The Black Torment

"Sir Richard" (John Turner) returns to his country estate with his new bride "Elizabeth" (Heather Sears) only to find himself immersed in rumours that he has been back for a while and that he might be responsible for some local murders (and for ordering a saddle with his late wife's name on it!). What now ensues is a brain teaser - how can he have been in two places at once? Perfectly sane and eminent people are claiming to have seen him in places where both he and his wife know he wasn't. What's occurring? His right hand man "Seymour" (Peter Arne) and his sister-in-law "Diane" (Ann Lynn) can shed little light on this - is he just going mad? Robert-Hartford Davis does redeem this to a certain extent in the last ten minutes, but otherwise it really doesn't create much menace. Like the best episodes of "Scooby-Do", you just know there is a sensible solution for the seemingly imponderable - and unfortunately, there are so few cast members here as to make the deduction fairly straightforward. The score tries far too hard to compensate for the lack of tension generated by the mediocre acting, and although the production itself looks ok - plenty of decent costumes and sets, the whole thing is just a bit flat. Just think of it as Hammer-lite!

It is indicative of the problems of the writers,that in the last couple of minutes they have to include explanatory dialogue to explain the rather surprise denouement. Thoigh in fact it is not that surprisong when you think the plot through.

Please note that I'm deliberately exaggerating a bit in this user comment. "The Black Torment" might not be a genuine horror masterpiece – it does has its flaws and shortcomings – but this film is so drastically overlooked and underrated that I wish to praise it a little extra, hoping that fans of classic Gothic horror will go through more efforts to track it down! This film really deserves a wider audience and it's not because Hammer or Amicus studios didn't produce a certain horror film that it's automatically inferior. "The Black Torment" is a hugely atmospheric and beautifully photographed horror/costume drama directed by Robert Hartford-Davis. Noticing the director's name alone is a surprise already, since Harford-Davis' other horror films ("Incense of the Damned" and "The Fiend") were both irredeemably bad and quite ugly to look at. This film is a world of difference; stylish, compelling and featuring several sequences that qualify as genuinely unsettling. Sir Richard Fordycke returns to his wealthy father's estate with a new bride because his first wife sadly committed suicide for not being able to bear children. He doesn't receive a warm welcome, though, since several superstitious villagers spotted him during his absence and he supposedly even killed a local girl. Shortly after his return, Richard himself starts to have visions of his deceased wife walking through the garden. The whole explanation to the "mystery" is rather rational and unsurprising, but it's the sinister atmosphere that sticks to you. The scene in which the veiled 'ghost' rides through the woods screaming out the word "MURDERER" truly sent cold shivers down my spine! That definitely is the most wonderful effect a horror movie can give you! Highly recommended!

BLACK TORMENT was a movie I read about in books on British horror films but it was one which I had never seen until I was recently able to rent it locally. I was so impressed that I went out and bought it. It's not a classic but it is very well done. BLACK TORMENT was made in 1964 by a small production called Compton headed up by Tony Tenser who would eventually start one of Hammer's main competitors Tigon Films (makers of WITCHFINDER GENERAL, BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW) later in the decade.

Compton produced some interesting films in the mid-1960s including Roman Polanski's REPULSION, The Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper thriller A STUDY IN TERROR and George Harrison's WONDERWALL. BLACK TORMENT was obviously an attempt to cash in on the success of Hammer Films and the film turns out to be not such much a horror film as a Gothic one like those being produced in Italy with Barbara Steele (CASTLE OF BLOOD, NIGHTMARE CASTLE) although not as gruesome. In fact it was of the few true English Gothic movies that I've seen as it comes straight out of the tradition of Ann Radcliffe and Horace Walpole.

The plot is standard Gothic stuff. An 18th century nobleman returns to his family estate only to be told that he's been there before and committed murder. He begins to see the ghost of his first wife and starts to doubt his own sanity. Meanwhile more murders occur. If you're a fan of Gothic literature you'll have a pretty good idea of how this all turns out but I won't spoil it for you. The film is beautifully shot which comes as no surprise since the cameraman is Peter Newbrook who would later direct the atmospheric Victorian shocker THE ASPHYX.

The real surprise is that the director is Robert Hartford-Davis who would go on to make CORRUPTION and BLOOD SUCKERS (INCENSE FOR THE DAMNED) two very different films in terms of style and content. All were photographed by Newbrook so there is that connecting thread. Although there are no major genre stars, the costumes are appropriate, the settings atmospheric (inside and out), and the music is effective. A good, old-fashioned Gothic thriller that really entertains if you're into this sort of thing. This Redemption DVD of BLACK TORMENT looks very good but I'm sure there's a better print out there somewhere...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Robert Hartford-Davis("Corruption","The Fiend")directed this little gem of horror in 1964.Admittedly the action is pretty slow,but still the film has some eerie moments-especially the beginning is very creepy.The ghostly bits are well-done and the ending is a bit confusing.The acting is acceptable and the film has one or two unsettling moments.So if you like British horror movies "The Black Torment" is worth checking out! Recommended!