Bluebeard meets Ivy: the botany of love in Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread

The peculiar romance portrayed in Phantom Thread (2017) has been subjected to much criticism. While Paul Thomas Anderson's film patently narrates a love story, the nature of its romance may appear enigmatic and illogical. In order to better understand the relationship dynamic between Reynolds and Alma, this article reads Phantom Thread in light of film noirs and Gothic romances of the 1940s. In particular, I foreground Edgar G. Ulmer's Bluebeard (1944), Sam Wood's Ivy (1947), Robert Siodmak's The Spiral Staircase (1946), and Fritz Lang's Secret Beyond the Door (1947) as the inspirational sources behind the creation of Phantom Thread. Offering a close-reading of Anderson's film, I discuss how Alma's characterization can be viewed through its association with climbing vine Hedera helix, considered to be the symbol and manifestation of true love.

Automated summary

This article examines the peculiar romance in Phantom Thread by comparing it with film noirs and Gothic romances of the 1940s. By analyzing the association between Alma's characterization and the symbolism of climbing vine, the article offers insights into the relationship dynamic between the film's main characters.