I am have come to the realization that I could never be a movie critic. This is largely due to the fact that I know not for what these critics search, but most of them seem to agree upon it. I went into The Raven with no expectations. I had seen the trailer and thought it looked like an interesting alternative history film. A little more mature, perhaps, than the forthcoming Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which I happily hope to see this summer. The Raven received poor reviews. A 22% rating among the actual critics on Rotten Tomatos and only a 55% from it’s patrons. This is, however, not enough to dissuade me. If a movie looks interesting so me, I see it.
I must say, I greatly enjoyed The Raven. It was suspenseful. It was entertaining. It was a unique play on the mysterious end of Edgar Allan Poe. Maybe I enjoyed it because I was a Poe-lover going in. Maybe it is because I am a student of history. I do not understand how someone could dislike this film so intensely, unless they were looking for a mindless action movie with lots of explosions. I enjoy the crude fun of these movies like many others, however this does not mean that the entire industry needs to be dumbed down for mass consumption.
The greatest tragedy of Edgar Allan Poe was that of his own life. His existence was wrought with pain, sadness and loss for virtually it’s entirety. This fact is only overtaken by the perplexing mystery of his death. It is within this factually vacant space that we find this work of intriguing yet impossible fiction. It tells the tragic story of a man devoted to love, yet damned like no other. I thoroughly enjoyed it and fail to see what those so critical of it feel it is lacking. Sometimes the movie doesn’t come to you. Sometimes you have to go to it.
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