Il patto con il diavolo

This story is beautifully told and is seen through the eyes of an American doctor Ben Land (Hiram Keller). He travels to Amsterdam to attend a convention on the topic of aging and the lifespan of man. There he sees the celebrated Dr. Linden, an expert on aging who is supposedly close to a breakthrough.

Having forgotten to extend his hotel reservation, Ben finds himself stranded without a place of accommodation. He is helped by Dr. Linden who says that he could move in to his rooms the next day and stay as long as he wished. He also said that his landlady is an old friend of his and that he would have no trouble moving in.

Having a desire to talk to Linden the next day, Land inquires whether he would be available. Linden gives a passing remark that he would be "tied up the next day" and calmly walks off without a word.

The next day he is greeted by the landlady who remarks on the youthful appearance of Ben. Then he is lead to Linden's quarters. On opening the door they are witness to a gruesome scene: Dr. Linden is found hanging from a rope hooked to the ceiling-beam.

What was the reason that caused Linden to hand himself? And what of his secretive research into the process of aging? Had he achieved a success with his experiments?

These are the things you will find out when you seen the film to its eventual end.

This film shows some erotic scenes and is therefore not suitable for children.

The film also stars Klaus Kinski and the beautiful Tina Aumont. The film is directed by Sandy Whitelaw and written by him along with Judith Rascoe and Alva Ruben. The Cinematography is by Eduard van der Enden.

Verdict: 10/10. Add it to your DVD collection.

As the previous review states, "Lifespan" owes little to the genres of suspense or horror. Instead, it's a brainy, absorbing drama that's rewarding to those who give it a chance. Hiram Keller plays an American scientist picking up on the research of a colleague who committed suicide, and discovers he was on the verge of finding a cure to the aging process. Klaus Kinski is excellent (as always) in a small role as the owner of a sinister pharmaceutical company. The film plays out much like the early works of David Cronenberg (minus the violence and special effects); his fans should appreciate this. The only drawbacks, really, are an ambiguous ending (which actually fits the rest of the film), and the sometimes-corny, self-conscious voice-over narration. 3 stars out of 5.

This movie is hard to categorize. Klaus Kinski has a minor part, so it really can't be considered an important Kinski movie. It is not a horror film, with only one unsettling grave desecration scene. What it is, is an intelligently made sci-fi, that deals with the unique subject of trying to overcome death, by extending lifespans. Beautifully filmed in Amsterdam, the film has sharp editing, and narration that keeps things on track, Hiram Keller is the rather detached American scientist who is trying to unravel a dead colleague's immortality experiments. Klaus Kinski is the Swiss pharmaceutical company owner seeking death control for his own use. Tina Aumont is a love interest for both Keller and Kinski, with her totally gratuitous bondage scene unnecessary except perhaps for some titillating promotion. The ending leaves things hanging uncomfortably, but if you go in with realistic expectations, "Lifespan" will reward. - MERK

Lifespan is a paced euro movie that sets your brain thinking after you have watched the end credits. Shot in the Netherlands with some very nice location shooting locations , perhaps because i live in Europe and know Amsterdam a bit i can relate to the film more. Director Sandy Whitelaw seems with this movie offers Klaus Kinski in a more solid more relaxed part playing the Swiss Man with that European style himself asking and wanting and is prepared to pay for it. This movie has a fresh brisk pace rather like a Autumn morning in Amsterdam Centrum.

'Lifespan' is an interesting and low key film that may put viewers off when it misleadingly appears to be a horror movie starring Klaus Kinski, and fails to deliver just what the audience expects. The plot may deal with death, features a gruesome and creepy grave digging scene, and revolves around (a possibly) mad scientist, but it is in no way a horror movie. Even the description of "thriller" is a little off the mark. Many may find it too slow, but I think it suited the material. The other problem is that despite the video packaging on the old VHS copy I watched the legendary Kinski ('Nosferatu', 'Crawlspace', 'Venom') has only a small, albeit important, supporting role as "the Swiss man." The real star of the movie, though sadly he has little star power, is Hiram Keller ('Seven Death's In The Cats Eye') who plays Dr. Ben Land, a young and driven scientist who takes over the work of a dead colleague who was investigating halting the ageing process. Land becomes increasingly obsessed with his experiments, believing the older man was close to cracking the secret of immortality. While continuing the research he also begins an affair with the dead man's mistress (the sultry Tina Aumont, who played Helmut Berger's wife in the sexploitation classic 'Salon Kitty'), and begins to wonder just exactly what the shadowy "Swiss man" Ulrich (Kinski) has to do with it all. I enjoyed 'Lifespan' a lot more than I expected, especially once I shook off my horror expectations, and got over my disappointment at the relative lack of Kinski, the main reason I watched it in the first place. Keller makes a dull leading man, the ending is a bit anti-climactic and probably not to everyone's taste, but I say give it a go, you might find this odd movie to be as curious and watchable as I did.