La maldición del hombre lobo

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.

I think that more than anything, "The Curse of the Werewolf" does what too many werewolf movies fail to do: offer an explanation of how the first werewolf got created. Apparently, if someone is conceived under rather unpleasant circumstances, that person is a lycanthrope. After a beggar gets imprisoned in 18th century Spain, he rapes the jailer's daughter. She dies in childbirth, but her son Leon is raised by a nobleman. Sure enough, Leon is a werewolf. As an adult, Leon (Oliver Reed) tries to control himself, but unfortunately can't.

This is another addition to Hammer's cool filmography. It shows Leon's inner torment, knowing what will happen every full moon. As for associating Spain with werewolves, that country of course produced actor Paul Naschy, who has made a career out of playing werewolves; Portland's own Movie Madness even has a section devoted to him.

It's Spain and a beggar walks through a deserted town forced into public festivities at the marriage of a miserly, degrading Marqis. He goes to the palace in search of food, and instead is given life imprisonment. This is the opening of one of Hammer's best monster films, and easily one of the best lycanthrope films ever made. The beggar through a raping of a servant girl spawns a baby werewolf. The film is about this boy and then man living with his affliction and finally succumbing to its eventual fate. Terrence Fisher has done a superb job with his direction, creating atmospheric sets, wonderful, rich costuming, an impressive musical score highlighting key dramatic moments, and most notably creating a story of a beast in man with compassion, understanding, and depth. The acting all around is excellent(once you get past the notion of Britishers playing Spainards), and Oliver Reed stands out as the young protagonist literally being torn apart inside. The make-up for the beast, while not as grand as Universals, is top-notch and harrowing to the eye. The film is a sight to see and it again affirms that many of the monsters of the movies are tragic heros not in control of what they do.

This was a highly unusual werewolf film and I am actually surprised that Hammer films went on to make many Dracula sequels but not werewolf ones, since this film was well made and quite enjoyable.

The film begins with a very long prologue--telling a sad tale about an evil man who was responsible for the curse that eventually made poor Oliver Reed become a werewolf. The entire story was quite interesting and VERY different from the Universal Studios vision of how one becomes a werewolf. Instead of being bitten by another werewolf, it was a rather convoluted curse. The only problem with this story, though, is logical. You see, Oliver Reed's adoptive father narrates the prologue BUT how he knew most of the details is quite impossible--as Reed's mother was a mute and didn't have communication skills to explain most of the story. Plus, parts of it she couldn't have known! I guess the narrator just read the script, because there was no other way he could have been privy to the information! Despite this serious logical flaw, the rest of the film was very compelling--with Reed making a very sympathetic creature. Plus, like the old Universal films, Hammer did a good job of not showing too much--only letting you see the creature near the very end of the film.

Excellent acting and production values combined with a very interesting though flawed script make this an excellent movie for fans of Gothic horror.

The Curse of the Werewolf is directed by Terence Fisher and written by John Elder (producer Anthony Hinds), loosely based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris written by Guy Endore. It stars Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed, Yvonne Romain, Catherine Feller and Anthony Dawson. Out of Hammer Film Productions it's a Technicolor production with photography by Arthur Grant and music by Benjamin Frankel.

Hammer's only venture into the lair of the Werewolf proves to be a tragic-romance-cum-nightmarish fairytale more than a film dealing with the savage roamings of a lycanthrope. Off the bat it has to be noted that the film is not overtly horror, something that may result in disappointment for any potential first time thrill seeker. That said, this is still a cracker-jack of a movie, boasting the best of a Hammer production (sets, music, colour, direction) with a narrative of cruel markings and links to puberty, sexual awakenings/urges and Jesus Christ! It's strongly cast, with Reed effective with his brooding good looks, Romain piercing the eyes with her Technicolor sexiness and Dawson knocking it out of the park as a vile bastard son of Ebenezer Scrooge! British fans also get the added bonus of catching familiar TV faces Warren Mitchell and Peter Sallis in secondary support slots.

Paced as it is, very much on the slow burn with a good portion of the picture dealing in the origins of Reed's cursed Leon character, much of the film lacks tension and suspense. This lures one into expecting a barn-storming finale by way off a pay off for the viewers patience. Sadly it's no crowning glory, yes it doffs its cap to the old Universal Creature Features of the 40s and 50s; and there's definitely some emotional heft for the bell tower closure, but it just lacks the dynamism needed to lift it into the upper echelons of Hammer's best output. There's also the small matter of Catharine Feller, who is weak as one of the films crucial female characters. These are problems, even if ultimately they don't detract from the expert story telling of the makers and the fact that visually it's a gorgeous and alluring movie.

With a different spin on the Werewolf legend to be applauded, The Curse of the Werewolf, one or two missteps aside, is still an essential Hammer movie. Even if it could and should have been a little more than that. 7.5/10