8¾ Pies

Reviewed by Limey

Plot Summary

A young man becomes obsessed with filming the ultimate unfilmable moment.

Review

I have the feeling that if I were to ask the majority of our readers whether or not they have heard of Michael Powell, they would respond with a resounding ‘no’. The reason for that is simple – this is the movie that all but ended his once glittering directorial career and in fact killed it stone dead in his native Britain.

That this is a tragedy is clear to anyone who watches this movie, but especially so when you consider the fact that before its release, Powell had stood alongside Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean as a leading figure in British cinema. He had worked his way up through the industry and established himself as a successful director, before forming a cinematic partnership with Emeric Pressburger with whom he would write, produce and direct hit movie after hit movie.

Sadly this hard earned success counted for nought with the press when he chose to take a break from his partnership with Pressburger and go it alone on the film we now know as ‘Peeping Tom’. It was savaged for its depiction of sex and violence and director Powell was singled out for being the twisted mastermind responsible for bringing it to the screen. He found himself ostracised and forgotten.

However, the movie that brought an end to his career is ironically the very same movie that has seen his reputation slowly resurrected in the decades since its release. It inspired numerous filmmakers, most notably Martin Scorsese, the man responsible for providing the necessary funds for a re-release and thus reintroducing the world to both this film and Powell’s work at large. For this we should all be thankful.

Quotes:

Mark Lewis: Whatever I photograph I always lose.

Mark Lewis: Do you know what the most frightening thing in the world is? It’s fear.

Spook Factor: ¾ Pie

This is a very cerebral movie so perhaps not the spookiest film in the world if you are looking for a more visceral experience. Personally, it gave me a severe case of the creeps, a response no doubt assisted by the fact that I knew next to nothing about what lay ahead when I sat down to watch the movie.

Antagonist: 1 Pie

The villain is one that will provoke two completely different feelings within you as you watch the movie. On the one hand he is a thoroughly unpleasant character due to the methodical and cruel nature of his crimes, yet on the other you cannot help but hope he receives some kind of help because he is such a likeable person when not overcome by his compulsion.

Story: 1 Pie

The basics here are very similar to that of its much more famous peer, ‘Psycho’ – a reclusive and socially inadequate man whose actions are still being influenced by those of a long dead but formerly over bearing parent. However, the scenario is tackled differently enough that the two movies do not to feel like copies of one another and besides, this one came first.

Oh, and I must add that the very first line of the film is the most unintentionally funny thing I have heard in a very long time, due to how much the value of money has changed over the years.

Acting: 1 Pie

Karlheinz Böhm was an inspired choice for Mark Lewis. The character was originally meant to be an Englishman but when various potential actors fell through, the part was given to Austrian born Böhm and he runs with it. Anna Massey was perfect as the love interest that almost manages to change his ways, though the near five decades since the film was made does mean her performance feels a little dated at times.

Directing: 1 Pie

This was Powell at the height of his power, which I suppose is the best way to end your career, though I doubt it was much consolation at the time. Still, he left us with something to savour, demonstrating a complete command of the material and the know how to turn his vision of that material into a compelling reality.

Soundtrack: ¾ Pie

There is nothing here that can compete with the legendary score of ‘Psycho’ but in its own way it is just as powerful and important to the success of the movie.

Special Effects: ¾ Pie

In this age of computer assisted special effects it is easy to forget about how much more striking practical effects often were and are. The sight of what were in reality giant pencils falling through the air was a personal highlight.

Gore: ½ Pie

Anyone familiar with horror movies of this era or who has actually been reading my review could have predicted that there would be little gore on display here but it can again be compared favourably to the famous Hitchcock movie in that it achieves far more with the little it does show than many blood thirsty pictures could ever hope for.

Replay, Rewatch, Rewind: 1 Pie

Most definitely, it was a joy to watch and I believe it is a movie that will yield more with each subsequent visit.

Pros

Everything, with the exception of…

Cons

…nothing.

Final Word

There really is nothing more to say at this point. Despite the high score this is not my favourite movie or even my favourite horror movie, as favourites are determined by something less tangible than a review score, but it is a bloody good one that deserves to be seen by everyone and which will no doubt very quickly climb the ranks of my favourite films list.

Take me to your cinema.