“You saw Madeline and you see me. We are dying, Mr. Winthrop. As you saw her today, she is and will remain. Believe me, sir, I bear you no malice. Were things otherwise, I should welcome you into our family joyously. But under the circumstances, it is…quite impossible” – Vincent Price, House of Usher (1960)
The works of Edgar Allan Poe have impacted storytelling and popular culture since the 19th century. In the 1960s, multiple Edgar Allan Poe film adaptations starring horror icon Vincent Price emerged. One of these is House of Usher (or The Fall of the House of Usher), based on Poe’s 1839 story “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Price plays the role of Roderick Usher, the last patriarch of the doomed Usher family. With its haunting storytelling and immersive atmosphere, House of Usher creates an eerie experience worthy of the connection to Poe’s legacy.
The movie begins with Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) arriving at the ominous and fog-shrouded House of Usher on horseback. Philip has made the journey to the estate to take his fiancee, Madeline Usher, back to their home in Boston. He is told by the caretaker that Madeline is ill and bedridden. Philip insists on speaking to Roderick Usher, the eldest living relative of the Ushers and Madeline’s brother. After being asked to remove his shoes before proceeding, Philip follows the caretaker’s lead. Roderick encounters them outside his chambers.
Roderick is surprised and unhappy to see his caretaker has allowed someone into the house. Philip explains why he is there, and Roderick invites him to speak privately. Roderick reveals that he has sensitive hearing and asks Philip to speak softly. Roderick insists that Philip leaves the house without Madeline, but Philip refuses. While the men argue, Madeline (Myrna Fahey) appears through a doorway. Madeline pleads with Roderick to let Philip stay. It soon becomes clear that Roderick controls every aspect of Madeline’s life. Roderick shares that he and Madeline have an inherited affliction that affects their senses:
“Madeline and I are like figures of fine glass. The slightest touch and we may shatter. Both of us suffer from a morbid acuteness of the senses. Mine is worse for having existed the longer, but both of us are afflicted with it. Any sort of food more exotic than the most pallid mash is unendurable to my taste buds. Any sort of garment other than the softest is agony to my flesh. My eyes are tormented by all but the faintest illumination. Odors assail me constantly. And, as I’ve said, sounds of any degree whatsoever inspire me with terror” – Vincent Price, House of Usher (1960)
The House of Usher is a domineering estate filled with art and the history of the Usher family. Furthermore, the house itself is falling apart. Philip learns that Madeline sleepwalks and ends up in different rooms of the castle at night. Roderick’s control over Madeline proves to be deeper than Philip originally thought, including dictating what she eats and when she sleeps. Philip tries to convince Madeline to come back home with him, but she states that she cannot leave the house.
Philip witnesses a multitude of strange occurrences during his stay, including narrowly escaping a falling chandelier. He eventually convinces Madeline to come back with him. Tragedy strikes soon after a heated argument between Madeline and Roderick. Philip finds Madeline unconscious and not breathing. Following a small funeral with the house’s inhabitants, Madeline is taken to the Usher family tomb. As Philip grieves and prepares for his solitary journey home, he soon discovers that things are not as they seem.
House of Usher brings us back to a mesmerizing age of horror cinema. The production design and costumes complete the viewing experience of the chilling but hypnotic story of the Usher family. There is a feeling of isolation throughout, emphasized by the characters’ physical limits and the large house meant for many more occupants. More than anything, the depth of the characters and the influence of the house and its former occupants make House of Usher a gripping story that lures audiences in as much as it repels them.
Until next time,
Jordan
By Night 