"I Walked With A Zombie" *** 1\2 (out of ****)
Because it is October and Halloween comes at the end of the month, I thought it would be fun during the month to review some horror films. I'll mix it up and review some of the well known horror classics and a few little known ones.
To start off with I decided to review one of the great collaborations between producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur. The two worked on "The Cat People" and "Leopard Man" but "I Walked With A Zombie" might be my favorite.
If you don't know who either Lewton or Tourneur is, they made several "B" movies for RKO studios during the 1940s. Naturally because these were "B" movies they didn't have much of a budget and never starred "A" list actors. But the charm of their work was how they got around the small budget. All of their films are classic examples of atmosphere. The films succeed because they play on our imagination. They were masters of lighting. Their films always took place in shadows.
"I Walked With A Zombie", which was released in 1943, is actually slightly based on Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre". I say slightly because it is a loose adaptation. There was an article called "I Walked With A Zombie" which was the real source of inspiration for this film but Lewton felt much about the story, which was written by Inez Wallace, was too cliched so he incorporated elements of "Jane Eyre" into the story.
A young nurse, Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) is sent to an island in the West Indies, to take care of Mrs. Holland (Christine Gordon). Some time ago she suffered a fever which caused damage to her spine. She no longer talks or seems to understand others. She walks, but always appears to be in a trance state.
Betsy was hired by Mr. Holland (Tom Conway). Who lives with his half-brother, Wesley Rand (James Ellison) and their mother (Edith Barrett).
The island is inhabited by former African slaves who have brought a culture of voodoo with them. This very much displeases the Holland's. They are intelligent people who believe in science not the supernatural. This takes up much time in the screenplay. Both were undergoing changes in society which were started to be reflected in cinema at the time. It is the only social point I see in the movie. Otherwise it is purely a genre piece with no greater intention.
Betsy finds herself caught in the middle of some family secrets. No one really knows how Mrs. Holland found herself in her current state. It is rumored that Wesley was in love with Mrs. Holland and she with him. The two were going to leave together until Mr. Holland find out about their plan. Most people on the island feel Mrs. Holland was either put under a curse or is a zombie. With this going on Betsy finds herself falling in love with Mr. Holland.
"I Walked With A Zombie" is not a scary film. If anyone has nightmares after watching this film consult your doctor, you may have larger problems then you realize. The film is all style, no chills. But that is where the suspense comes in. What will come out of those shadows? What lurks around the corner? This admittedly keeps the viewer on edge. Though the film isn't scary in the same way "The Exorcist" is scary. "I Walked With A Zombie" plays with our mind a bit more.
One of my favorite scenes is when Betsy first meets Mrs. Holland. Betsy does not know Mrs. Holland's condition or even what she looks like. Betsy sees a figure walk into a building, follows it. The building is empty and dark. Betsy wears black another Mrs. Holland wears white. At first the viewer is lead to believe Mrs. Holland is a zombie. The camera stays away from her face as Betsy screams. Why does she scream? What does Mrs. Holland look like? Tourneur and Lewton delay the inevitable shot of Mrs. Holland's face. It builds anticipation in the viewer's mind.
The film is well acted surprisingly, given this cast of unknowns. But everyone does a good job with the material. Frances Dee may come out looking the best. She has a very likable quality on-screen. Something about her appearance reminded me of Paulette Godard. She has an innocence to her which I liked very much. It helps the audience identify with her.
I'm sure I'll review more by this team so I don't want to give away too much about them in my first review concerning them. If you're looking for something new and different to watch this Halloween give Lewton and Tourneur a try. If you are anything like me you'll enjoy discovering a new film and a new director to explore. Of course, you don't have to wait until Halloween to watch this. A good movie is fun to watch anytime of the year.
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