmoil, the slow dissolution of his civilized persona? Did it include the motif of screaming monkeys from the book? I _hope_ it showed something, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/76 "2018-12-20T04:46:25Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > How did the movie handle this? How did it show his inner turmoil, the slow dissolution of his civilized persona? Did it include the motif of screaming monkeys from the book? I _hope_ it showed something, anyway. In the movie Michael Shannon played him as [semi-psychotic and very very scary.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zDGjl_mUWE) His inner turmoil was shown as outer turmoil. His slow dissolution was symbolized by the fact that his re-attached fingers (that the monster had bitten off) slowly rotted and became gangrenous. Not at all subtle. No screaming monkeys were necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/77 "2018-12-20T15:01:18Z")
Yeah, one of my many criticisms of the movie is that Michael Shannon’s character was just way too over the top unhinged. There’s a right way to demonstrate a psycho antagonist (Anton Chigurh) and there’s a wrong way and of course a lot in between. I felt this was definitely on the wrong end of the spectrum. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Erudite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ancient\_Erudite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Erudite)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318/78 "2018-12-25T21:10:47Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I usually like del Toro movies but this one was too predictable and frankly boring. It’s basically a different take on Creature From The Black Lagoon with the creature getting the girl. The undertones of bestiality didn’t do much for me either, the heroine is basically screwing a fish. The film just didn’t work for me. I thought the film was thought-provoking on many levels. The Amazonian fish man had a very innocent type of soul. Lonely, tortured, far away from the only home he knew, confused, and marked for death. Man’s inhumanity to man is sometimes best shown on a non-human. Sally Hawkins performance was excellent. For openers, the most established actress won’t do fully nude scenes let alone play a mute but there was something extra about her character that requires connecting the dots. Her neck looks like once had gills, and she was very relaxed in a screen that was a near drowning in the bathroom, so perhaps it was fate that both the two together, allowing the Amazonian fish man to use his innate power for healing and give her gills on the spot in which they looked to have belonged. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-water-movie/805318.md?page=3)