Unrated
Horror/Suspense
Starring James Ellison, Frances Dee, Tom Conway, Edith Barrett
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
A creepy and atmospheric little film released by the incomparable producer Val Lewton, this effort was a follow up project to match the success of "The Cat People", which was also directed by Tourneur. This is one of my favorite classic horror films, which relies less on blood and special effects than it does on its unsettling and consistent feeling of dread.
The story is a simple one, told in a very linear style, and the main hook of the story is to solve the mystery of what happened to a woman who now seems to have become a walking zombie. Betsy is a nurse from Canada who finds herself en route to a remote island in the Caribbean. Her objective is to try to heal the sick wife of a plantation manager.
Once she has arrived on the island, she begins to suspect that tribal rituals are being performed late at night, and that the local voodoo stories she has heard aren't just tall tales but fact. The more she talks with her boss about his melancholic feelings for his distant wife, the more Betsy finds herself attracted to him.
Producer Val Lewton had an obsession with the occult and black magic, and has used it as a hook for many of his films. This story is no exception, and the sincerity with which "unknown worlds" are presented is unique among horror films of the period. The constant, ominous drum beats that permeate many of the midnight voodoo scenes make the film truly hypnotic and fascinating.
The storyline is strong and keeps you entertained, with more than a few subtle winks to Sigmund Freud. I would highly recommend this to any classic horror film fan.
Grade: A
B. Nathan is a Val Lewton fan and also writes about Canon Camera Cases on http://canoncameracases.com/.
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