SPOILERS
| Added | Mon, 26/03/2018 |
| Release date | 12-02-1954
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| Original title | Creature from the Black Lagoon
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| Феномены | |
| References |
"Creature from the Black Lagoon", or "Creature from the Black Lagoon" ("Creature from the Black Lagoon") is a 1954 American horror film, which is part of the classic series of Universal horror films, also known as"Universal Monsters". The author of the script was inspired by the classic plot of "beauty and the beast", which he transferred to a horror film about an aquatic creature.
This is the first film from the cycle about Gillman ("gillman" – "the frog man"), but the two sequels turned out to be weaker than the original.
Despite the fact that the image of Gillman is completely invented by the creative team, it is based on a real-life myth about half-fish-half-people living in the waters of the Amazon. They are considered a race of underwater people, which has become a separate branch of evolution (by analogy with the Yeti). The film's producer William Allan (William Alland) was amazed by the story of the Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa (Gabriel Figueroa), told by him at a dinner party in 1941. According to Gabriel, he had a friend who disappeared while trying to make a documentary about these mysterious creatures. Ten years after this meeting, Allan wrote his story "The Sea Monster" (The Sea Monster), which formed the basis of the film script.
The character of Gillman quickly gained popularity. He was mentioned in various books, films, comics and TV series of that time. Its popularity is not fading even now. For example, this film inspired the creators of the Oscar-winning film "The Shape of Water" in 2017.
The film "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" and even Allan's story "The Sea Monster" are not the first works in which a half-fish-half-man is mentioned. As earlier examples, we can recall the novel "Amphibian Man" (Alexander Belyaev, 1927) and the less well-known work of the French writer Jean de la Ira in Russia "Iktaner and Moezetta", written in 1909. However, in these books, such creatures were created artificially.
"Creature from the Black Lagoon", or "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954) tells about a creature called a "gill-man" or "Gillmeen". Despite the fact that the image of Gillman was completely invented by the creative team, it was based on a real-life myth about half-fish-half-people living in the waters of the Amazon. They are considered a race of underwater people, which has become a separate branch of evolution (by analogy with the Yeti).
In the upper Amazon, an expedition led by Professor Karl Maya is conducting a study of the fossils of the Devonian period. Suddenly, they find a fossilized five-fingered limb that bears a great resemblance to the fin of a fish. The professor goes to the Institute of Marine Biology, leaving his assistants at the excavation site. Young scientists working at the institute, Mark Williams, David Reed and Kay Lawrence, enthusiastically accept the professor's offer to take part in the excavations. While Maya is away, the workers left in the camp are attacked by a mysterious creature and killed by them.
The expedition charters the ship "Rita" under the command of Captain Lucas and goes to the depths of the Amazon. Arriving at the site, the scientists see a destroyed camp, which is very disturbing to them. Nevertheless, the participants of the expedition are taken to the excavations. However, the results are disappointing: they do not find the rest of the skeleton. Then the professor remembers that a tributary located next to the camp flows into a reservoir called the Black Lagoon, from which, however, no one has returned. David suggests continuing his research there.
Mark and David, using scuba gear, begin underwater research. Their movements attract the attention of the gill-man living in the lagoon. The samples taken by them turn out to be identical to the samples from the excavation site. Kay recklessly decides to swim in the lagoon. She further excites the gill-man, who follows her for a long time. At the same time, he gets into a trawl, which scientists try to collect stones from the bottom of the lagoon. When they finally manage to lift the net, there is a huge hole in it. Among the scraps of the net, Mark finds a gill-man's claw. David and Mark go under the water again – one with a camera, the other with a harpoon gun. They manage to find the toad-man, and Mark shoots him with a harpoon, which, however, does not cause much harm to the creature. Enraged, she goes on board the ship and kills one of the sailors.
Scientists decide to catch the gill-man. Captain Lucas suggests that they use rathenone for this, a substance that causes a state similar to intoxication in creatures that breathe gills. The first attempt is unsuccessful — a lot of fish come up, but there is no gill man among them. Then the researchers increase the dose of rathenone. This time the toad-man is really getting drunk. He tries to hide in a ground grotto, but there Mark and David discover him. However, before that, the gill-man strangles the second sailor and grabs Kay. Mark makes a wise decision to kill the creature, but David stops him. The disoriented creature is placed in a cage made of thick trunks. Next, Mark suggests that the expedition should be curtailed, since its main goal has been achieved, and again David stops him, insisting on exploring the grotto. Meanwhile, the effect of rathenone ends. The toad-man breaks the cage and attacks one more member of the expedition – Dr. Thompson. Tom manages to survive only thanks to Kay, who throws a kerosene lamp at the creature. The gill-man can only escape.
Now David insists on stopping the expedition. Despite Mark's opposition, Captain Lucas sets a course for the home port. However, it is not so easy to return – the narrow exit from the lagoon is littered with tree trunks. An attempt to remove the trunks with the help of a ship's winch is unsuccessful – the gill man breaks the rope. David decides to fix the cables himself, for this he goes under the water. Mark also dives in order to try to catch the gill-man, but the forces are unequal, and the scientist dies in a fight with the creature. The situation is becoming critical. David decides to try to intoxicate the toadman again, but the supply of rathenone is running out. Scientists come up with the idea to make a substance sprayer. On the next dive into the water, David manages to use the device, so that he reaches his goal. The poisoned gill-man ceases to be a hindrance to the scientist, and Reed manages to thoroughly secure the cable, which allows him to move the trunks from their places and free the passage. However, the toadman climbs back onto the ship and grabs Kay. He takes the girl to his grotto. David almost grapples with the creature in hand-to-hand combat, but the monster is much stronger. Professor Maya and Captain Lucas save the situation, from which the frog-man receives a fair portion of lead, but even shots at point-blank range do not kill him…
Phenomena in artwork: Aquatic creatures
Unknown water creature in the film is habrachelovek living in the Black Lagoon in the middle of the Amazon jungle.
According to the theory of scientists, who found habrachelovek, it is a "lost branch of evolution" – a Supreme being, able to live both in water and on land. While on land this creature feels uncomfortable and tries to get back in the water.
The creature is a humanoid with gills, covered with scales, with amorhouse eyes and webbed between the fingers of the hands and feet. Age and gender being determined, like whether in the vicinity of similar individuals, or is it one of a kind.
The creature has a huge physical strength (it is capable of breaking a fishing net and kill someone with your bare hands), and superhuman durability: throughout the film it was hit several times with a harpoon, but it did not cause him significant damage; the creature died (and not fact) after only a few shots from a gun.
Habrachelovek does not show any signs of intelligence in their behavior.
Translated by «Yandex.Translator»
The fossilized remains of habrachelovek
Translated by «Yandex.Translator»
Traces of habrachelovek
Translated by «Yandex.Translator»
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