Dark Alessa

Dark Alessa is a ficitonal character in the Silent hill movie, directed by Christophe Gans. She is a manifestation of the dark side of the soul of Alessa Gillespie, who was burned alive by a group of religious fanatics at the age of nine. Dark Alessa is portrayed by Jodelle Ferland

Characteristics

Dark Alessa is the personification of all the evil in the soul of Alessa and, as such, is a dark entity capable of multiple atrocities. Despite her childish appearance, Dark Alessa knows no innocence or purity. She lives in a dark world that strongly resembles the Christian hell, and watches over the original body from which she sprang. Dark Alessa is strongly connected with Christian symbolism of the devil, however, Christophe Gans and Jodelle Ferland have both confirmed that she is merely the representation of the dark side of Alessa's soul. The actress says of Dark Alessa

I also play Dark Alessa. She's the bad part of Alessa.

Dark Alessa is sort of the bad part of Alessa, so that's why she's so strange.

Christophe Gans tells us:

Perhaps the common link between all the stories of the Silent Hill world is the concept that this is a place where both reality and personality can be split. I like the fact that this is where many dimensions intersect, and where you can exist on many planes. This fracturing between realities is reflected as a fracturing within a character. Characters can become multiple, like Mary and Maria in Silent Hill 2, and Alessa in SH1. Because this is such an abstract concept, this was the most challenging aspect of trying to adapt the game. The first game tells the amazing story of an adult woman who also exists as two little girls, good and bad doubles representing who she was when she was hurt.

We are forced to realize in Silent Hill that we can be our own devil, our own God. This very Asian perception is so completely different to the Anglo/Christian concept of God and the Devil as separate beings.

He also says

If we want to explain what happened with Alessa, we are dealing with the theme of doppelgangers. For every fan that has read the synopsis of the first game's story in the strategy guide of Silent Hill 3, they all know that we are dealing with doppelgangers--and it's a very cross-cultural concept, both Japan and Europe have this myth. But in Japan, it means that every character has aspects of a God and aspects of a devil inside them. It's a very shocking concept if we attempt to transpose that into a North American, traditionally Christian perspective. The line between good and evil is much more clearly in North America, especially today. And here we are dealing with a character who has the capacity to split, and when you realize that Alessa is no longer one character, but many, it explains the story of the town. It's interesting because the town itself mirrors this fractured psychology--different dimensions, different doubles of the same person.

Storyline

When nine-year-old Alessa is burned alive by the religious fanatics of her town, she becomes full of rage and is able to split her soul; creating a dark double of herself consisting of her dark side. Dark Alessa comes to Alessa as she lays in pain, and asks her to make a deal. Alessa gives in to the dark side of her own soul and the dark world is born. The dark world is created out of Alessa's pain and symbolizes her fear and rage. Dark Alessa resides with Alessa in the basement of Brookhaven Hospital and watches over her.

21 years after the creation of Dark Alessa, Sharon DaSilva; the manifestation of the good side of Alessa's soul; is created. Dark Alessa carries the infant Sharon to the Toluca County Orphanage and drops her off on the doorstep to be found by Sister Margaret, who runs the orphanage. Nine years later, Dark Alessa begins to call to Sharon in her nightmares; causing Sharon's adoptive mother, Rose DaSilva, to panic and take her child to the town of Silent Hill. When Rose and Sharon arrive, Dark Alessa appears in front of their car; causing a car crash that pulls the DaSilvas into Alessa's alternate reality. As Rose searches the town for her missing child, Dark Alessa continues to appear and leads Rose to places that were relevant to Alessa's suffering.

Rose is eventually led into the basement of the town hospital, where she is told Alessa's story. Afterwards, Dark Alessa reveals herself and tells Rose that the townspeople have denied their fate for thirty years and that she is the reaper . Dark Alessa asks Rose to agree to carry her into the church where the cultists have been hiding for the last thirty years. She claims that she cannot enter the church herself because the blind faith of the people holds her out. Rose agrees to what Dark Alessa needs; and takes Alessa's dark essence into her body and takes her to the church.

Once in the church, Rose is stabbed by Alessa's aunt; Christabella; and Dark Alessa is released from her body. Her dark essence opens a portal into Alessa's dark world and Alessa and Dark Alessa are able to take their long-awaited revenge. As Alessa's vengeance completes itself; Dark Alessa comes to Sharon and the two sides of Alessa's soul are recombined, causing the rebirth of Alessa into her good double's body.

The newly-reborn Alessa goes home with Rose, but chooses to stay in the foggy world. Dark Alessa ceases to exist when the souls reunite; but she continues to live within the soul of Alessa.

References

1. Jodelle Ferland talks to BloodyDisgusting.com Silent Hill Interview
2. Ms. Ferland Audio Clips Jodelle Ferland Audio
3. Silent Hill Interview [ http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=6605116&publicUserId=1002415 Christophe Gans interview]
4. Christophe Gans Silent Hill blog On Adapting Silent Hill