While it is hard to deny that Eye of The Devil's narrative is uneven and muddled to a degree that it's hard to comprehend, this film is such a visual tour-de-force of horror and madness that it makes the shortcomings of the narrative almost superfluous. The fact that the majority of this film is entirely in the point-of-view of Catherine, a wife who discovers that her husband has dark secrets lurking in his past, supports the notion of the narrative being intentionally confusing and slightly jarring. While many people seem to universally praise the acting as the best thing about this film, I would definitely point to the cinematography, editing and overall design which is just a ton of fun. Eye of the Devil pulls out all the stops, from the juxtaposition of images, kinetic editing, slanted angles, etc to create this creepy tale of a Cult, also supporting Catherine's descent into potential madness. It's a film that understands that film is a visual medium, creating a truly intoxicating experience. Now, this isn't to say that acting isnt strong, with a cast featuring Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Donald Pleasence, David Hemmings, and Sharon Tate, all providing memorable, and often creepy performances. Odele (Sharon Tate) and Christian (David Hemmings) are particularly great, with many memorable scenes as these extremely creepy, demented yet calm characters who are sorta "the muscle" of the cult. I understand the criticisms I have seen about this film, but even still, I found this film to be a great, atmospheric experience and is without question the best film I have seen revolving around Religious Cults. 9/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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