Back in the period before extreme violence and gore was more commonplace in mainstream cinema, the chilling features of the time had to rely on unsettling audiences with psychological thrills. Director J. Lee Thompson had proven himself to be a standout director both in more action-driven fare such as The Guns Of Navarone, as well as in more grounded, unsettling efforts such as the original Cape Fear. It is his work on the latter which likely made him an obvious choice to take over directing duties on the 1966 mystery horror film Eye Of The Devil. The production needed a strong guiding hand, as two directors had previously signed on to helm the picture before being replaced for various reasons. The drama on the other side of the camera was no less abundant as original star Kim Novak (Vertigo) was injured on set with only two weeks to go with filming, leaving Deborah Kerr (The King And I) to take over and reshoot a number of scenes. The original 1964 novel Day of the Arrow by Robin Estridge was intriguing source material for the film, but audiences did not come out to support this one upon its release. That is their loss, as you can now see for yourself what a haunting piece of work it is.
The events of the film take place in rural France on an ancient estate in Bordeaux. The Marquis de Bellenac is Philippe de Montfaucon (David Niven, A Matter Of Life and Death), a man whose family vineyards are in dire straits after three straight years without bearing fruit. The man typically lives in Paris with his wife, Catherine (Deborah Kerr), and two young children, but his responsibilities to the well-being of his family require him to travel to the estate in order to revive the grounds by any means necessary. This may or may not have something to do with an amulet given to him by a strange priest (Donald Pleasence, Alone In The Dark) – good rarely comes from an amulet in these types of films. After some very unsettling dreams are had by the children, the rest of the family joins Philippe for a country getaway they will not soon forget. The opening moments of the film assault you with flashes of images of hooded figures and remnants of rituals that are presumably on the horizon. The 1960s were a hot time for ritual-based thrills (Burn, Witch, Burn and The City of the Dead come to mind).
The ensemble of this film is used to great effect in order to establish the uncertainty of the situation. Sharon Tate (Valley Of The Dolls) is enchanting in her first speaking role in a feature film as Odile de Caray, the ethereal sister of the “wicked” Christian (David Hemmings, Blow-Up) who himself leaves an impression with his archery skills. These two along with the priest character send up a number of red flags along the narrative for Catherine in particular. A number of events transpire where Catherine begins to question her sanity; how can any of the things she is discovering about the family possibly be true? The truth behind who is carrying out what decisions and for what reason can be a bit murky. Some members of the family seem fully on board for whatever evil pact they have gotten themselves into, while other members seem to be struggling with whether or not their decisions are truly worth their sacrifice. The poster art promises this film to be the “climax in mind-chilling terror,” and while the closing events of the narrative don’t quite hold to this, you will still be left very creeped out.
At just over 90 minutes, the film does not overstay its welcome too much, especially with the careful reveals it employs throughout the runtime. Thompson has a great eye for composition, and along with his editor Ernest Walter he drops in hints of the unnatural during otherwise normal moments, leading to a greater sense of disquiet. This was the final black-and-white film released by MGM consistently, and for this tale in particular it really adds to the undercurrent of menace. Cinematographer Erwin Hillier works with the shadows within the estate perfectly. This film is not completely dissimilar to many films of a similar topic, but through its direction and casting it elevates itself ever so slightly above them. This film was a financial disappointment upon its release, but it is the type of twisted tale that is worthy of a reevaluation after all of these years.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Eye Of The Devil for the first time on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from a new master. The image is nothing short of sumptuous for a film that has rarely been paid much attention over the years. The presentation has a grand amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. Fine detail is very strong as you can see subtle details in the clothing and production design. This black and white feature has nice, natural film grain throughout that provides a great amount of detail to the image. Print damage is virtually nonexistent throughout the duration of the movie. This presentation has brought new life to the picture with an effort that ranks high at a label that rarely lets us down.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds really great. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear to the track. None of the sound effects or the moody score from Gary McFarland ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. The deliberate delivery of the dialogue always comes through crystal clear. There are a few sequences that are kinetic here, but mostly there are effective environmental details that are appropriately lively in the speakers. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that suits the material really well.
Special Features
- Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Eye Of The Devil is an effectively creepy, atmospheric horror film which slowly works its way under your skin never to emerge again. The performances from the ensemble are really strong all around with Deborah Kerr and David Niven especially making an impact. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation, but not much in the way of special features. Those who have an appreciation for slow-burn horror should find much to delight in here. Recommended
Eye Of The Devil can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.