In the film, a family of five
known as the Freelings lives in an idyllic suburbia – or so they think.
Strange things begin to occur in the house shortly after their cherubic
5-year-old daughter (O'Rourke) begins receiving communication from someone
she refers to as the “TV people” through the static on their television
set. Their pet bird dies, furniture begins to move on its own, and other
such oddities, but things take a turn for the deadly for the family when the
tree outside their home seemingly becomes animated and threatens to engulf
the middle child (Robins) into its wooden maw. The boy is saved, but their
young daughter ends up missing, ostensibly stolen into another dimension by
forces unknown, although she is able to still communicate through the
television. The family enlists the services of a group of parapsychologists
to investigate the strange phenomena, and hopefully get back their beloved
daughter, but the forces that currently dominate the house prove to be much
stronger than anything they’ve ever seen before.
Poltergeist
is a gem of a horror film, with a blend of elements that are truly horrific,
while also quite palatable for mainstream audiences that normally eschew
such fare. Emphasis is strong on character development among the family, a
rarely used but very wise feature for horror movies, as the more we relate
to the characters, the more fear we feel later during the more frightening
moments.
What really sets
Poltergeist
apart from other standard horror films is the sheer pacing once the real
action gets underway. Like Spielberg’s
Duel
and
Jaws, most of the quiet moments are near
the beginning, drawing you in to the day-to-day lives of normal people,
contrasted later by strange events and disturbing images. As the climax
develops, Spielberg and Hooper let it all rip wide open, culminating in
truly cataclysmic events that make enough sense to understand what’s going
on, but are still mysterious enough to give us a sense of wonder and awe, as
if anything can truly happen.
Don’t be fooled by the PG rating
of the film – this is one of those movies that can give the impressionable
nightmares for weeks – perhaps a lifetime – although by today’s gory
standards, the effects are surprisingly mild despite the formidable scares.
Classic horror elements mesh perfectly with the newer graphic style, but
most of the points are scored where they rightfully should – in the
storytelling and characters.
Poltergeist
has its share of flaws, most notably in being a little cute once in a while
(chairs appear suddenly in pyramid form when the mother isn’t looking) while
also biting off a little more than it should have decided to chew in a
superfluous regurgitation of an ending that raises more questions than it
answers. It’s also frustrating to see a family choose to keep most of its
members in a house they know to be exceedingly dangerous to all of them,
regardless of whether or not they feel the need to remain for the sake of
their youngest. However, the entertainment value is never really in
question, and compared to most other entries in its genre, particularly
among the trashy slasher films of the early 1980s, this is by far a superior
entry worthy of bestowing far more praise than criticism.
-- Followed
by Poltergeist II: The Other Side
