There are plenty of directors out there who continue to impress viewers with their astonishing skills in tackling different genres, and Scott Cooper is certainly among them.
The noted American filmmaker has already been successful in exploring the westerns (Hostiles), horror (Antler), music dramas (Crazy Heart), crime dramas (Black Mass), and more.
He previously worked with the brilliant Christian Bale on the 2013 thriller “Out Of The Furnace” and fans are already excited to see him team up again for “The Pale Blue Eye” which started streaming on Netflix on January 6, 2023.
Billed as a gothic period horror mystery, Christian Bale stars as Det. Augustus Landor as he investigates a string of murders with the help of Edgar Allan Poe.
Since one of the film’s two protagonists is not only a real-life figure but also one of the most iconic and distinguishable American authors in the history of literature, the viewers must be wondering whether the film is based on a true story. Let’s find out and answer your questions.
Is “The Pale Blue Eye” based on a true story?
No, “The Pale Blue Eye” is not based on a true story but it surely serves as a faithful adaption of Louis Bayard’s 2003 novel of the same name.
Set in West Point, in 1830, Pale Blue Eye follows detective Augustus Landor as he’s recruited by the United States Military Academy to investigate the apparent suicide of a cadet, whose heart was removed from the morgue.
It’s an overt reference to Poe’s famous short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” and we see the connection to the writer’s work further strengthen when Landor recruits Poe to assist him with his investigation.
In the 1830s, Edgar was yet to turn his hand to horror classics like “The Fall of the House of Usher”, as he was working hard to get his poems published. Poe enlisted in the army in 1827 and later enrolled at West Point in July 1830 to be able to support himself financially.
Thus, the premise of The Pale Blue Eye” is rooted in fact. Despite that, the story it tells of how Poe’s murder investigation inspired the poet to turn to horror is fictional, with elements of historical fact and some glaring omissions.
Why “The Pale Bule Eye” is not a True Story?
The main reason why “The Pale Blue Eye” isn’t based on a true story is that it’s based on a fictional crime novel by another renowned author Louis Bayard.
Novel enthusiasts will be familiar with Bayard’s novels and how they would regularly feature real-life historical figures in fictional situations. His novel “The Black Tower” involved a murder investigation of Marie Antoinette’s son.
As with Scott Cooper’s previous movie “Antlers”, the writer-director adapts Bayard’s novels to the screen.
The clear disparities between Poe’s life depiction in “The Pale Blue Eye” and his life in reality further go on to prove that the movie is an adaption of the fictional story of Poe’s murder investigation rather than telling of true events.
It’s heavily implied that the ill-fated (and fictional) Lea Marquis is the inspiration for the Lenore who features in Edgar Allan Poe’s work.
In 1831, Poe writes a poem about the death of a young woman, entitled “A Paean,” which was later revised as “Lenore” in 1843.
Scott Cooper’s film added a similar but somewhat different dimension to Poe’s “The Raven”, whose narrator speaks of signs from God to forget Lenore, suggesting the death of Lea played on the author’s mind for years afterward.
Why Edgar Allan Poe’s Storyline Has Some Real-Life Detailing?
West Point was part of the transitionary phase of Poe’s life, so it makes sense for the Netflix adaption to set its story during that time. As depicted in the movie, Poe had lost his foster mother Frances Allan a year previously.
Poe and Landor bond over their shared loss, with the detective having previously lost his wife and daughter.
The real-life details help to successfully establish a relationship between the movie’s two protagonists and act as a build-up to an emotional confrontation in “The Pale Blue Eye’s” climax.
Harry Melling’s Poe is a red herring to distract viewers from the true culprit behind West Point’s serial murders. Poe’s work in gothic horror makes way for the audience to buy into the story of Satanic worship and a desire to prolong life.
However, The Pale Blue Eye’s thrilling climax reveals Christian Bale’s non-real-life character Augustus Landor as the true killer. The killings were his way to seek revenge for the sexual assault of his daughter by three of the Academy’s cadets.
He uses the occult trappings of Poe’s future works to cover his tracks, which, in turn, inspire the author in this fictionalized account of his life.
“The Pale Blue Eye” opened to positive critical reception and has been receiving widespread praise from the audience for its engaging story and thrilling mystery. If you are searching for a period investigation drama, “The Pale Blue Eye” sounds like the perfect treat.
About The Pale Blue Eye
The Pale Blue Eye is a 2022 American mystery thriller film written and directed by Scott Cooper. The movie is an adaption of Louis Bayard’s 2003 novel of the same name.
Set in the 1830s, it follows Christian Bale’s, Augustus Landor investigating a series of gruesome murders at West Point Military Academy with the assistance of a cadet named Edgar Allan Poe.
The film features an ensemble cast of Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Simon Mcburney, Timothy Spall, and Robert Duvall.
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