Winchester: The Movie...
I have always been fascinated with the story of Sarah WInchester and the house that spirits built. I have even had the exciting pleasure of visiting the massive Victorian Mansion for a flashlight tour on a Friday the 13th. A regular event that occurs yearly and adds a delicious element of electric excitement to the experience, but nothing could have prepared me for the story I was about to witness as I entered the movie theater on Super Bowl Sunday for an early showing. All I can say is... Thank goodness I went in the daytime!
Let me start by saying, despite the fact that half of the movie was spent looking into my package of Red Vines, I LOVED it! However, you may want a bit of context first.
The Winchester Mystery House: A Brief History
Sarah WInchester married the heir to the Winchester Rifle company. She suffered two tragedies in the death of her daughter and husband. Shortly after the death of her husband, she consulted a psychic medium who told her to move West, buy a house and never stop building. The construction was somehow related to the ghosts of those killed by the Winchester Rifle, but the details of what she was to do are speculative and unclear. In the movie (and now on the official website) it states that the spirits wanted her to build a room for them, and this would allow their souls to be at rest. I don't think we will ever know what the true motivation was for the constant building of this now sprawling structure, but one thing is evident. It is a beautiful, life size, Victorian Doll House full of odd curiosities at every turn!
Winchester: The Movie
Winchester is a thrilling experience from start to finish! The setting, the costumes, the characters, and the absolutely breathtaking Helen Mirren set the stage for a glimpse into one of the most curious evnts in California History. The creation of what is now fondly known as The WInchester Mystery House.
The screenplay writers, producers, and actors spun a tale full of fantastic twists and turns that would have made the Late Mrs. Winchester very proud. This spine chilling thriller provides an intersting and unexpected idea of what may have gone on during the years that Mrs. Winchester resided in what is now a mansion of curiosities. The motivation for the oddities, the choices that were made, and the connection with the great earthquake of 1906 left me in awe of the brilliance that was the thoughtful and creative weaving of a story that will never be told, in truth, thanks to Mrs. Winchester's reclusive behaviors. She left behind no journals, or insight other than the Labyrinth of rooms, staircases that lead to the ceiling, doors that open to a two story fall, and stained glass windows with Shakespeare quotes that to this day puzzle and delight all those who enter into the grand ballroom. I highly recommend this movie, but beware...the ghosts of the WInchester Rifle are watching, and not all of them are at rest.
