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Here, again, we see an inherent conflict: pious folks who would ordinarily believe in the concept of a heavenly afterlife find themselves drawn to the irresistible lure of the spirit realm. Their sorrow and trauma are beyond measure, and when their faith provides little comfort, they turn to the occult.
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And finally, the Great Depression: widespread economic devastation, leading into the first whispers of World War II.
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Then there was a devastating influenza epidemic that felt almost apocalyptic to those who survived it, watching otherwise healthy friends and relatives dropping like flies around them. First, there was a world war beyond the likes of anything seen before, taking their fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers. At the time that Nightmare Alley takes place, the people who turn to mysticism have been through the wringer. With carefully honed powers of observation and a few too many lucky guesses, why wouldn’t they begin to think that they actually have psychic abilities or, at the very least, they’re simply so good at their act that they stand no risk of being exposed? But by pretending to be able to commune with the spirits, they play with the minds of the bereaved. “It ain’t hope if it’s a lie.”īecause the real peril comes when the mentalists start to believe their own con. “No good comes out of a spook show,” they warn Stan ( Bradley Cooper) when he expresses a greedy interest in their act. Still, both Madam Zeena ( Toni Collette) and Pete ( David Strathairn) are careful never to push their audiences too far: They seem to recognize the dangers of tricking people into believing that they can contact the realm of spirits. They seem to be able to access knowledge they have no earthly claim to, and can even commune with the dead. RELATED: The Real Monsters in Guillermo del Toro's Films Are Often the Humansīut the more time we spend at the carnival, the more we delve into the world of mysticism, where psychics and mentalists appear to possess supernatural powers. The religious iconography within the carnival setting encourages self-flagellation - “You can embrace your most wicked curiosities here,” it seems to say, “and repent later.” This juxtaposition of religious fervor and deviance is a reflection of a deeply conflicted people, ashamed of their own perversions. The carnival barker’s rhythmic sales pitch designed to lure in crowds is called his patter, a word derived from the paternoster, or Lord’s Prayer. Even the smooth, measured declamations of Hoadley have the cadence of a preacher giving a sermon. The funhouse is called the House of Damnation, with a thousand eyes watching the carnival-goers as every mirror beckons them to “examine thyself, sinner.” When the human spider addresses a gathering crowd, she warns them solemnly not to become lustful or prideful, and that she was turned into a spider for the sin of disobeying her parents. But it’s difficult to disguise the fact that their entire purpose is to titillate audiences, giving them a taste of the debauchery they would normally shun in their otherwise rigidly devout lives. There is an attempt to class up the carnival acts, giving them a veneer of respectability by suggesting that they may have intellectual or moral values. The first act we see at the carnival is a show of exotic dancers, bringing “forbidden dances for your education and pleasure,” which highlights the contradictory nature of the entire enterprise. The environment of the carnival itself seems uncertain whether its goal is to keep them on the straight and narrow path, or encourage them to give into their darker temptations. These warring instincts are at play throughout Nightmare Alley, fighting for the souls of every character who crosses its sinister path. The trauma of lived experiences in the early 20th century created a populace hungry for meaning, perpetually torn between morality and depravity, mysticism and faith. Why else would ordinary, God-fearing individuals seek out the morbid delights of a carnival freak show, spending a hard-earned quarter to watch a man bite the head off a live chicken, all while being surrounded by reminders of the importance of humanity. What people find in the low-rent, frequently grotesque carnival in Nightmare Alley is a mass of contradictions. “Folks will pay good money just to make themselves feel better,” carnival boss Clem Hoadley ( Willem Dafoe) tells his newest employee.