Skolimowski goes into Nicolas Roeg territory in this idyllic English countryside drama that turns into inexplicable psychological terror when a couple is disrupted by the presence of a mysterious man who knows Aboriginal magic.
Review #2,700
Dir. Jerzy Skolimowski
1978 | UK | Drama, Mystery | 86 min | 1.85;1 | English
M18 (passed clean) for nudity
Cast: Alan Bates, Susannah York, John Hurt
Plot: A traveller by the name of Crossley forces himself upon a musician and his wife in a lonely part of Devon, and uses the aboriginal magic he has learned to displace his host.
Awards: Nom. for Grand Prize of the Jury (Cannes)
Distributor: ITV
Accessibility Index
Subject Matter: Moderate – Psychological Terror; Disruption & Displacement; Sound
Narrative Style: Slightly Complex
Pace: Slightly Slow
Audience Type: Slightly Arthouse
Viewed: Screener (as part of Perspectives Film Festival 2023)
Spoilers: No
The first time I heard of Jerzy Skolimowski was when I attended a screening of Deep End (1970) back in 2011 when Singapore had the regular—and deeply-missed—‘World Cinema Series’ programme at the National Museum.
I can’t remember much about the film, but to this day, I remember how much I adored it. Suffice to say, it was a transformational work for me.
The Shout, made later in the decade, is far less impactful, but it is a fantastic film about the fine line between reality and insanity, bliss and fear.
Set in an idyllic English countryside where a couple, Anthony (John Hurt) and Rachel (Susannah York), live rather uneventful lives, The Shout sees Skolimowski turning the film on its head into inexplicable psychological terror. The best thing about it is how subtle and ‘uneventful’ that also seems.
“You haven’t the imagination to understand anything outside your own experience.”
A mysterious traveller (Alan Bates) disrupts the couple’s peaceful existence, hoping to seek shelter in their home. His presence is disconcerting but like good hosts, they welcome him. This guy knows Aboriginal magic and talks about his ability to unleash a ‘shout’ with devastating consequences.
For those who are familiar with the pictures of British master Nicolas Roeg, The Shout sees Skolimowski enter his stylistic and thematic territory, evoking the spirit of Walkabout (1971), Don’t Look Now (1973) and The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976).
The Shout terrifies not because of its frightening imagery (there are none) but its seeming normalcy. Furthermore, there is a particular emphasis on sound, rather acutely if I may add, as firstly, the titular ‘shout’ creates the dread of anticipation.
Secondly, Anthony works in sound effects, dealing with a lot of weird, distorting sounds I must say; and thirdly, the film score is electronic in nature, marking a period in film music history where the likes of Tangerine Dream and Vangelis flourished with films like Sorcerer (1977), Thief (1981), Chariots of Fire (1981) and Blade Runner (1982), to name a few.
Grade: A-
Trailer:
Eternality Tan 