La guerre des cerveaux

This film was beautifully directed by camera whiz Byron Haskin, and it has a fine literate script, one of the best supporting casts ever assembled for a sci-fi movie and very good production values. The question is why the critics did not appreciate it. I believe the answer is simple: they also disliked "Star Trek" TOS, and "The Voyage Home," "Dimension V", and all other sci-fi. They ignore the genre despite or because of the fact it is a medium of ideas--and their conventional view is that movies can 't deal with explicit definitions-- because their sort trying to make idea movies have failed so miserably most of the time. The plot line in this movie is very simple to state; a man discovers he has extra sensory perception and telekinetic powers; then he finds he is being stalked by a man with the same power, probably much greater, who must eliminate him to avoid having his existence exposed, his nefarious plans stopped. The logical and well-scripted scenario from Frank M. Robinson's' famous novel was done by John Gay; and Miklos Rzsa supplied wonderfully eerie music. In the cast supporting an OK but too-young George Hamilton and Suzanne Pleshette are such talents as the great Michael Rennie, Yvonne de Carlo, Aldo Ray, Vaughn Taylor, Nehemiah Persoff, Richard Carlson, Earl Holliman, Miiko Taka, Celia Lovsky, Ken Murray, Lawrence Montaigne, Barbara Nichols and Arthur O'Connell. Primary Credit for this fine and serious production must go to producer George Pal; the only mystery to this sci-fi mystery is why moviegoers, arguably less bewildered than most critics about what is an entertaining script have believed the critics and not their own eyes; I saw the film when it was first released, admired it as a writer then, and still do. I do not believe I am wrong in any way about its professional or cinematic merits. The moment when O'Connell tries to escape the bad guy and finds his office door is part of a solid wall, turned into a death trap by his opponent, is shattering; and the climactic duel of the film and its surprise outcome cannot be forgotten, as I can testify. Kudos to all concerned; if Keith Andes had played the lead in this instead of Hamilton, it might have received the attention that all concerned, especially Pal and Haskin and Rozsa so richly deserve.

Although the setting is scientific, and I've seen this described as science-fiction, "The Power" is arguably a very early rationalisation/update of the superhero genre. In this case the person with the superpowers is a supervillain, the power is telekinesis, and no lycra longjohns are entered into, as the makers try to keep it as downhome and believably creepy as possible, except when 'the power' is being exhibited.

Basically the official scientific committee for Somethingorother is kind of audited by government agent Michael Rennie to see what they're up to. One of them, played as a crackpot movie scientist by old pro Arthur O'Connell, is convinced that research suggests that someone has Ee-vill telekinetic powers. Despite Artie being a crackpot, what do you know, it turns out that he's right on the money, and furthermore, they determine it's someone right there in the room. Soon folks who were in that room start dying in numbers, and in imaginative and unpleasant ways. (There's a scene in a centrifuge that appears to have been knocked off for one of the Roger Moore James Bond movies later on - "Moonraker" from painful memory.)

The key to it all seems to be a shadowy figure who was once known as Adam Hart. George Hamilton sets out to find who Adam Hart was, and who or what he became. We end up with a major case of the creeps, because it's one of those paranoid whodunnit deals where the audience isn't allowed to trust anyone (kind of reminiscent of the Kurt Russell version of "The Thing" in that way) not even Hamilton, or his girlfriend Suzanne Pleshette.

Director Byron Haskin and the actors don't give us any cosy characters to like. Everyone's cold, aloof, frenzied, crazy, or pathologically self-interested. This aspect is a bit reminiscent of Freddie Francis's better English horror films of the 60s, although "The Power" has a more measured, restrained creepiness than his films.

In that sense, George Hamilton's limitations as a kissy-face type leading guy are used to the film's advantage. I've always found George Pal's stuff a little creepy even when it was ostensibly fun happy stuff for kids, and his Puppetooning here fits right in.

Only disappointment is a fairly conventional resolution by comparison to what's come before. Other than that, "The Power" is memorable, and a bit of a one-off.

I loved this movie as a kid and an adult.

I thought it was well done and for the negative reviewers who said it was confusing, I understood it as a child. Are you dense or something?

Good acting, subtle death scenes, great action, albeit slow, but worth viewing. A nice build up and to the reviewer who said he knew who the bad guy was: Duh!

I'm so tired of you losers not taking into account when a movie was made. What movie about telekinesis compared to this then. Um, none. Enjoy a movie for when it was made and take in the effects as well. So many people say laughable effects in old movies. I hate this. They worked with what they had and did good with them.

I loved it in '68 and still love it!

This interesting sci fi film stars George Hamilton and Suzanne Pleshette, and features some former stars/near stars who had seen better days: Yvonne DeCarlo, Richard Carlson, Aldo Ray, and Gary Merrill (in a real stepdown from All About Eve). Among the older stars, Michael Rennie has a larger supporting role. The cast, a good budget, and an intriguing script make for an entertaining film about the attempt of one megamind to ferret out who's a threat to him among a group of scientists. One of them has telekinesis, and after the murder of the whistle-blower, played by Arthur O'Connell, Hamilton tries to find O'Connell's old friend, whose name was written on a piece of paper, suspecting him of somehow being involved.

This is a neat drama, all the more interesting in seeing the young stars, Hamilton and Pleshette, play against the older Hollywood types.

This story was first televised live during the summer of 1956 on one of the high quality drama series that flourished during the 1950's. Perhaps it was The United States Steel Hour. I was an eleven year old kid at the time and was fascinated with the basic plot. I have searched for information about the original teleplay, but have been unsuccessful. Does anyone out there have any info on the TV broadcast of this story?

Several years later, I read Frank M. Robinson's novel, from which the two movies were made and enjoyed the 1968 film version. It had a terrific musical score, featuring a zither-like instrument played with felt hammers. George Hamilton did a fine job in the lead role.