The Girl in a Swing

Well, I liked this one a lot. To be sure, I was not shocked by the big revelation at the end, but I'm not at all sure I was supposed to be. I knew nothing of the film going in, so had no idea I was in for a bit of a ghost story. Meg Tilly was so beautiful. Easy to see why Alan Dresland (Frazer) would fall for her. I thought she utterly nailed this role. The secretiveness, the blossoming love, the creepy aura of something not quite right coming out, well, she knocked all of these out of the park. A lot has been made of her German accent in this role. It sounded fine to me. Granted, I'm a Texan, and speak no German (or Danish) at all.Yes I missed some of her dialogue, but I always miss a little of what people say in accented English. (OK, in a different accent than mine) She was fantastic, and I'm sorry I haven't seen more of her over the years.

THE GIRL IN A SWING is an odd little mystery film, directed by horror stalwart Gordon Hessler and based on a book by Richard Adams (of WATERSHIP DOWN fame) of all people. As I understand it, it follows the classic novel adaptation format of removing pretty much of all of the lyrical beauty and atmosphere of the prose, leaving it a very ordinary kind of mystery/romance.

The main problem with this movie is that it's so very slow. I find watching romance films a very boring experience, and 90% of this is romance. A handful of weird events and clues are thrown in to keep the viewer interested, but for the most part this is just about characters lounging around and declaring their love for one another. The film DOES benefit hugely from casting the lovely Meg Tilly (PSYCHO II) as the love interest. Tilly has an ethereal beauty that Hessler captures well on film, and it's a shame that she's not matched by Rupert Frazer who plays against her, although to be fair he doesn't have much to do as the insufferably straight leading character.

Hessler was making B-movie fun with the likes of THE OBLONG BOX and SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN some twenty years before this film so he knows his way around the camera, so it's just a pity that the material is quite dull. A series of erotic and sex scenes flesh out the narrative (quite literally in terms of Tilly's nudity) but the plot really only kicks in in the last twenty minutes and by then it's all over. THE GIRL IN A SWING has potential and a commendable atmosphere on occasion, but I'm afraid there's too little here to whet the appetite of all but the most dedicated cinema fans.

A repressed Episcopalian antique dealer falls head over heels in love with his beautiful but mysterious German secretary, and is apparently so blinded by emotion that he never thinks to ask her a single question about herself. As played by a miscast Meg Tilly she's meant to be an enigmatic blend of beguiling innocence and animal passion, but what begins as a lumpy Continental romance (highlighted by some of the most banal endearments to be heard since John Gilbert was laughed off the screen) goes from love story to ghost story in one awkward Turn of the Screw. What is femme fatale Karin Forster's dark secret: is she a reformed prostitute? A pagan sorceress? A figment of her lover's overwrought imagination? Don't expect any answers from director Gordon Hessler, whose adaptation of the novel by Richard Adams is even more stiff and lifeless than its protagonist. Hessler shows obvious pride in his ability to make a halfway literate film; but it's the other half that makes no sense whatsoever, and the portentous scenario, alongside the lame dialogue, provokes more laughs than shivers.

I remember the buzz about this movie when it came out. The sexuality, the ethereal, metaphysical theme. Sounds intriguing, no? Therefore I was surprised to see Maltin call it "unwatchable" and "a stinker". That was all before I watched it. Now that I have, I tend to agree with Leonard. Ebert's review is interesting because he "didn't get it" either, and seemed to say that the movie had accomplished something by puzzling him. You're too kind, Roger. This could have been a great movie. Each scene was well shot. Unfortunately, the whole was less than the sum of its parts. I was going to blame the Director but perhaps the Editor was more to blame. The faults: 1) the mystery, when revealed, didn't ring true. 2) the sex was totally un-erotic. 3) the visions were confusing and hokey. 4) [perhaps most annoying of all] All of Meg Tilly's lines were delivered in a whisper and with a horrible attempt at a german accent, 50% of her dialog was unintelligible.

As the other reviews have stated, this is a somewhat dull film. The pace and dialogue are a bit much - or little- depending on your point of view. The big question though; does Meg Tilly get naked? Answer - Yes!!! That's about the most logical reason I can find to rent this one. Happy viewing...