La reencarnación de Peter Proud

The original novel was a very good (and spooky) tale of a man reincarnated (Michael Sarrazin) and falling in love with his daughter (Jennifer O'Neill) from his previous life. Unfortunately he was killed by his previous wife (Margot Kidder) and she's starting to suspect something...

The movie has a good cast and is well-done but it's slow-moving and seems more interested in showing sex, nudity and violence that giving us a good story. Heck,within the first 5 minutes there's gratuitous female nudity! Kidder masturbates in the tub, O'Neill has a nude love sequence with Sarrazin and there are disturbing shots of a man violently raping his wife. Also there are shots of the guy totally nude walking to a lake. But, then again, I saw it when I was 13...ANY nudity shocked me! I went with my mom, my younger sister and her friend--they all walked out pretty stunned (and embarrassed)...I walked out very interested! To be honest the book was more explicit, but it WAS well-written. The movie just didn't do it justice. Also Sarrazin's acting was pretty bad but O'Neill and Kidder were very good.

All in all it's OK. Avoid the TV version which is so heavily cut it's impossible to follow. It is available on YouTube uncut.

In California, the college professor Dr. Peter Proud (Michael Sarrazin) is haunted by a recurring nightmare where he is a man swimming naked in a lake that is hit by a row and murdered by a woman called Marcia. He also feels a pain on the hips. He seeks medical treatment with his colleague psychologist Dr. Samuel Goodman (Paul Hecht) in a laboratory but there is no positive result for the treatment. When Peter sees a town in Massachusetts in a TV show, he decides to travel with his girlfriend Nora Hayes (Cornelia Sharpe) to seek the location. After a couple of days, Nora decides to leave him but Peter continues his search. He arrives at Springfield where he eventually meets the gorgeous Ann Curtis (Jennifer O'Neill) in a club. Soon Peter discovers she is the daughter of the woman of his nightmares Marcia Curtis (Margot Kidder). Further, he might be the reincarnation of Marcia's husband Jeff Curtis (Tony Stephano), who died in the 40's in Lake Dream. But Marcia notes that Peter Proud is the reincarnation of her husband while he falls in love with Ann. What will happen to the trio?

"The Reincarnation of Peter Proud" is a mysterious film with an original and intriguing story of reincarnation. The first point that impress is the cast, with Michael Sarrazin, Margot Kidder, the Brazilian Jennifer O'Neill and Cornelia Sharpe. The plot is creepy but the film deserved a better conclusion. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Reencarnação de Peter Proud" ("The Reincarnation of Peter Proud")

Popular for about 6 months on first release in 1975 and never seen or heard of again, this sort of creepy thriller was effective enough for 19 year olds who thought they might need a warm up for AUDERY ROSE or a re-zap after THE EXORCIST. Michael Sarrazin was an interesting 30 something actor who looked as though he was about to be a big star. THE'RE'S ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE (check US title) with George.C Scott, THEY SHOOT HORSES with Jane Fonda, then FOR PETE'S SAKE with Streisand(!), this thing and then a slide into B movie oblivion. He acted with some of the biggest and most durable stars of the 60s and 70s. Nobody knows him today in current filmdom and I would be keen to see how he has fared. Like the co stars here: Jennifer O'Neill the gorgeous woman from THE SUMMER OF 42 (also a forgotten film, huge in 1972, as were her three young co stars) and the derailed Margo Kidder whose SISTERS to SUPERMAN rocket to fame was only matched by her plummet to earth. Maybe PETER PROUD cursed them all and nobody's career was reincarnated either. Sad for all concerned. Each were interesting actors and all their films worth seeing. Even this one.

Peculiar film which mixes murder-mystery with the supernatural concept of reincarnation, along with a large dose of early-70's movie sexuality. I saw this several times years ago on TV, and was quite impressed with it, somewhat against my will; now I wish that I could see it again. It is deeply and disturbingly creepy at points, and contains chilling scenes which I will never forget; it has the quality of a bad dream that you can't quite get out of your mind. At the same time, it is not in any way a typical "horror" or fantasy film; in an odd way it is somewhat subtle and intellectual without being at all high-brow (the lead character is an inquisitive college professor).

The main protagonists are played by Michael Sarrazin and Margot Kidder (both Canadians). Sarrazin was becoming quite popular at the time, and something of an unlikely heart-throb, but his career later fizzled out. His rather sleepy and laid-back acting style works well here. Kidder at first seems bizarrely and very severely mis-cast playing a far older alchoholic widow, but her performance begins to get under your skin once you get past the terrible age-makeup that was used on her (she plays her own age in flashbacks). She was actually much younger than Sarrazin at the time, and the same age as the radiant Jennifer O'Neill who plays her adult daughter. It would be interesting to know the behind-the-scenes info on the casting decisions.

The production is rather slow-moving, although it eventually gathers speed and certainly ends with a bang! Unfortunately, as a whole the thing never quite works. It probably could be a much more interesting and intense film, and I have read that Paramount has acquired the rights for a remake.

Originally available on both VHS tape and LaserDisc.

If I were rating this film on the usual criteria of script, acting, direction, editing and soundtrack, it would get a 5 or 6 tops. It suffers from many of the same faults as most '70s B movies. The cinematography had some good moments, but it was the originality of the plot line that piqued my interest. I've viewed many films over the years, and do not recall one with a storyline as unique as this one. Reincarnation themes usually deal with lives in the distant past. The novel concept of exploring a life reincarnated from a generation still living was interesting, to say the least, and allowed the screenwriter to weave in some intriguing detective work, as well as the hero's personal reinvolvement with the past life. Bravo, Mr Ehrlich... it kept my rapt attention throughout.