This article contains spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher.
Summary
- The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix is based on Edgar Allan Poe's works, including his famous story "The Cask of Amontillado."
- The story of "The Cask of Amontillado" is about a man seeking revenge on someone who insulted him, leading to a chilling murder in a hidden chamber.
- The series cleverly references "The Cask of Amontillado" through the characters and their plotlines, adding an eerie and unsettling element to the show.
The Fall of the House of Usher is the latest horror series on Netflix, courtesy of creator Mike Flanagan. Like most of Flanagan’s previous works in the genre, this one is based on an author’s literary works. And who better to emulate than the king of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. In the story about a successful pharma CEO named Roderick Usher and his mega-rich family, Flanagan weaves a number of different stories and poems written by Edgar Allan Poe.
Seasoned fans of the author will recognize his stories in the titles of episodes two to seven. The first and last one refers to the writer’s famous poem, The Raven. And of course, The Fall of the House of Usher itself is the title of a Poe story. In the show, this one acts as a framing device for the series as Roderick narrates the tale of his life to Assistant U.S. Attorney Auguste Dupin. But there is one short story that fans of the show might have missed — “The Cask of Amontillado”.
What is the story of “The Cask of Amontillado”?
“The Cask of Amontillado” starts with a grudge. Montresor, a nobleman, claims to have been insulted by a fellow nobleman named Fortunato. In order to take revenge over the insults caused to him, Montressor devises a plan. On the night during the carnival season, he invites a drunk Fortunato to authenticate a rare wine known as Amontillado. They head down into the catacombs beneath Montressor’s house and, on the way, Fortunato drinks even more wine.
When they are deep inside the catacombs, Fortunato enters a niche in the wall to look for the Amontillado. Just as planned, Montressor uses his unguardedness to chain him to wall. He then begins to wall up the niche using the stone and mortar he had hidden nearby. Fortunato screams and then laughs hysterically and then pleads for release but it doesn’t work. Montressor walls him up. Towards the end, Fortunato stops replying and only the jingle of bells is heard. Montressor then reveals that it has been fifty years since that day and the niche has stayed undisturbed.
Not for no reason, “The Cask of Amontillado” is known as one of Edgar Allan Poe’s best work. And the unsettling nature of its storyline makes it a perfect inclusion in the wider setting of The Fall of the House of Usher.
When does The Fall of the House of Usher refer to “The Cask of Amontillado”?
If the name Fortunato sounds familiar that’s because it is. In The Fall of the House of Usher, it’s the basis of Roderick Usher’s success — his company, Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. The company originally belonged to Roderick and Madeline’s father but being illegitimate children, they had no claim over it. After their father’s death, Rufus Griswold becomes CEO and Roderick continues to get second-hand treatment.
The events that occur between Roderick, Madeline and Rufus Griswold depict the story of “The Cask of Amontillado”. Over time, Griswold uses Roderick’s ideas but doesn’t award him any benefit. Then, Roderick scores a win by making sure an investigation into the company’s corruption goes awry. On New Year’s Eve 1979, Roderick and Madeline celebrate this win with Griswold, who will take credit for Roderick’s work again. They toast the success with a glass of wine, specifically Amontillado.
Madeline then seduces a drunk Rufus and lures him to the half-constructed basement of the new Fortunato building. Soon, he’s too inebriated to walk and passes out. When he wakes up, Roderick and Madeline have chained both of his hands to pipes and are using brick and mortar to wall him inside. He threatens them and then begs for his life, but they are not deterred. Madeline reveals she put cyanide in his drink so he won’t make it past morning anyway. And once all is done, Roderick will be the new CEO.
But there are a few key differences
The Fall of the House of Usher uses a number of little details from “The Cask of Amontillado” but it’s not always in the way one would expect. In fact, these parallels make it clear why Mike Flanagan chose Edgar Allan Poe’s work for his adaptation. For one, Rufus dies of poison while Fortunato is left to slowly succumb to death — whether by lack of air or food or water.
During the New Year’s Eve party, Rufus is dressed as a jester and even has a clown’s mask, complete with bells. In the short story, Fortunato adorns the same costume. Towards the end, his screams subside and Montressor can only hear the bells. But Roderick hears the bells decades after the murder, when finally faced with his crimes.
Another detail is Fortunato’s insistence on authenticating the wine in the source material. When Montressor suggests asking another man named Luchesi, Fortunato claims he doesn’t even know the difference between sherry and Amontillado. The thing is, Amontillado is a type of sherry, indicating that Fortunato doesn’t actually know much about wine.
Interestingly, it’s not Rufus but Madeline who makes the same comment in The Fall of the House of Usher. As the people credited with the company’s success, Roderick and Madeline are the true essence of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. They might play the role of Montressor, but their fate is that of the latter. Once Roderick’s children begin to die and they know death is coming for them too, the twins are just as trapped as the original Fortunato was.