The first film from the short-lived Tyburn film company (that later gave us THE GHOUL and LEGEND OF THE WEERWOLF, two of my favourites) is a lot different from what you might expect. Here we have an extremely slow-moving, long, and yet compelling drama about the volatile relationship between two people, namely David Masters (Ralph Bates) and his domineering mother Carrie (Lana Turner).
There are many things to recommend in this film, which may be too subtle and understated for some modern viewers who have an over-reliance on action/gore. From the odd opening - in which we see a young boy killing his pet cat in a bowl of milk - to the circular ending, in which that boy (now grown up) does the same thing, my eyes never left the screen. Top quality acting from an interesting cast and attention to detail make this film one to watch. Here we have fully fleshed-out, three dimensional characters who act and talk like real people. The story is rooted in reality for a change, and there are no physical horror aspects - except those of a cat, which may or may not be evil.
Ralph Bates (who made his horror debut in TASTE THE BLOOD OF Dracula and who may not have been the best of actors, but was always enjoyable) gives what is, in my mind, his best performance as the tormented son of Lana Turner, forever a weak-willed victim. He always seemed to play the same kind of role throughout his short-lived horror career (his characteristics: quiet voice, floppy hair, handsome yet feminine) and here he reaches his highlight, the most in-depth role he played. His is a journey into complete madness, brought about by extreme cruelty and sheer wickedness from his parent over a period of thirty years. He is the son his mother never wanted, the son who will never be able to do anything right or make any decisions of his own. He has grown up to depend on his mother so that, even as an adult, he cannot bring himself to leave her and go to live with his wife.
Lana Turner is the wicked mother, putting in a subtle performance of evil. Turner is very unlikeable and actually quite convincing in the role, and is never anything but serious: you can believe that she's capable of plotting devastation and murder in the back of her mind. Seasoned veterans Trevor Howard and Patrick Allen pop up for brief cameos, while Suzan Farmer and Olga Georges-Picot provide some pathos and sympathy as women caught up in the feud between mother and son.
Although the film is slow-moving, the plot is a good one, and events gradually build up until they culminate in mass murder and total insanity. I definitely feel that this film is an underrated classic, simply as it tries something different from usual and succeeds in being original. I love the ending which has Ralph Bates saying - in a child's voice, to make it extra creepy - "Mother, I just killed a cat." PERSECUTION is a film that essays the total mental breakdown of an odd family - and does it in such a way to make it gripping, haunting viewing.
There are many things to recommend in this film, which may be too subtle and understated for some modern viewers who have an over-reliance on action/gore. From the odd opening - in which we see a young boy killing his pet cat in a bowl of milk - to the circular ending, in which that boy (now grown up) does the same thing, my eyes never left the screen. Top quality acting from an interesting cast and attention to detail make this film one to watch. Here we have fully fleshed-out, three dimensional characters who act and talk like real people. The story is rooted in reality for a change, and there are no physical horror aspects - except those of a cat, which may or may not be evil.
Ralph Bates (who made his horror debut in TASTE THE BLOOD OF Dracula and who may not have been the best of actors, but was always enjoyable) gives what is, in my mind, his best performance as the tormented son of Lana Turner, forever a weak-willed victim. He always seemed to play the same kind of role throughout his short-lived horror career (his characteristics: quiet voice, floppy hair, handsome yet feminine) and here he reaches his highlight, the most in-depth role he played. His is a journey into complete madness, brought about by extreme cruelty and sheer wickedness from his parent over a period of thirty years. He is the son his mother never wanted, the son who will never be able to do anything right or make any decisions of his own. He has grown up to depend on his mother so that, even as an adult, he cannot bring himself to leave her and go to live with his wife.
Lana Turner is the wicked mother, putting in a subtle performance of evil. Turner is very unlikeable and actually quite convincing in the role, and is never anything but serious: you can believe that she's capable of plotting devastation and murder in the back of her mind. Seasoned veterans Trevor Howard and Patrick Allen pop up for brief cameos, while Suzan Farmer and Olga Georges-Picot provide some pathos and sympathy as women caught up in the feud between mother and son.
Although the film is slow-moving, the plot is a good one, and events gradually build up until they culminate in mass murder and total insanity. I definitely feel that this film is an underrated classic, simply as it tries something different from usual and succeeds in being original. I love the ending which has Ralph Bates saying - in a child's voice, to make it extra creepy - "Mother, I just killed a cat." PERSECUTION is a film that essays the total mental breakdown of an odd family - and does it in such a way to make it gripping, haunting viewing.