Malpertuis

Before seeing "Malpertuis" (1971), I was already a fan of Belgian director Harry Kümel for his mesmerizing Lesbian Vampire film "Les Lèvres Rouges" (Daughters of Darkness) from the same year. I had great expectations for "Malpertuis", because of my admiration of Kümel as a master of atmosphere, because I had heard the film was Kümel's greatest, and because of Orson Welles stared in it. Even so, it surpassed my hopes and totally blew me away. "Malpertuis" is a bizarre and hypnotic mixture of surreal Gothic Horror, macabre family drama, mad science and mythological fantasy, that no cult film lover should miss. Actually, I'd like to correct myself. The film cannot really be narrowed down by attributing it to a particular genre as such, as it is simply unique. In one sentence: The film has everything, and more than that. "Malpertuis" tells a fascinating tale and does so in a brilliantly moody manner. The film maintains a rich, eerie and foreboding atmosphere that becomes more intense with each passing minute. The sublime atmosphere comes along with breathtaking settings, brilliant cinematography, complex and demented characters and fantastic acting performances. The most fascinating thing about "Malpertuis", however, is the story, which is one of the most incomparable and gripping I ever saw in a film. "Malpertuis" is not a film that can properly compared to anything else. It is like a macabre, haunting yet incredibly beautiful Fever Dream.

The film is an adaptation of a novel by Jean Ray, which I haven't yet read, but the stroy certainly is a fascinating one. Jan (Mathieu Carrière), a young sailor, comes to his hometown and, without wanting to, visits the family mansion owned by his creepy and mysterious uncle Cassavius (Orson Welles). The mansion is named Malpertuis, its inhabitants are (equally creepy) relatives who hate Cassavius, but do everything to brown-nose him in desire of his inheritance. A mysterious palace of a mansion, bears fascinating and terrifying secrets... Though this is only a vague description of the film, I shall stop at this point. I do not want to give too much away, as the story is gripping and fascinating from the very beginning and should be experienced rather than read in a review. The set pieces are some of the greatest I've ever seen. The atmosphere is overwhelming, rich and uncanny throughout the film. Each character is fascinating, most of them creepy and demented, the performances are sublime. Orson Welles is, of course, great as always. The other performances are also magnificent. Particular praise has to go to the beautiful Susan Hampshire, who is wonderful in her triple role, playing three different female leads. The rich atmosphere profits from the Flemish /Dutch language and an ingenious score. The film was once reportedly cut to shreds, watching the uncut 126 minute director's cut is absolutely essential. "Malpertuis" is a brilliant film that should not be missed by anybody interested in cult cinema.

I have just seem the 99 minute version in French on YouTube and have only just realised that the 119 version of this film in Flemish is the complete one to see; a directors cut. I am not sure I want to see this as I found ' Malpertuis ' to be a nauseating experience coming out of a disturbed place that I wish I had not entered. The story itself is based around an enforced entrapment in a house called ' Malpertuis ' and after the highlight of the film, Orson Welles at his best, disappears there is a slow descent into very graphic horror typical of a lot of 1970's films. Is the house real or is it an entrapment in a disturbed young man's mind ? I will give no spoilers but it is pretty clear at the end what the house actually is. I would advise anyone who has had a psychiatric illness not to go near this ( for me ) repulsive film. The music by Georges Delerue is excellent but other than Welles I found the acting to be mediocre. I know it has affected my own mind badly, and some of the images are beautiful and it is finely shot, but it is cruelly sensationalist and that is why I depart from those who consider it a masterpiece. I dislike films and there were many of them in the 1970's that had to go, or wanted to go to extremes so as to get audiences in. I feel as mentally confused as the various versions that have and perhaps still are circulating.

I saw an english spoken version with 110m informed on the video box, but really 95min in video band. I remember, a long time ago, I saw this film in cinema with more as 110m. A lot of scenes disapeared: The face from Alecta, two times that the antiquaire appears in the film. I remember it was another end too, or maybe I'm wrong? Was ever the last scene a close of Jan's eye? Where is a complete copy of this film? It's very sad this cutting of scenes.

An adaptation of a modern gothic tale "Malpertuis", written by Jean Ray aka John Flanders. The acting is good and the story is full of symbolism. There are two versions of this movie: the original (in French or in English) feels more like a horror film but the longer re-edited Dutch version lacks most of the superb atmosphere created by the haunting score of Georges Delerue and is therefore disappointing.

My hopes were high for this film. I'd seen Kumel's Le Rouge aux levres/Daughters of Darkness, the most stylish vampire/kinky sex movie ever made, and I love its sly wit and arresting visuals. Malpertuis is not as effective, alas, and I put that down to an overly-complicated story weighed down by too many classical references taken from the novel. Lampernisse, standing in for Prometheus, just doesn't work as a character. Why introduce the Erinyes, the three women who punished offenders against blood kin, when they don't advance the story? It's not an easy thing to watch a movie with a handbook of classical mythology by your side.

Having said this, I will add that it is wonderful to watch film that shows a great visual sophistication (crowd shots that evoke an Ensor painting, or that wonderful twisting staircase in the house) and never needs F/X. We have lost a great deal by the subservience to CGI today.