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Originally Posted by neverending
Let's not forget the greatest performance Peter Lorre ever gave!
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Ditto! The way he portrayed the helplessness & desperation of a serial killer through those frightened eyes surely unforgettable!
The Whip and the Body (1963)
Another excellent Gothic period piece from Horror Master Mario Bava. One of the things in Bava's films that often highly praised is his use of lighting, and this film features what is probably the best use of lighting that I have seen so far in a Bava film. The lights give flair to the scenery, and help to give the film an amazing picturesque cinematography. Every frame of this film looks like it was lifted from one painting or another.
This film represents the only pairing of Bava with British horror icon Sir Christopher Lee, and as usually here young & handsome Lee lights up the screen with his bold persona and screen presence. And his performance nicely tuned with stunning Daliah Lavi, who's beauty shines through the creepy & tensed atmosphere of Castle Menliff. It was said that due to the contents of erotic violence, the film was heavily censored around the world but I found that part highly intriguing.
A tree vine whipping in an open window reminding Nevenka (Lavi) of her sordid past with Kurt or when Nevenka caresses her face with a red rose... was the unique metaphor of Bava's work of excellence. Lavi's captivating beauty was brilliantly shot, often in her room, surrounded in darkness, the wind roaring, her frightened eyes constantly veering right & left, waiting for something odd to happen...is the signature of masterclass direction.
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