Mikes Film Talk

The 2010 horror film The Silent House, AKA; La Casa Muda can be called the “Little Film That Could.” A lot of ingenuity and thought went into the incredible film. It is no wonder that the remake train started firing up immediately.

I have noticed a certain amount of snobbery and downright aggression here. Arguing against the ‘continuous’ claim and I can’t really understand it. The film is the first ‘horror film’ to use a professional photographic camera. It is the first to shoot an entire movie. Despite claims and counter claims to the contrary, This is the first to use a “continuous take” approach. All this means is that the film has a ‘real-time’ feel to it. This enhances the tension we, the audience, feel while watching it.

Considering that the film’s budget is in the region of seven thousand dollars, it should not be scoffed at. It delivers well enough and the effects, though minimal, work well enough. The film delivers well enough that before the digital dust settled. Hollywood has done a re-make. It stars Elizabeth Olsen. So the filmmakers must have done something right.

 Gustavo Hernández (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar Estévez and Gustavo Rojo) directs The Silent House . It is based upon ‘true events that occurred in Uruguay in the 1940’s.

You have to diligently Google this one. If you do it long enough you’ll find an oblique reference to the discovery of two horribly mutilated corpses. . They were found in a semi-derelict house in the country.  That’s all you will find. Still it was this story that provided the kernel of the film and it’s plot.

The film has a cosy feel to it cast wise. There are only really three players in the film.  Florencia Colucci as Laura, Gustavo Alonso as Wilson (Laura’s pop) and Abel Tripaldi as Nestor. There is another actor in the film. However, only show up briefly towards the end. Therefore, I don’t really count them as part of the main cast.

The Story

Nestor has employed Wilson and Laura to ‘clear up’ an old farmhouse that he owns. He wants to sell the old place. Nestor realizes his chances of doing so are pretty poor with the property in its current state. He shows Wilson and Laura what he wants done. Before he leaves he tells the both of them to stay on the ground floor. The top floor of the two story property is unsafe with loose tiles and floorboards.

It is quite late in the day. Wilson and Laura decide to sleep before starting their work in the morning. Literally seconds after Wilson enters the land of Nod, Laura begins to hear noises from the floor above them. She finally wakes Wilson. He appears to have the ability to sleep through a major world war. Laura tells him that someone has entered the house and is moving around the top floor. He agrees to investigate. However, before he goes he tells Laura he expects her to be asleep when he returns.

Heading up the stairs, Laura waits anxiously. We hear a scream and a thud and it appears that Wilson has encountered something bad. The film then spends a good portion of time building suspense and throwing in the odd ‘timely’ scare.

What’s so Great?

I won’t lie to you here. I don’t really see what was so great about the film that it warranted an almost instantaneous Hollywood re-make. On a scale of movie making where a score of 1 equals unimaginative and 10 equals revolutionary breathtaking originality. I’d have to place The Silent House around the region of 6 or maybe at a push 7.

Of course I don’t make films for a living. I enjoy watching them and then talking about them. *I have worked sporadically in the entertainment industry for years though.* Perhaps the producers of the re-make though a bigger budget and “a name actor” would amp things up. They have, rather “imaginatively” called it Silent House.

It’s Digital

Still the area of this new digital trend in the movie making business hits a few resounding notes. This is a resounding hit. Silent House is, regardless of continuous takes or not, shot with a professional photographic camera. It was shot as continuous as possible. This is taking into account the technical restraints of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. It does so on a budget so small that the phrase ‘shoestring’ budget seems rather grandiose.

I would recommend seeing it, especially if you haven’t seen the re-make yet. It is always interesting to see the original films before Hollywood gets hold of them and ‘jazzes them up.’ It is also worth a look just by benefit of budget alone. When someone can make a movie for less than it costs to buy a used car? That is worth a look or two.

The Verdict

Silent House, AKA; La Casa Muda is a cracking little low/no budget thriller. The claims of “continuous takes” aside, this one fires on all cylinders. This is streaming on AMC Plus right now. Go check it out. It is worth a watching, trust me.

The Trailer