POLTERGEIST

I cannot say with absolute certainty who made this film. Was it Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame whose hard-hearted, low-budget and high-thrills style of directing was tempered by Spielberg’s maudlin sentimentality? Or was Poltergeist helmed primarily by Spielberg who was influenced by the controlled restraint of Hooper? There still remains a great deal of ambiguity from cast and crew members about who was really pulling the reins on this project. Spielberg had this to say about Hooper soon after the film’s release:

“Through the screenplay you accepted a vision of this very intense movie from the start, and as the director, you delivered the goods. You performed responsibly and professionally throughout.”

So why then does this movie feel remarkably Spielbergian in style? It follows a number of established Spielberg themes, such as family, loss, innocence and the supernatural. It does not have the brisk documentarian feel of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Salem’s Lot and is similar in style to the polished E.T or the first half of Close Encounters of a Third Kind. Spielberg’s contract with Universal contained a clause dictating that he was not to direct another movie whilst prepping E.T for release in the summer of 1982. By positioning Hooper as the de facto director of Poltergeist, Spielberg had a means to evade this clause and put out two pieces of work that summer. In defence of Hooper it might be noted that his next film Lifeforce, despite not being particularly good was distinctly Spielbergian in style which goes to show he was capable of pulling something like Poltergeist off, especially with help from the man himself. The fact that this debate is still raging almost thirty years after the film’s release is just one of the interesting things about this film and its creative process.

I look at it this way: film-making is by its nature a collaborative process. It’s thus clear that both Spielberg and Hooper had some input. The truth of the matter though, is that the idea for Poltergeist found its genesis in Spielberg’s mind and the film itself bears the distinguished style and mainstream sensibility that was typical of his films. Combining this inclination with the testimony of cast and crew, one cannot shake the feeling that this is indeed Spielberg’s baby.

The film itself is great fun. It follows the trials and tribulations of the Freeling family whose quiet suburban life is interrupted by the introduction of a group of mischievous ghosts into their home. At first their activities seem relatively benevolent – they communicate with 5-year-old Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) through the TV, they leave the kitchen chairs in cheerleader formation and generate a supernatural slip-slide across the kitchen floor. Soon enough, however their behaviour worsens and they hold Carol Anne captive in a portal in her bedroom closet. The dismayed Freeling’s consisting of Mum, Dad and Carol Anne’s two older siblings must now compete with these super-natural forces and battle for the return of their loved one.

What’s most effective about Poltergeist is that it manages to be both creepy and shocking in a manner that never comes off as being mean-spirited or sullen. That it manages to preserve a degree of family-friendliness throughout – despite talk of Indian burial grounds and killer clown dolls is also impressive. It takes its suburban setting and runs with it: we see beds twirl, television sets flicker on and off and cutlery and croquery whizz through the air. This really is worlds away from the wild south of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

As with any Spielberg film you get a sense of togetherness and family which grants Poltergeist its emotional heft and ensures you root for the Freeling family. Craig T. Nelson does a grand job portraying papa Freeling’s self-destructive meltdown driven by his failure to protect his family. The real star here though is JoBeth Williams who plays mama Freeling. She is clearly devastated by the loss of her daughter yet remains strong and stable in order to keep her family together amidst the on-going pandemonium. In a particularly physical scene William’s is tossed back and forth through her bedroom by the poltergeists wearing nothing but her underwear and an orange pyjama top. Whilst it’s never made entirely clear what the poltergeists are after in this scene, it’s moments like this one and a particularly Hooper-esque scene where papa Freeling stands in front of the bathroom mirror and his distorted mind shows his face melt off its skull, that prevent the film being entirely family friendly. I certainly don’t recommend showing this film to anybody under the age of 12.

Poltergeist feels very much of its generation: the organic special effects, the warm, inviting suburban setting, the simple yet effective dialogue. These all turn out to be good things and add to the film’s natural charm. I just wish that Spielberg, who proved himself adept at providing spooks in both this film and Jaws, would turn his hand to a project like this again. He has a talent for horror that does not come at the expense of the film’s warmth and that is a priceless asset.