Watch: Video Essay Examines Importance Of Settings And Locations In Film

Guillermo del Toro has been doing the interview rounds for his upcoming “Crimson Peak,” and it’s proven a perfect series of opportunities for him to gush over the colossal scope and craft of his high-concept gothic horror flick. In particular, he’s been talking about the set of the film itself: it's an elaborate, spooky, mostly handcrafted labyrinth that,   on the basis of the trailers, is a triumph of imagination and production design. It's yet to be definitively determined whether or not “Crimson Peak” is worth visiting, but del Toro’s remarks about the importance of setting in cinema should not be disregarded. A film can take place inside a haunted, centuries-old manse, or on an alien planet, or maybe in a slightly underfurnished Brooklyn apartment… it all matters. In movies, your location can quickly become a character in and of itself. This week, audiences will be have the opportunity to witness this maxim distorted to exhilarating effect in Lenny Abrahamson’s powerful...