Neither the Sea Nor the Sand

Anna Robinson (Susan Hampshire) is on a hubby-less holiday at the beautiful Isle of Jersey, hoping for an escape from the routine of her dull lifestyle and perhaps a little more. She finds this in George (Frank Finlay), a brooding local who becomes her personal tour guide. The two instantly click and before long they find themselves in a passionate affair. She drops her old life and begins anew with George. Tragedy unexpectedly strikes, leaving George dead and Anna mourning. Her commitment to her new lover is truly put to the test when George inexplicably returns to her.

Fred Burnley's "Neither the Sea Nor the Sand" is a somewhat successful romance/horror hybrid. It's a bit too heavy on the romance for my tastes, though the relationship between the two lead characters is always believable and never descends into complete schmaltz. I would rather watch something like this than, say, "Ghost," which may have been influenced by this or the novel on which it is based. Another film I thought of while watching this was Bob Clark's gem "Deathdream" (1974). George's restrained zombie/ghost is akin to Andy, with a blank stare in eyes and a deep pain in his voice. Fans of modern low-budget horror may also notice some similarities between this and "Zombie Honeymoon" (2004.)

The main strength of the film lies in the characterization of the likable lead and Hampshire's performance. She plays her complex role with grace and dignity. I never got the impression that she is being punished for her infidelity or newfound liberation, which some viewers might think as the story unfolds. The second thing I appreciated most is the lush cinematography, which brings life to the sea as if it is another character in the film. The biggest downside to the movie is the score. It's effectively chilling during scenes of horror and suspense, but for much of the film it wavers between gratingly lovey-dovey and happy-go-lucky (complete with "la la las" singing over it.)

The film is never frightening, though much of it is unsettling. It does have the tendency to drag in more than a few places, but overall it's an effectively tragic love story with a genre twist. I think most fans of 70s horror would find something they like in this. The recently released Image DVD features a decent transfer and good audio.

The opening scenes of this film - Susan Hampshire walking out to a Jersey lighthouse where she encounters "Hugh" (Michael Petrovich) rather sum up the mundanity of this fairly dull romantic drama. It looks good, they look good - but somewhere along the line, the story just runs out of steam as it struggles to stay out of a soup of melodrama. Of course the two become lovers, and of course she has baggage - a marriage that no longer works, but when tragedy ensues they must face reality with a fresh, and frequently, troubling perspective. Perhaps the book was more evocative, indulged the imagination more? This adaptation really doesn't. There is little on-screen chemistry between our two principals, and the obstacles to their happiness all-to-often come across as contrived and over-played with demons galore. Frank Finlay - never exactly versatile - probably has the best character as his rather puritanical brother "George" but the whole really doesn't equal what ought to have been the sum of the parts. It's slow, stodgy and rather weakly scored with a predictable and stilted dialogue that made me cringe on occasion. Some lovely location photography, and plenty of seagulls - but otherwise this is pretty lacking on just about every other front.

A married woman while on vacation falls passionately in love and begins an affair with a lighthouse keeper, only to be left heartbroken when he dies suddenly. However the very next day he turns up on her door-step, in a zombie-like state. Was it her grief that did that? Anyhow she's overly happy, hoping they can rekindle their love. But she soon realises that his body is beginning to decompose and that she must soon decide their fate. Picturesque, slightly disturbing and haunting British Gothic tale of love with a real sense of tragedy and despair. The grotesquely odd story is kind of ambiguous and scratchy in parts, relying on mood (more so then sense), convincing chemistry and a strongly affecting performance by Susan Hampshire. She really does carry it along quite nicely with a real mix of emotions. But the likes of Frank Finlay (especially in his zombie state) and Michael Petrovitch are not being overshadowed. The music was a bit a shamble. Sometimes fitting, other times awkward. The slow pacing is deliberate and some sequences do pack atmosphere (especially when Hampshire's character comes to the realisation they can't be together), but it feels somewhat lukewarm in Fred Burnley's directorial attempt of capturing some sort of brooding realism to this low-key build-up of macabre. It's nicely photographed with the bleak coastal locations adding to the perceptive nature of its story.

Zombie flick? Not on your life. Certainly not like the tedious maniacal, blood-thirsty zombies that Americans are so fond of. It's the understated presence of the 'living dead' (animated by the spirit of Hampshire's love) in the shape of Michael Petrovitch that makes the film unnerving.

"We're so happy" opening lasts for 35 minutes - too long, but once that's over the film becomes compelling.

Lovely theme spoilt by a lame piece of artless sixties pop (Land rover on beach scene), jarring to say the least.

This strange film is based on a book by a former British television newsreader and is a combination of love story and ghost story. The settings are striking and the music score effective but it's a slow affair and one is baffled as to what market the film-makers were aiming for.