Film Review
Hammer Films breathed new life (and plenty of death) into the fantasy horror genre,
resurrecting such classic horror icons as Dracula, Frankenstein and the
Mummy, with a quaint British take on the Grand Guignol tradition of
gory melodrama.
One of the highpoints of Hammer's output was a
compelling and highly atmospheric adaptation of the classic Dennis
Wheatley novel,
The Devil Rides Out.
Although this features none of the familiar horror icons and lacks the
cosy Gothic trappings, it is undoubtedly one of the most unsettling and
most effective horror films that Hammer made. It is also rated
the best adaptation of a Dennis Wheatley novel, and the only one of
which the author approved.
So what is it that makes
The Devil
Rides Out so good? It certainly isn't the special
effects which, even by the standards of the day, are pretty ropy.
Nor is it the grand set pieces, which tread a thin line between the
mildly ridiculous and the frankly ludicrous. It is hard not to
laugh at some of the manifestations of evil the film offers - a cheap
Halloween party skull for the Angel of Death and a sad wretch with two
plastic horns stuck on his forehead for the Devil. None of
this is likely to give you nightmares.
What makes the film so effective, so absorbing and so utterly
frightening is the sense of authenticity it conveys, through the
writing, performances and photography, which more than compensate for
the dodgy B-movie production values. Initially, the
spectator shares Rex's scepticism about the demonic art and power of
darkness, and the character Richleau immediately strikes us as a madman
or charlatan. Gradually, however, the perspective shifts and what
first appeared absurd and fanciful soon becomes horrifyingly plausible -
to the extent that the imperfect attempts to depict the evil on the
screen are easily forgiven.
The main strength of
The Devil Rides
Out is Richard Matheson's carefully constructed
screenplay. Matheson was one of America's leading writers
of fantasy fiction, his novels including such classics as
The Shrinking Man,
I Am Legend and
Hell House, all of which have been
adapted for cinema. All too often, Hammer made use of inferior
writers who had limited talent for plot construction and realistic
dialogue. When the studio did engage writers of the calibre
of Matheson, the outcome was almost invariably highly
impressive. Matheson's great talent is an ability to make
the fantastic seem eminently believable, mainly through the
psychological depth he brings to his characterisation.
If Richard Matheson's script provides the film with its solid skeleton,
the ample flesh comes from the stunning performances of its two leads -
Christopher Lee and Charles Gray. For once, Lee gets to play the
good guy and, clearly relishing the opportunity, gives it everything he
has, without going too far over the top. The sense of absolute
certainty and conviction that Lee conveys is of a kind that you only
ever find in mad religious zealots, war-mongering politicians and
inexperienced weather forecast presenters. Gray is equally
impressive as the villainous Devil-worshipper Mocata.
Effortlessly, he manages to convey pure, unsullied evil that makes his
character not only terrifying but also seemingly invincible, bringing a
genuine frisson of fear to the film's most spine-chilling
sequences. Gray makes a superb baddie and would go on to play one
of the best Bond villains in
Diamonds Are Forever (1971).
Christopher Lee has often stated that, of all the films he appeared in,
The Devil Rides Out is one of
his personal favourites, and that he would love to reprise the role of
Richelieu in an updated remake.
It was Lee, an ardent fan of Dennis Wheatley, who persuaded Hammer to make the film, although there
was a four year hiatus before the film went into production, arising
from concerns over censorship. The actor was dismayed when he
learned that the film was re-titled
The
Devil's Bride for its release in America, presumably because it
may have been mistaken for a western if it had gone out under its
original British title.
Although it is highly regarded today and has acquired something of a
cult following,
The Devil Rides Out
was not a commercial success when it was first released. Plans to
make a further two films featuring Lee in the role of Duc de Richelieu
were immediately dropped. Hammer would make two further
adaptations of Dennis Whealey novels -
The Lost Continent (1968), which
the author loathed, and
To the Devil a Daughter (1976),
which was to be the studio's swansong.
© James Travers 2009
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Terence Fisher film:
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
Film Synopsis
When his protégé, Simon Aron, fails to turn up for a
reunion, the wealthy Duc de Richleau decides to visit him at his
home. Accompanied by his friend, Rex Van Ryn, Richleau finds
Simon is hosting a meeting of an astrological society. Suspecting
that all is not what it appears, Richleau visits Simon's observatory
and is surprised to find occult symbols on the walls and floor.
Realising that Simon's mortal soul is in peril, Richleau abducts his
young protégé and takes him back to his home. A
short while later, Simon mysteriously disappears. Whilst Richleau
undertakes some research into the occult, Rex sets about looking for a
young woman named Tanith, who was at Simon's party and may reveal his
present whereabouts. Richleau is convinced that unless they
can find Simon within 24 hours, he will be lost forever.
Unfortunately, he is up against a formidable adversary, the Satanist
Mocata, who has at his command all the forces of darkness...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.