Vigília nas Sombras

Based on a Lucille Fletcher play, this suspense-drama stars Elizabeth Taylor as a beautiful woman who is certain she has witnessed a murder, but has great difficulty convincing her husband and others. Sound like familiar material? Perhaps to a certain extent, but Taylor's brilliant performance, plus some genuine suspense, and a surprise ending that will knock you right out of your seat make this a superior thriller.

I love this movie starring La Liz(looking more beautiful & glamorous than ever,the handsome Laurence Harvey and Billie Whitelaw.All good actors,good writing in a suspenseful thriller.It all takes place at the big Wheeler house.Liz playing an insomniac who thinks she witnesses a murder across the way at the old abandoned house next door.Or did she?Is it just her nerves working on her?Is she going crazy and needs to see a shrink like her husband and best friend seem to think?It's a good scary movie for a Saturday night.Pop lots of popcorn and curl up under a heavy blanket & enjoy!The costumes are gorgeous,the music good and the sets and atmosphere are really wonderful.Based on the play.I also love the song at the end!Highly recommended.

The end is important in all things, as we have learned from Ghost Dog, and this is absolutely true when speaking of Night Watch. After about twenty minutes you think you know exactly where the plot will end. It really seems that this is the director's and writer's fault, because they give away too many clues, so I almost instantly lost interest. But after the many dull scenes following the brilliant visualization of Lizzies nightmare comes the unexpected ending. And this makes the whole movie worth watching, but as I've already mentioned: it is mostly the nightmare-scene which deserves the credit.

Just bought NIGHT WATCH and watched it tonight when it arrived. I don't think I've seen it since, say, I was a teenager and it was on the late show!

But it's a Taylor film no one talks about.

I actually think it's great, in its way (but, as with every Laurence Harvey movie he does with Taylor, I always want to re-cast him with James Mason).

Anyway, yes, I think it's a smidgen underrated. And has a nice, London-y, shrouded early-'70s melancholy flavor and that neo-Victorian early-'70s thing what with the dark wood and the plush velvet-y furniture and the Tiffany lamps and the overgrown plants and deep shadows and the sprinkling of harpsichord in the score and the occasional fish-eye lens.

Great twist ending, too!

...and Elizabeth Taylor freaking out!

Night Watch from 1973 is based on a Broadway play that starred Joan Hackett. Taylor is Ellen Wheeler, married to her busy husband John (Laurence Harvey). They currently have Ellen's best friend Sarah (Billie Whitelaw) visiting. Sarah is having a clandestine affair and sneaks out to meet him.

One night, during a storm, Ellen swears she saw a murder victim in the old house across the way. Raising her suspicions is the fact that the man (Robert Lang) who lives in the guest house is digging what looks like a grave. The next day, trees have been planted on it. Ellen's past comes into play here, as she keeps remembering an incident from years ago.

The police, however, can't find anything; Ellen then sees another murder victim and lives in a state of hysteria, paranoid and suspicious of everyone and everything. Her husband has a psychiatrist friend (Tony Britton) speak with her, and it's decided it is best if she goes away for a little rest.

This is a fun movie, where it seems there is always a horrible storm raging. It contains elements of some other films, as mentioned above. Taylor, who at this point was making a lot of schlock, does a fine job as the unstable Ellen.

I did know how this ended ahead of time, having seen part of it ages and ages ago, so I didn't have the twist-ending thrill others have had. Nevertheless, it was very entertaining.

One of Taylor's better films from this period - in the hands of better director, it could have been much stronger, since the story and cast are strong. As it is, it's worth watching.