nathansnook

Jamaica Inn

The film first enters in crashing waves against rocks, strobed with flashing thunder, a boat crashing, sailors raided, thugs winning. What a scene! The rest tethers a twisting and turning between characters in matters of trust that thieve each other of dead-ends, especially that of Laughton's character. He's a prime example of how a villain need not hide in the shadows of the plot, but is one that is almost central to how other characters, even our heroes, navigate the narrative, to a startling ending. But with this ending, the rest of the characters fall flat, and so, if anything, this is a great experiment on how we can further develop the complexities of villains in storytelling.