Product: Malpertuis ( Malpertuis: Histoire d'une maison maudite ) ( Malpertuis: The Legend of Doom House ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Belgium ]
Rating: 5.0
A Classic of Surrealist Cinema
For anyone who is into very esoteric cinema in the vein of " Black Moon" (another wonderful surrealist movie), you will appreciate " Malpertuis"! Surrealism, in part, is existentialism face to face with horror. The deepest theme of Malpertuis is the face to face encounter of each new generation with the legacy of horror inherited from a previous generation. Inevitably, each new generation either embracing that legacy, or forfeiting it, must come to confront itself, and determine its own destiny. On a secondary level is the cautionary allegory about the political and social identity of European youth coming of age in post WWII Europe with the legacy of Nazism and the notion of 'the master race'.The other reviewers give you a synopsis of the story, so I won't duplicate it here. However, characterizing Nazi Germany as a deranged State, Malpertuis presents a subliminal examination of the relation between the individual and the State, and the ultimate responsibility of the individual to determine his or her own destiny by the choices made, bearing thematic resemblance to " Sauna", a very excellent existential period horror piece the main theme of which is this very relation.Harry Kumel is an excellent director, and it is fortunate that he was able to work with Orson Wells, allowing him to essentially direct himself. Orson Wells gives a great performance, and knew exactly how to accentuate the underlying horrific elements of the story. Kumel gave similar freedom to Delphine Syrig in Daugthers of Darkness, one of my favorite films with one of the most memorable scenes in all of cinema: when Delphine arrives at the hotel, she gets out of the car, and our first intro to her is her mouth, red with lipstick and her glistening teeth (One recalls a similar scene in Rollin's Fascination, or the famous sci-fi flick, Planet of Blood. Remarkable about Malpertuis is the love scene between Carrier and Susan Hampshire: one of the best love scenes ever (almost like what you see in Sacred Flesh, with the same kind of abandon and emotional intensity). Kumel is indeed a master of the erotic scene.The remastered dvd print of the 119 minute Dutch language print is superb! The colors are vibrant and the clarity is exquisite. This version preserves nuances cut from the second dvd. The second dvd contains the english language version cut by 20 minutes; however, it is still a very good print that tells the story quite effectively. You will be pleased to have purchased this dvd set. I absolutely recommend adding this to your library, if you have not already.