She (1965) - film review

1918.  Immediately after WWI, three ex-servicemen – Leo, Holly and Job – are enjoying a brief holiday in the Middle East before resuming their lives in England.  One evening, Leo is abducted and taken to a house where he is presented to the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.  She introduces herself as Ayesha and tells him that he is the reincarnation of her former lover, whom she killed two thousand years ago in a fit of jealousy.  Ayesha has discovered the secret of immortality and promises to give Leo all that he desires if he will undertake the perilous desert journey to her lost city, Kuma.  Leo persuades his two friends to accompany him and they set out, not realising that they are to be subject to a series of tests which may cost them their lives...

Today, Hammer is best remembered for its low budget Gothic horror films, so those watching She today for the first time will be surprised by its sumptuous visuals and epic feel.   The exterior locations were shot in southern Israel, one of Hammer’s very few excursions outside the south of England.  In 1968, Hammer released a sequel, The Vengeance of She (1968), although neither the stars nor the director of the original film could be persuaded to make a return appearance (which is probably just as well).   Although for most people, She is pure escapist nonsense, it does have a deeper significance and can be interpreted both as a parable on the transience of love and as a warning of the dangers of fascism.

© Steve Chandler 2009

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