This was a second adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher which I much preferred. It is feature film length, full colour, contains dialogue, and follows a comprehensive and easy to follow narrative. It could not be any less similar to the previous version, and for that I loved it.
The framing is not experimental or adventurous, instead it is very technically well-done and 'proper.' The camera is static in most shots. The subjects are nearly always centered in each frame.
There's stark contrasting of characters suggested; by their clothing (red vs. blue), their hair (blond vs. brown).
The scenery is well lit, with out much emphasis on strong contrast between light and shadow, even in nighttime scenes.
I don't understand why the portraits seems to be impressionist/expressionist in style, when the story is set far before those art styles even were prevalent? Seems like a bit of inconsistency - somebody didn't do their research enough.
The blue lighting from the nightmare sequence is used again towards the climax of the film, when the supernatural elements of the house become more prominent.
Pathetic fallacy = lightning and thunder when Madeline attempts to murder her brother.
The dialogue and its delivery seem forced, but what I like the most of the film is its aesthetics.
