Der Fluch von Siniestro

A modest werewolf "epic" that never feels formulaic in the hands of director Terence Fisher and writer Anthony Hinds. The film is one of Hammer's most accomplished and deals with the subject of lycanthrope with some imagination. Young Leon (Justin Walters), the consequence of a rape, is born with what appears to be a dormant werewolf gene that is awakened when he tastes the warm, "sweet" blood of a bird. Unable to resist his true nature, he starts killing livestock in a small rural community. His juvenile rampage doesn't last long because the local priest (John Gabriel) identifies his condition and encourages his adopted parents to shower him with love and affection, convinced that it is love that will keep the boy's desires at bay. Clearly, the priest's faith in love is not misplaced, because, ten year's later, the adult Leon (nicely played by Oliver Reed), who has just left home, is only a wolf with the women. He falls hard for the daughter of his employer, but when he is deprived of her love, his lycanthrope surfaces and the killings begin again, only this time he leaves the livestock alone.

The film is a character drama in werewolf clothing, and, though it references genre classics such as "The Wolfman", "The Werewolf of London", and even "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in its climax, it is still very much its own animal. There is a welcome depth to the performances and Reed's acceptance of his condition and desire to be destroyed gives the piece a fine sense of tragedy.

Unlke the genre films of today, which make this feel like something made on another planet, "The Curse of the Werewolf" really takes its time to establish a solid foundation for its horror and is a refreshing product of far less cynical times in which human warmth was seen as essential, not "uncool".

The last shot, in my opinion, is flawed. When the dead werewolf is flipped onto his side by his adopted father, he is not shown, in death, as having returned to his former state as represented by Oliver Reed.

A fine achievement.

Hammer was quick to plunder the Universal vaults in their search for new horror successes. Dracula, The Mummy and Frankenstein had all been done, and it seemed only natural to film a lycanthropic story, following on from the success of Universal's THE WOLF-MAN. Happily enough, their (strangely) sole werewolf offering is a huge success, offering a tragic love story and horrific elements in equal amount.

While the Spanish setting eliminates any Gothic visuals, CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF more than makes up for this in the intriguing werewolf story, which spans a whole twenty years, and a sense of gloom and doom as you just know that Leon is going to come unstuck. Also, the introduction of a young, handsome, charismatic actor in the form of Oliver Reed, meant that audiences could really sympathise with the character of Leon, after all lycanthropy is merely an illness, and can anyone be to blame for illnesses which afflict them? This is one of the films that paved the way for Reed's later stardom, he would go on to star in a range of other varied horror flicks like THE BROOD and THE DEVILS. All the classic folklore concerning werewolves is in this film, along with a good score and lavish costumes. The acting is all above par and there are small roles for Peter Sallis, Warren Mitchell, and Michael Ripper, who plays his tiny role of the town drunk with relish.

CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF also has some excellent special effects. Stop motion animation is used to show hair growing on Leon's palms, while Roy Ashton's werewolf makeup is fantastic and groundbreaking, much as the transformation in AN American WEREWOLF IN London was twenty years later. To top this all off, the finale is something of a throwback to classic films like Chaney's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and a satisfying conclusion to this epic romantic horror. CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF is yet another classic from Hammer's heyday, a tragic, inventive story which can be watched time and time again. This is a fairytale epic of a werewolf film.

A very involving Hammer production that chronicles the history and life of Leon (Reed) who becomes cursed at birth causing him to turn into a werewolf when the moon is full. This is a story driven movie. The action and violence is sparse, but that's not what this movie is about. Playing out like a historical drama, Curse of the Werewolf details werewolf mythology like I have never seen. The performances are fine, and the film has an ambient feel to it that makes it even more appealing. Don't sit down to this movie expecting a bloodbath, Curse of the Werewolf is a well written, brilliantly conceived, and nicely plotted thriller.

The Curse of the Werewolf is not Hammer at their best(Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein and The Mummy) but it is worthy of more credit than it does at the moment.

It's not without flaws, the biggest flaw being the introduction/prologue, which solely covers the main character's back story, which does take up too much of the film(the second half of the film is much more interesting) and not everything is relevant to the back-story, the subplot with the goat-herder and night watchman could easily have been left out. The inn scenes at times veer on parody and there is a lack of authenticity setting-wise, despite being set in Spain the film always has a very British feel.

As ever with Hammer though The Curse of the Werewolf is a well-made film, it's photographed beautifully and in a way that enhances the atmosphere rather than detract from it while the costumes and sets are very stylish. I actually had no problem with the brighter-than-usual lighting or felt that it trivialised the atmosphere. Visually it's the make-up that's particularly great, it's some of the best make-up of any film Hammer made(impressively designed and scary-looking), very ahead-of-its-time too, and Leon in his werewolf guise is one of their best-looking monsters(better than any of the Hammer Frankenstein monsters, although I do consider that series of films bar 2 superior films). The music score is equally great, the intricacies in how it's scored is to be admired and atmosphere-wise it's hauntingly powerful stuff that at its best brings a nail-biting intensity.

The Curse of the Werewolf is intelligently scripted and mostly tight in structure, though that is a bit of froth that adds little. While the back-story is flawed, in exploring the origins of how the titular character came to be it also succeeds in making the character interesting and one that can be identified with easily. The werewolf lore is well and imaginatively handled and the build-up to the still quite shocking werewolf transformation is incredibly suspenseful, in fact the entire second half is engrossing and while some may find it tame to me and others it still has the ability to shock. Terence Fisher's direction is typically unflinching and technically accomplished and the acting is very good. Richard Wordsworth is very moving as the Beggar and the standout in support but it's the riveting performance of Oliver Reed that makes the film, he is genuinely scary but also poignantly sympathetic, making Leon one of those characters where you feel repulsion and pity for him.

Overall, very under-appreciated and worthwhile without being one of Hammer's best films. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I was so afraid of plugging this in. Not of being scared but movies coming from the fifties and sixties aren't my thing. The effects used were laughable. I rather would go for those old Universal flicks or even Nosferatu (1922). But two reason made me buy this flick. Terence Fisher and Hammer Horror. I guess I don't have to introduce both names to the geeks of the genre. Terence really delivered the best Hammer flicks. Strangely, it took awhile before this flick got a proper release and finally in 2012 it got a DVD release.

The story reminded me a lot of The Wolf Man (1941) but this is really enjoyable to watch. I was never bored with the story. But it's the way it was directed by Terence and the use of lighting that gave it a creepy atmosphere, I would even say a Gothic feeling. The effects used are very low, it was all done in a way the camera was used. So you really doesn't see the werewolf changing and that's were this still works up to today. The only effects I was surprised by is the way they used the red stuff. it isn't gory of course but when the werewolf is being shot the blood do sputter out of his body.

I can't go in on the way the acting went because acting back then was more theatrically then nowadays but one name I looked at closely, Oliver Reed. Oliver played the werewolf and he did great. This was a flick at the beginning of his career (1958) and his first leading role, just look what he did here. He really looked believable and you could care for him. He went further to make classics like for example The Brood (1979). Sadly it went downwards with him due his drinking problems and he past away in 1999 while shooting for The Gladiator. One to surely watch not only for the directing but also for Reed's performance. Classic.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5