Still thinking about how when I was watching the new Frankenstein with my friends and there was that scene where Harlander was smoking a cigarette and I was like "Hmm, in the Western world prior to the 1920's, smoking cigarettes was not a gentleman's habit. It was seen as very low-class, largely the habit of rough types and sex workers. I wonder if Harlander spends a lot of time in brothels," and then like two seconds later, Harlander was admitting to getting syphilis from his habit of visiting brothels, and I lost my shit.
Usually I have pretty low expectations of filmmakers when it comes to these kinds of details, but Guillermo del Toro clearly cares about the details so much. I mean, I always knew he was a very intentional filmmaker but this was just an absolute treat for the history nerds.
Further research later told me that part of what spread cigarette smoking in the Western world was the Crimean War, because the Western soldiers were trying to emulate the smoking style of their Ottoman allies. Harlander is a war profiteer selling arms in the Crimean War! The timing and context are just perfect!
I just...I really love being genuinely rewarded for picking up on things telegraphed by small details that only a history nerd would notice. I love seeing a filmmaker care that much. Most wouldn't bother with something like that when what it's signaling isn't common knowledge and thus unhelpful to the majority of the audience. But GDT isn't interested in mass appeal; he's interested in making art for the people who share his sensibilities, and for that I am so grateful.
