As mentioned by many, the Gorgon is not your typical scare-fest horror film. It's driving force is its atmosphere, its lore and understanding various subplots. Cheaply made, the film has no doubt turned some to stone-cold hysterics with its campy effects and home movie-like makeup of the creature. While the story has wonderful elements of mystery and lure, it never reveals certain motivations. For example, why has the Gorgon's spirit returned to earth? What is the Cushing character's intentions? Many of the story's characters know the myth behind the murders (how many variations are there to a creature turning a man to stone with her gaze?), so controlling the creature was no revelation. But all that aside, the film's theme is captivating. If you don't expect a monster movie, but view this film as a mystery based on folklore and with a haunting backdrop, you too will be delighted with this hidden gem. There is a scene in castle, when Mageara first appears and we catch glimpses of her peeking out at a prospective victim. It's a tantalizing prelude to the terror to come. But the scene that had me mesmerized , and that singularly crystalizes the Gorgon's chilling presence is when she has turned a character with her demonic stare, then seemingly drifts back into the shadows. It is a strangely beautiful scene. The Gorgon, called the Mageara, is a true mystery. She has no emotion, no true motivation, and she is not shown stalking her prey. Like a black widow in human form, she merely waits for (perhaps even lures) innocent souls to come to her parlor. Mageara seemingly in incapable of harming man, except for her petrifying gaze; she quietly floats about the castle. If I were to remake this film, I would tell the story from the perspective of the female host, and the struggle to understand her curse. There is sheer tragedy in what Hammer has presented, and I find myself looking upon many of the story's characters with sense of sadness and doom. Finally, I want to say that I wish the stone victims could have turned quickly, like those poor souls in the film "Thief of Baghdad," with Steve Reeves. Oh well, just a last thought.
106 Reviews
Has to be one of Hammer's most under-appreciated films
TheLittleSongbird3 July 2015
The Gorgon may not be a personal favourite from Hammer, but it is still a film well worth watching, and along with Curse of the Werewolf it's among Hammer's most under-appreciated.
Admittedly, the story is absurd and occasionally could have been more eventful. The ending felt rushed and abrupt. And while the Gorgon was scary at first, by the end she did look rather cheaply made-up and more goofy and menacing. The snakes agreed did look fake, and the true identity of the Gorgon was made a bit too obviously too early.
On the other hand, the Gorgon aside, The Gorgon is quite well-done visually, with splendidly Gothic sets, sumptuous period detail, shadowy and bold lighting and beautiful and atmospheric photography. Fisher, the most frequent of Hammer's directors and for me their best, directs with a fine sense of atmosphere and dread, some parts are incredibly suspenseful, while not forgetting to make things fun too. Hammer regular James Bernard provides a music score that's jaunty but also booming with hauntingly thrilling effect, a highly effective score that fits with the mood like a glove.
The script is poetic and thought-provoking, with a number of funny and menacing lines from Meister that don't feel out of place (Meister's line about using long words and his answer to Heitz's 'I've been ill' did get a good laugh). It also didn't feel too talky, like some Hammer films can do, and the suspense level is never dropped too much. As silly and absurd the story can be, it very rarely harms the atmosphere which is tense and unnerving and didn't feel too predictable. While the characters are not the most well-developed, they are ones that are not too hard to care for.
It is because of the great performances from a talented cast that play a large part of as to why that is. Peter Cushing's dignity and restraint was very much appreciated and Christopher Lee performs with terrific gusto, and relishes his dialogue. Richard Pasco has fun too, Prudence Hyman horrifies as the Gorgon and Barbara Shelley has got to be Hammer's best ever femme fatale. Patrick Troughton, more than just a cameo this time, is great as well.
All in all, The Gorgon is not flawless but it's a good film with a lot of merits, and has to be one of Hammer's most under-appreciated. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Admittedly, the story is absurd and occasionally could have been more eventful. The ending felt rushed and abrupt. And while the Gorgon was scary at first, by the end she did look rather cheaply made-up and more goofy and menacing. The snakes agreed did look fake, and the true identity of the Gorgon was made a bit too obviously too early.
On the other hand, the Gorgon aside, The Gorgon is quite well-done visually, with splendidly Gothic sets, sumptuous period detail, shadowy and bold lighting and beautiful and atmospheric photography. Fisher, the most frequent of Hammer's directors and for me their best, directs with a fine sense of atmosphere and dread, some parts are incredibly suspenseful, while not forgetting to make things fun too. Hammer regular James Bernard provides a music score that's jaunty but also booming with hauntingly thrilling effect, a highly effective score that fits with the mood like a glove.
The script is poetic and thought-provoking, with a number of funny and menacing lines from Meister that don't feel out of place (Meister's line about using long words and his answer to Heitz's 'I've been ill' did get a good laugh). It also didn't feel too talky, like some Hammer films can do, and the suspense level is never dropped too much. As silly and absurd the story can be, it very rarely harms the atmosphere which is tense and unnerving and didn't feel too predictable. While the characters are not the most well-developed, they are ones that are not too hard to care for.
It is because of the great performances from a talented cast that play a large part of as to why that is. Peter Cushing's dignity and restraint was very much appreciated and Christopher Lee performs with terrific gusto, and relishes his dialogue. Richard Pasco has fun too, Prudence Hyman horrifies as the Gorgon and Barbara Shelley has got to be Hammer's best ever femme fatale. Patrick Troughton, more than just a cameo this time, is great as well.
All in all, The Gorgon is not flawless but it's a good film with a lot of merits, and has to be one of Hammer's most under-appreciated. 7/10 Bethany Cox
THE GORGON (Terence Fisher, 1964) ***
Bunuel197621 August 2007
Hammer’s THE REPTILE (1966) is a semi-remake of this one, and an improvement – for which the scriptwriter of THE GORGON, John Gilling, was upgraded to director. Typically, the DivX edition I watched was plagued by artifacts and a few jump-cuts (not to mention being in the odious pan-and-scan format); however, I was very glad to have finally caught up with it – especially in view of the DD Home Video company’s recent folding (this had been mentioned as one of a possible number of Columbia/Hammer DVD releases).
Peter Cushing is rather unsympathetic and pitiful here (but still commanding as ever); Christopher Lee (playing much older than his years and who only really comes onto the scene during the last half-hour) is his usual pompous self; Richard Pasco, then, makes for an unusual hero. As for the identity of the titular creature, Megera, this isn’t much of a mystery – since Barbara Shelley is virtually the only female in sight (and, conveniently, suffers from amnesia spells during the cycle of the full moon); Hammer does seem to have had their myths mixed up here, and isn’t Cushing rather negligent in having failed to prove his theory for five whole years?! Other notable cast members include police chief Patrick Troughton, Michael Goodliffe (as Pasco’s father, who along with his other son, falls victim to The Gorgon) and Jack Watson as Cushing’s over-eager aide.
In most aspects, this is a typical Hammer product from their 1955-68 heyday: rich-looking (production design courtesy of Bernard Robinson) but essentially undernourished – the monster ‘attacks’ being centered around one family unit, while the much-feared castle seems to be situated in the immediate vicinity of the local inn! Still, most of the Hammer stalwarts (above all director Fisher and composer James Bernard) are in good form – however, the two stars only interact in one brief scene and Roy Ashton’s make-up isn’t exactly great (which Fisher, astutely, generally films from a distance and, in fact, we only get to see her full figure at the very end).
Needless to say, I’d love to see this receive an official DVD release – along with my two most-desired Columbia/Hammer properties, namely TASTE OF FEAR (1961) and THE DAMNED (1963).
Peter Cushing is rather unsympathetic and pitiful here (but still commanding as ever); Christopher Lee (playing much older than his years and who only really comes onto the scene during the last half-hour) is his usual pompous self; Richard Pasco, then, makes for an unusual hero. As for the identity of the titular creature, Megera, this isn’t much of a mystery – since Barbara Shelley is virtually the only female in sight (and, conveniently, suffers from amnesia spells during the cycle of the full moon); Hammer does seem to have had their myths mixed up here, and isn’t Cushing rather negligent in having failed to prove his theory for five whole years?! Other notable cast members include police chief Patrick Troughton, Michael Goodliffe (as Pasco’s father, who along with his other son, falls victim to The Gorgon) and Jack Watson as Cushing’s over-eager aide.
In most aspects, this is a typical Hammer product from their 1955-68 heyday: rich-looking (production design courtesy of Bernard Robinson) but essentially undernourished – the monster ‘attacks’ being centered around one family unit, while the much-feared castle seems to be situated in the immediate vicinity of the local inn! Still, most of the Hammer stalwarts (above all director Fisher and composer James Bernard) are in good form – however, the two stars only interact in one brief scene and Roy Ashton’s make-up isn’t exactly great (which Fisher, astutely, generally films from a distance and, in fact, we only get to see her full figure at the very end).
Needless to say, I’d love to see this receive an official DVD release – along with my two most-desired Columbia/Hammer properties, namely TASTE OF FEAR (1961) and THE DAMNED (1963).
Among Hammer's best
Glad-25 July 2000
The Gorgon ranks among Hammer's very best. Its premise is daring and imaginative - a female spectre so hideous that all who gaze on her are turned to stone, a power even more unnerving than the physical ferocity of lycanthropy or vampirism.
It boasts a wealth of Hammer expertise: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are at their peak; John Gilling scripted lucidly; James Bernard's score is one of his finest, the familiar overwrought strings underlaid with a spectral organ effect; and Michael Reed's pathecolor photography defines the Hammer look', all sombre interiors and gorgeous autumnal forests. But the triumph is finally director Terence Fisher's.
The film begins beautifully with the credits superimposed against the twilit battlements of Castle Borski. Other touches fleetingly capture the mood of gothic-romantic literature. Professor Heitz beguiled into the forest by the Gorgon Magaera's distant siren-call. Her reflection glimpsed through the dead leaves floating on a mill pond. The encounter by moonlight in the graveyard between Richard Pasco and Barbara Shelley.
The Gorgon is certainly one of Hammer's most pessimistic entries. The setting is turn-of-the-century Middle Europe and the production-design more Teutonic than ever (Hammer, ever economical, transposed the monster of Greek classical myth to their familiar Germanic milieu). When we join the story the village of Vandorf has been under Magaera's baleful spell for seven years. Much of the action takes place in a repressive asylum. And Castle Borski is not the richly appointed seat of other Hammer films but a broken windswept ruin.
Characterisation is equally unrelenting. Cushing's Dr Namaroff is a more ruthless and maniacal variation of Van Helsing. Lee's Professor Meister , though gruffly benevolent, is overbearingly fatalistic. Meanwhile the most sympathetic characters - Carla, Paul, his father and brother - are all killed.
OK, inevitably the Gorgon's makeup is weak (though it scared me when I first saw it at age 11). The sickly green palor and spidery wrinkles are good, but the snake-hair just looks like she washed it the night before and couldn't do a thing with it. Half-glimpsed, her first appearance is remarkably effective, though. Her graceful tiptoe from behind the cobwebs in ghastly counterpoint to what we know will be her terrible visage. A sudden shock close-up and she disappears - almost glides - back into the shadows in long shot, a sequence as well done as anything Fisher has ever constructed. Alas, audience expectation (something Hammer usually deferred to) demanded a full-facial exposure at the end.
The temptation would be to say that The Gorgon might have worked better in black and white - but that would be to deny Michael Reed's disciplined use of colour. Perhaps only today's enhanced computer-graphics could properly pull off the effect required.
That flaw apart, The Gorgon survives as an early Hammer classic that can stand alongside Dracula, Brides of Dracula and The Hound of the Baskervilles.
It boasts a wealth of Hammer expertise: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are at their peak; John Gilling scripted lucidly; James Bernard's score is one of his finest, the familiar overwrought strings underlaid with a spectral organ effect; and Michael Reed's pathecolor photography defines the Hammer look', all sombre interiors and gorgeous autumnal forests. But the triumph is finally director Terence Fisher's.
The film begins beautifully with the credits superimposed against the twilit battlements of Castle Borski. Other touches fleetingly capture the mood of gothic-romantic literature. Professor Heitz beguiled into the forest by the Gorgon Magaera's distant siren-call. Her reflection glimpsed through the dead leaves floating on a mill pond. The encounter by moonlight in the graveyard between Richard Pasco and Barbara Shelley.
The Gorgon is certainly one of Hammer's most pessimistic entries. The setting is turn-of-the-century Middle Europe and the production-design more Teutonic than ever (Hammer, ever economical, transposed the monster of Greek classical myth to their familiar Germanic milieu). When we join the story the village of Vandorf has been under Magaera's baleful spell for seven years. Much of the action takes place in a repressive asylum. And Castle Borski is not the richly appointed seat of other Hammer films but a broken windswept ruin.
Characterisation is equally unrelenting. Cushing's Dr Namaroff is a more ruthless and maniacal variation of Van Helsing. Lee's Professor Meister , though gruffly benevolent, is overbearingly fatalistic. Meanwhile the most sympathetic characters - Carla, Paul, his father and brother - are all killed.
OK, inevitably the Gorgon's makeup is weak (though it scared me when I first saw it at age 11). The sickly green palor and spidery wrinkles are good, but the snake-hair just looks like she washed it the night before and couldn't do a thing with it. Half-glimpsed, her first appearance is remarkably effective, though. Her graceful tiptoe from behind the cobwebs in ghastly counterpoint to what we know will be her terrible visage. A sudden shock close-up and she disappears - almost glides - back into the shadows in long shot, a sequence as well done as anything Fisher has ever constructed. Alas, audience expectation (something Hammer usually deferred to) demanded a full-facial exposure at the end.
The temptation would be to say that The Gorgon might have worked better in black and white - but that would be to deny Michael Reed's disciplined use of colour. Perhaps only today's enhanced computer-graphics could properly pull off the effect required.
That flaw apart, The Gorgon survives as an early Hammer classic that can stand alongside Dracula, Brides of Dracula and The Hound of the Baskervilles.
"You're afraid of it like the rest of them, aren't you?"
classicsoncall18 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I'm no Hammer Films maven by any means, so of the few I've seen I've generally been taken aback by the film makers' rather generous use of bold, bright colors. 1957's "The Curse of Frankenstein" is a case in point. When I began watching this picture it seemed that perhaps I had been generalizing this idea too much, but then all of a sudden, right in the middle of Dr. Namaroff's lab was this big, bright red couch! What was that all about?
Well here's a tale of the Gorgon, a mysterious and deadly creature, the sight of which can turn the unsuspecting viewer to stone. With seven such deaths in the village of Vandorf over the past five years, it was rather intriguing to me why the villagers weren't the least bit curious to figure out what might have been going on. When the judge declared the deaths of Bruno Heitz and his fiancée a murder and suicide, the factual evidence that her body turned to stone never even came up!
It's too bad the film's most likable character turned out to be the person possessed by the spirit of Maguera the Gorgon. Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelley) was a genuinely sympathetic individual who didn't seem to have any idea that moon filled nights turned her into a monster. One would suspect that this would lead to a rocky relationship with the newly arrived brother Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco), who's idea of romance would soon be met with stony silence. By the time this movie was approaching it's finale, I found I couldn't help it with all manner of puns from intruding on my mind, so much so that a horrifying ending had to be taken for granite. Imagine my satisfaction when the Gorgon's final roll of the dice turned up snake eyes.
Well here's a tale of the Gorgon, a mysterious and deadly creature, the sight of which can turn the unsuspecting viewer to stone. With seven such deaths in the village of Vandorf over the past five years, it was rather intriguing to me why the villagers weren't the least bit curious to figure out what might have been going on. When the judge declared the deaths of Bruno Heitz and his fiancée a murder and suicide, the factual evidence that her body turned to stone never even came up!
It's too bad the film's most likable character turned out to be the person possessed by the spirit of Maguera the Gorgon. Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelley) was a genuinely sympathetic individual who didn't seem to have any idea that moon filled nights turned her into a monster. One would suspect that this would lead to a rocky relationship with the newly arrived brother Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco), who's idea of romance would soon be met with stony silence. By the time this movie was approaching it's finale, I found I couldn't help it with all manner of puns from intruding on my mind, so much so that a horrifying ending had to be taken for granite. Imagine my satisfaction when the Gorgon's final roll of the dice turned up snake eyes.
Great atmosphere!
Boba_Fett113829 August 2007
This is an enjoyable rather forgotten movie from the Hammer studio's, staring both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee again.
I particularly liked the atmosphere of the movie. Unlike many other Hammer movies, this one actually got creepy, which was mainly due to its mysterious build up and overall atmosphere. The first appearance of Megaera is a great horror moment and surprised me quite a bit at how greatly it was done.
But no, unfortunately the movie is a whole isn't among the best the Hammer studios ever provided. The actual story fails to become really interesting and the character treatment isn't the greatest. It took me a while into the movie to realize that Peter Cushing was going to be the 'bad' guy in this and Christoper Lee the good guy. Normally those roles are always turned around. Besides that, Christopher Lee doesn't really get featured until the movie is already halve way through. His character after that also makes a redundant impression and the movie could had easily done without him. He's first billed but don't be fooled, he really isn't the main character in this. It also isn't Christopher Lee's finest acting moment. At times he's just downward horrible. His silly looking make-up and wig also doesn't help much to make his character a good one. Peter Cushing also gets make-up applied. In some sequences he looks so much different than he did in real life! It also takes a while for the movie to introduce its real main character, Paul Heitz.
The story flow also isn't the greatest. The movie gets stuck at times, when the mystery doesn't get explained and not enough is happening in the movie, even though the actual story itself is in its core quite a good one, that's filled with lots of potential, that doesn't really get ever exploited in this movie.
The movie obviously didn't cost a lot to made. Like I said before, the make-up effects aren't the greatest but more distracting are the obvious fake backgrounds and sets. Nevertheless, this has now of course become part of the charm of Hammer horror movies.
Greatly enjoyable to watch for the Hammer fans.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
I particularly liked the atmosphere of the movie. Unlike many other Hammer movies, this one actually got creepy, which was mainly due to its mysterious build up and overall atmosphere. The first appearance of Megaera is a great horror moment and surprised me quite a bit at how greatly it was done.
But no, unfortunately the movie is a whole isn't among the best the Hammer studios ever provided. The actual story fails to become really interesting and the character treatment isn't the greatest. It took me a while into the movie to realize that Peter Cushing was going to be the 'bad' guy in this and Christoper Lee the good guy. Normally those roles are always turned around. Besides that, Christopher Lee doesn't really get featured until the movie is already halve way through. His character after that also makes a redundant impression and the movie could had easily done without him. He's first billed but don't be fooled, he really isn't the main character in this. It also isn't Christopher Lee's finest acting moment. At times he's just downward horrible. His silly looking make-up and wig also doesn't help much to make his character a good one. Peter Cushing also gets make-up applied. In some sequences he looks so much different than he did in real life! It also takes a while for the movie to introduce its real main character, Paul Heitz.
The story flow also isn't the greatest. The movie gets stuck at times, when the mystery doesn't get explained and not enough is happening in the movie, even though the actual story itself is in its core quite a good one, that's filled with lots of potential, that doesn't really get ever exploited in this movie.
The movie obviously didn't cost a lot to made. Like I said before, the make-up effects aren't the greatest but more distracting are the obvious fake backgrounds and sets. Nevertheless, this has now of course become part of the charm of Hammer horror movies.
Greatly enjoyable to watch for the Hammer fans.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
If you ignore some of the silliness of the plot, it's pretty good viewing
planktonrules30 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is a Hammer film starring both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. However, unlike their Dracula or Frankenstein movies, this one has a very, very unconventional plot. Apparently, one of the Medusae is still alive and living in Germany just before WWI. Now considering that these three characters were from Classical Greek mythology, this is a tad far-fetched to say the least!! Plus, oddly, they got the name wrong of the lady who was cursed with this sort of "were-Medusa" curse. Megaera was actually not one of the three Medusae, but considering how weird the plot was this really didn't seem to matter!
The film concerns several bizarre deaths in a small town. The victims were found petrified and oddly the police and locals seemed to want to have no investigation! This made no sense and it never really was explained in the film. Nor, for that matter, was it explained why Peter Cushing went to such great lengths to preserve this menace and excuse all the deaths. Hmmm....it looked a lot like no one bothered to worry about plot holes!
Despite these serious plot problems, this is still an exciting film if you can just turn off that pesky brain and enjoy the film on a very superficial level. The film has some very exciting moments and despite how cheesy the cast apparently felt about the Medusa special effect, I thought it looked pretty good for 1964. Strange, but also compelling and worth a look for horror fans--and especially fans of Lee and Cushing.
The film concerns several bizarre deaths in a small town. The victims were found petrified and oddly the police and locals seemed to want to have no investigation! This made no sense and it never really was explained in the film. Nor, for that matter, was it explained why Peter Cushing went to such great lengths to preserve this menace and excuse all the deaths. Hmmm....it looked a lot like no one bothered to worry about plot holes!
Despite these serious plot problems, this is still an exciting film if you can just turn off that pesky brain and enjoy the film on a very superficial level. The film has some very exciting moments and despite how cheesy the cast apparently felt about the Medusa special effect, I thought it looked pretty good for 1964. Strange, but also compelling and worth a look for horror fans--and especially fans of Lee and Cushing.
The Mystery of the Gorgon
claudio_carvalho2 December 2018
In 1910, in Vandorf, a painter commits suicide when his pregnant lover is turned in stone. The local authorities hide the truth and the young man is accused of murderer. However his father decides to clear his name and finds that seven similar murders have been committed along the last five years in the village. His investigation ends when he finds that the responsible for the deaths is Magaera, who lives in an old castle in the woods. When his son Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) and Prof. Karl Meister (Christopher Lee) come to Vandorf to investigate the murder of Paul´s father and brother, the discover that the local Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing), his assistant Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelley), the inspector and the residents are hiding the mystery of the Gorgon.
"The Gorgon" is another great film by Hammer. Directed by their best director, Terence Fisher, and with the stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Barbara Shelley, "The Gorgon" has an engaging but predictable story, wonderful cinematography and good performances. The beauty and charm of Barbara Shelley is impressive. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Górgona" ("The Gorgon")
"The Gorgon" is another great film by Hammer. Directed by their best director, Terence Fisher, and with the stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Barbara Shelley, "The Gorgon" has an engaging but predictable story, wonderful cinematography and good performances. The beauty and charm of Barbara Shelley is impressive. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Górgona" ("The Gorgon")
A cinematic painting--a Gothic story in the genuine 19th century mode.
BrentCarleton18 May 2006
Those who tiresomely belabor the inadequacy of the snakes on the Gorgon's head at the film's conclusion entirely miss the point. It is not surprising in our cretinous era that some would lament the unavailability of computer generated special effects in 1964. That they persist in doing so, however, only serves to illustrate how very far these modernists are in both sensibility and aesthetic principles from the 19th century Gothic tradition that this film so faithfully seeks to reproduce. The point isn't the snakes but the psychological force behind the baleful facial expression!
In this connection, it is appropriate to observe that Terence Fisher was absolutely right in considering this one of his best films.
And make no mistake: this film is very much in the 19th century Gothic tradition in both story and atmosphere. In that sense, it may be compared to a story by Ludwig Tieck, while its visuals hearken back to the paintings of Jacob van Ruisdael.
Visually, it is among Hammer's most accomplished productions. Michael Reed's effective photographic renderings include: a nocturnal cemetery festooned with fluttering autumnal leaves, the viscerally chilly, fog and frost bitten ravine (you can almost watch your own breath smoke in merely watching it) where a hanged man is discovered, the vast shadowed Castle Borski depicted under a full moon with scudding clouds, to name but a few.
And Mr. Reed is ably abetted by production designer Bernard Robinson whose key piece in this film: the deserted inside of the self-same Castle Borski is a marvel of tattered armorial flags, dust laden furniture, and sinister mirrors. The musical score is also one of Hammer's best and most effectively understated.
But the film belongs to the incomparably lovely Barbara Shelley's "Carla Hoffman"--she of the sweeping pelisse seated on a gilded throne in the deserted castle. It is to be hoped that someday this accomplished beauty will receive all the retrospective attention surely due her. For now, suffice it to say, that few actresses in the history of cinema have constructed a portrayal so wholly and precariously based on an enigma, an enigma Miss Shelley consistently reveals in every gesture, expression and nuance, without allowing her character, "Carla" the possibility of even understanding it herself.
It isn't merely that her Carla is fatally charming and alluring, but decent and humanitarian as well, a victim, to be sure, but not at all in the degraded, naturalistic way that Jean Seberg's portrayal is in "Lilith" a film to which "The Gorgon" is frequently compared.
Much can always be found to admire in anything Miss Shelley does. For now let us just close with a passing note on her deportment, the absolute self control she exercises in her throaty, perfectly modulated voice and carriage. Would that actresses today would study her technique !!!!!!!!!!!
Watch her in her first confrontation scene with Peter Cushing in his parlor, where she accuses him of stonewalling during the inquest, just prior to the entrance of Paul's father--Professor Heinz. Merely observing her majestically exit the room after being introduced to the Professor is worth the whole price of admission!
In this connection, it is appropriate to observe that Terence Fisher was absolutely right in considering this one of his best films.
And make no mistake: this film is very much in the 19th century Gothic tradition in both story and atmosphere. In that sense, it may be compared to a story by Ludwig Tieck, while its visuals hearken back to the paintings of Jacob van Ruisdael.
Visually, it is among Hammer's most accomplished productions. Michael Reed's effective photographic renderings include: a nocturnal cemetery festooned with fluttering autumnal leaves, the viscerally chilly, fog and frost bitten ravine (you can almost watch your own breath smoke in merely watching it) where a hanged man is discovered, the vast shadowed Castle Borski depicted under a full moon with scudding clouds, to name but a few.
And Mr. Reed is ably abetted by production designer Bernard Robinson whose key piece in this film: the deserted inside of the self-same Castle Borski is a marvel of tattered armorial flags, dust laden furniture, and sinister mirrors. The musical score is also one of Hammer's best and most effectively understated.
But the film belongs to the incomparably lovely Barbara Shelley's "Carla Hoffman"--she of the sweeping pelisse seated on a gilded throne in the deserted castle. It is to be hoped that someday this accomplished beauty will receive all the retrospective attention surely due her. For now, suffice it to say, that few actresses in the history of cinema have constructed a portrayal so wholly and precariously based on an enigma, an enigma Miss Shelley consistently reveals in every gesture, expression and nuance, without allowing her character, "Carla" the possibility of even understanding it herself.
It isn't merely that her Carla is fatally charming and alluring, but decent and humanitarian as well, a victim, to be sure, but not at all in the degraded, naturalistic way that Jean Seberg's portrayal is in "Lilith" a film to which "The Gorgon" is frequently compared.
Much can always be found to admire in anything Miss Shelley does. For now let us just close with a passing note on her deportment, the absolute self control she exercises in her throaty, perfectly modulated voice and carriage. Would that actresses today would study her technique !!!!!!!!!!!
Watch her in her first confrontation scene with Peter Cushing in his parlor, where she accuses him of stonewalling during the inquest, just prior to the entrance of Paul's father--Professor Heinz. Merely observing her majestically exit the room after being introduced to the Professor is worth the whole price of admission!
Second-tier Hammer, but still engaging
Leofwine_draca6 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
THE GORGON is one of the second-tier Hammer Horror offerings made during the 1960s. It's not one of their classic films but fans of the studio will probably be pleased regardless by the heady Gothic atmosphere which pervades the whole production. It's also the last time that the studio's most famous stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing teamed up with arguably the studio's best director, Terence Fisher, who of course was responsible for their 1950s classics like THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. This one's again set in an unspecified European country, where mysterious deaths have been plaguing the local countryside leaving the victims literally petrified.
There's not much mystery served up in the story here, because what's going on is pretty obvious at the outset. In addition, the pacing is quite slow so there's some twiddling of the thumbs involved. However, watching a good cast going through the motions is always a pleasure, so you can overlook these shortcomings and the dodginess of the heavily dated special effects to boot. Cushing relishes his subdued, almost sad, part, Lee is always great fun as the hero for a change (possibly a warm up for THE DEVIL RIDES OUT), and others like Michael Goodliffe, Richard Pasco, and Patrick Troughton shine.
There's not much mystery served up in the story here, because what's going on is pretty obvious at the outset. In addition, the pacing is quite slow so there's some twiddling of the thumbs involved. However, watching a good cast going through the motions is always a pleasure, so you can overlook these shortcomings and the dodginess of the heavily dated special effects to boot. Cushing relishes his subdued, almost sad, part, Lee is always great fun as the hero for a change (possibly a warm up for THE DEVIL RIDES OUT), and others like Michael Goodliffe, Richard Pasco, and Patrick Troughton shine.
Hammer do Greek tragedy. In 20th Century Germany.
BA_Harrison28 February 2009
After the sudden deaths of both his father and brother, Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) travels to the rural village of Vandorf for some answers, but instead finds a community living in fear of something so terrible that the authorities prefer to hide the truth from the outside world. When Carla (Barbara Shelley), beautiful assistant to the mysterious and tight-lipped Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing), tells Paul of the local legend of Megaera the Gorgon, the snake-haired monster whose spirit is rumoured to haunt a nearby castle, he suspects that there might be some truth to the story and decides to investigate for himself...
The Gorgon, from Hammer director Terence Fisher, is inspired by the mythology of ancient Greece, and tells of a creature so hideous that to look at it can result in being turned to stone. It might seem fitting, therefore, that Fisher opts to tell his story with all the drama of a Greek tragedy, focusing on doomed romance, heroic suffering, and despair. However, with the emphasis on emotional interplay rather than solid scaresthe result of which is way too much talk instead of actionThe Gorgon ends up being an unexceptional affair despite some splendid cinematography, a couple of genuinely atmospheric scenes, and solid performances from its excellent cast (which also features Chistopher Lee as Paul's mentor, Professor Karl Meister, and Patrick Troughton wearing a very daft helmet).
In addition to the plodding (and rather predictable) script, The Gorgon is also guilty of muddling its mythology (Megaera was in fact the name of a Furie), and delivering one of Hammer's weakest monsters: the titular creaturefairly effective when partially hidden in the shadowsis hardly the stuff of nightmares when revealed in all of it's hideous glory thanks to the use of some particularly awful makeup and the laughable rubber snakes that move awkwardly on its head.
The Gorgon, from Hammer director Terence Fisher, is inspired by the mythology of ancient Greece, and tells of a creature so hideous that to look at it can result in being turned to stone. It might seem fitting, therefore, that Fisher opts to tell his story with all the drama of a Greek tragedy, focusing on doomed romance, heroic suffering, and despair. However, with the emphasis on emotional interplay rather than solid scaresthe result of which is way too much talk instead of actionThe Gorgon ends up being an unexceptional affair despite some splendid cinematography, a couple of genuinely atmospheric scenes, and solid performances from its excellent cast (which also features Chistopher Lee as Paul's mentor, Professor Karl Meister, and Patrick Troughton wearing a very daft helmet).
In addition to the plodding (and rather predictable) script, The Gorgon is also guilty of muddling its mythology (Megaera was in fact the name of a Furie), and delivering one of Hammer's weakest monsters: the titular creaturefairly effective when partially hidden in the shadowsis hardly the stuff of nightmares when revealed in all of it's hideous glory thanks to the use of some particularly awful makeup and the laughable rubber snakes that move awkwardly on its head.
Excellent Hammer Horror!
The_Void4 August 2007
I have to say that I'm really surprised that The Gorgon isn't one of the better known Hammer Horror films. Aside from the fact that it stars Hammer's two biggest actors - Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing - The Gorgon also features a fairly original cinematic monster, and it makes for a great fun watch! This film reminded me a lot of The Reptile in the way it plays out, in that it focuses on a mystery surrounding the central monster. It has to be said that, like a lot of Hammer Horror films, the plot is very simplistic; but that's hardly a problem as there's plenty to enjoy outside of the plot in this film. As the title suggests, the film focuses on a mysterious 'Gorgon', a woman with a head full of snakes that can turn people to stone just by looking at them. She's creating quite a problem for the local village, as citizens begin turning up dead - but unlike most dead people, they've turned to stone! The authorities try to cover it up, but as the murders continue, the son of one of the victims decides to investigate.
The film is very typical of Hammer in that it features a lush colour scheme and a lot of eerily Gothic settings. The Gorgon is directed by Hammer's most prolific director, Terence Fisher, and as usual - he does a solid job. The fact that this film stars both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is definitely to its advantage, although it is unfortunate (as is the case with many of their joint ventures) that they don't get to spend a lot of screen time together. Neither one is at their very best; but even Lee and Cushing on autopilot makes for great viewing, and neither one disappoints. It has to be said that the special effects are a bit shoddy and the monster doesn't look particularly scary; but stuff like that is part of the charm of Hammer Horror, and personally - I wouldn't have it any other way! It all boils down to a pretty standard conclusion, but while nothing about this film stands out too much next the rest of Hammer's output - it still stands up as a more than decent little horror film and I'm certain that my fellow Hammer fanatics wont be disappointed with it!
The film is very typical of Hammer in that it features a lush colour scheme and a lot of eerily Gothic settings. The Gorgon is directed by Hammer's most prolific director, Terence Fisher, and as usual - he does a solid job. The fact that this film stars both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is definitely to its advantage, although it is unfortunate (as is the case with many of their joint ventures) that they don't get to spend a lot of screen time together. Neither one is at their very best; but even Lee and Cushing on autopilot makes for great viewing, and neither one disappoints. It has to be said that the special effects are a bit shoddy and the monster doesn't look particularly scary; but stuff like that is part of the charm of Hammer Horror, and personally - I wouldn't have it any other way! It all boils down to a pretty standard conclusion, but while nothing about this film stands out too much next the rest of Hammer's output - it still stands up as a more than decent little horror film and I'm certain that my fellow Hammer fanatics wont be disappointed with it!
Has anyone mentioned that wallpaper?
ags1234 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I probably missed a bit of dialogue and story development whenever the scene took place in Peter Cushing's home. I could concentrate on nothing but that wallpaper! Hammer sets are always designed to maximize the atmosphere, but this one took the cake! What was that about? Actually, it's one of many interesting things about this film. The basic premise (whether it's a true legend is irrelevant) makes for an unusual plot. I liked the downbeat resolution, which I felt was rather unexpected. The acting, though stilted and overwrought, is fine for this type of Gothic melodrama. Nice to see Peter Cushing as a villain for a change. He proves to be quite a versatile actor. Special effects are awfully primitive and cheesy, but they're easily overlooked - this is Hammer after all. Running time is mercifully brief. While it's no masterpiece of horror, "The Gorgon" is engaging entertainment.
OK but nothing special, not one of Hammer's best.
poolandrews29 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The Gorgon is set in the small European village of Vandorf during the early part of the 20th Century where there the local population are nervous because of 7 unsolved murders in 5 years, one such unexplained killing is that of Sascha Cass (Toni Gilpin) who was found turned to stone! Her boyfriend Bruno Heitz (Jeremy Longhurst) was also found dead, hanging from a noose tied to a tree. The local authorities conclude Bruno was responsible for the murders & in a fit of guilt committed suicide, case closed right? Well, no not really because Bruno's father Jules (Michael Goodlife) sets out to clear his son's name. Unfortunately he ends up turned to stone as well so it's up to Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) to find the truth behind his father's & brother's deaths & the local villagers don't seem to want to co-operate...
This British production was directed by Terrence Fisher & I didn't think The Gorgon was one of Hammer's best by any stretch of the imagination. The script by John Gilling takes it central idea from Greek mythology & plays around with it a bit to accommodate Hammer's particular forte, the Victorian set Gothic style horror mystery. I personally found the story a bit silly, even sillier than the average Hammer offering & it is one of the most predictable 'mysteries' I've seen as the identity of the Gorgon is utterly obvious. At only 80 odd minutes it moves along at a fair pace, I wouldn't say it's boring but at the same time I can't say that I really got into it, the story just didn't engage me or draw me in with forgettable character's, dull dialogue & the baffling decision not to have stars Cushing or Lee meet until the final 10 minutes & only then very briefly.
Director Fisher does alright & despite some obviously studio bound European exterior locations it looks nice enough with a strong colour scheme, forget about any style though as this is pretty much point & shoot stuff. I wouldn't call The Gorgon scary either, there's a reasonable atmosphere but not as strong as other notable Hammer productions of the period like The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). The Gorgon creature itself looks terrible with awful face paint & a poor fitting wig with rubber snakes, as Christopher Lee once supposedly said 'the only thing wrong with 'The Gorgon' is the gorgon!' & I'm struggling to disagree.
Technically the film is OK, it's well made but some of those sets really do look incredibly fake, as usual for Hammer at the time it was shot at Bray Studios in Berkshire in England which is probably why it never convinced me for a second that the film was set in Europe. The acting is OK but as already mentioned Cushing & Lee only meet at the very end & Lee is only seen once during the first 50 minutes which just seems like a waste to me. Soon to be the second Doctor in Doctor Who (1963 - 1989) Patrick Troughton turns up as a copper with a silly helmet.
The Gorgon is an OK time waster, the Gorgon itself is barely in it & when it is it looks terrible, Cushing & Lee are somewhat wasted & overall I just didn't think it was anything special & it's as simple & straight forward as that.
This British production was directed by Terrence Fisher & I didn't think The Gorgon was one of Hammer's best by any stretch of the imagination. The script by John Gilling takes it central idea from Greek mythology & plays around with it a bit to accommodate Hammer's particular forte, the Victorian set Gothic style horror mystery. I personally found the story a bit silly, even sillier than the average Hammer offering & it is one of the most predictable 'mysteries' I've seen as the identity of the Gorgon is utterly obvious. At only 80 odd minutes it moves along at a fair pace, I wouldn't say it's boring but at the same time I can't say that I really got into it, the story just didn't engage me or draw me in with forgettable character's, dull dialogue & the baffling decision not to have stars Cushing or Lee meet until the final 10 minutes & only then very briefly.
Director Fisher does alright & despite some obviously studio bound European exterior locations it looks nice enough with a strong colour scheme, forget about any style though as this is pretty much point & shoot stuff. I wouldn't call The Gorgon scary either, there's a reasonable atmosphere but not as strong as other notable Hammer productions of the period like The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). The Gorgon creature itself looks terrible with awful face paint & a poor fitting wig with rubber snakes, as Christopher Lee once supposedly said 'the only thing wrong with 'The Gorgon' is the gorgon!' & I'm struggling to disagree.
Technically the film is OK, it's well made but some of those sets really do look incredibly fake, as usual for Hammer at the time it was shot at Bray Studios in Berkshire in England which is probably why it never convinced me for a second that the film was set in Europe. The acting is OK but as already mentioned Cushing & Lee only meet at the very end & Lee is only seen once during the first 50 minutes which just seems like a waste to me. Soon to be the second Doctor in Doctor Who (1963 - 1989) Patrick Troughton turns up as a copper with a silly helmet.
The Gorgon is an OK time waster, the Gorgon itself is barely in it & when it is it looks terrible, Cushing & Lee are somewhat wasted & overall I just didn't think it was anything special & it's as simple & straight forward as that.
Enjoyable Hammer Fare
BaronBl00d16 October 1999
One of the mythological gorgons(Megeara) is haunting a small village, and everyone in the village literally turns their faces away from the sporadic murders that occur when the moon is full. All this is discovered when a father of a dead man tries to protect his son's reputation, and is greeted with silence and hatred from the villagers. In his quest to find the truth...he does...the stone-cold truth. This is a fine Hammer film, not overly scary, but incredibly atmospheric with its swirling mists, huge cavernous palatial sets, and wonderful direction and casting. Terence Fisher does a first-rate job showing us the conspiracy going on in this village. Peter Cushing is the town's primary culprit of hiding the truth and gives his customary good performance. The film, however, belongs to Lee, who play an eccentric, gruff scholar helping the other son of the newly killed father. Lee is absurd yet brilliant in his caricature. A fine addition to the Hammer cycle.
Good Hammer horror.
Hey_Sweden17 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the more under-rated and compelling films among Hammer offerings: solid and enjoyable genre storytelling done in the typically colourful, atmospheric Hammer style. Of course, any film of this sort that stars both Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing is automatically worthy of some interest. It's also fun to see any film featuring the Gorgon character from Greek mythology. As directed by Hammer stalwart Terence Fisher, this doesn't really work as a mystery but all of the expected trappings do make this easy enough to watch. Perhaps the greatest asset to the tale is the overwhelming sense of tragedy to all of it.
The setting is the European village of Vandorf in the early 20th century. The Gorgon Megaera has supposedly taken up residence in a nearby castle, and people periodically turn up dead, turned to stone as we are told was the fate of any person who looked a Gorgon in the face. Headstrong Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) learns of the bad ends that befell his brother and father, and determines to solve the mystery; he is eventually joined by his colleague Professor Karl Meister (Lee). They believe that the cagey Dr. Namaroff (Cushing) holds the key to all of it.
It's a treat to see the usually heroic Cushing play a much more dubious character than usual, and to see the often villainous Sir Christopher in a good guy part. They don't share any screen time until 71 minutes into the film, but the resulting scene is riveting as they square off. The other performances are all excellent: Pasco as Paul, who falls in love with Carla (Barbara Shelly), the gorgeous assistant to Namaroff, Michael Goodliffe as Pauls' father, Patrick Troughton as the officious Inspector Kanof, and Jack Watson as thuggish orderly Ratoff. Prudence Hyman dons the makeup as the monstrous form of the Gorgon, whose visage may come as a disappointment to some viewers.
Technically well made overall, with a great score by frequent Hammer composer James Bernard, "The Gorgon" does have protagonists worth rooting for, and a fairly formidable monster.
Seven out of 10.
The setting is the European village of Vandorf in the early 20th century. The Gorgon Megaera has supposedly taken up residence in a nearby castle, and people periodically turn up dead, turned to stone as we are told was the fate of any person who looked a Gorgon in the face. Headstrong Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) learns of the bad ends that befell his brother and father, and determines to solve the mystery; he is eventually joined by his colleague Professor Karl Meister (Lee). They believe that the cagey Dr. Namaroff (Cushing) holds the key to all of it.
It's a treat to see the usually heroic Cushing play a much more dubious character than usual, and to see the often villainous Sir Christopher in a good guy part. They don't share any screen time until 71 minutes into the film, but the resulting scene is riveting as they square off. The other performances are all excellent: Pasco as Paul, who falls in love with Carla (Barbara Shelly), the gorgeous assistant to Namaroff, Michael Goodliffe as Pauls' father, Patrick Troughton as the officious Inspector Kanof, and Jack Watson as thuggish orderly Ratoff. Prudence Hyman dons the makeup as the monstrous form of the Gorgon, whose visage may come as a disappointment to some viewers.
Technically well made overall, with a great score by frequent Hammer composer James Bernard, "The Gorgon" does have protagonists worth rooting for, and a fairly formidable monster.
Seven out of 10.
Gripping, atmospheric and ideal for Halloween watching...
Doylenf30 October 2008
Hammer gives some rich production values to THE GORGON, a horror film starring PETER CUSHING as a doctor with some mysterious secrets and CHRISTOPHER LEE as an inquisitive professor who wants to solve the riddle--namely, whatever is causing the strange deaths of several unfortunate victims who turn to stone under the evil gaze of "the gorgon." BARBARA SHELLEY commands interest immediately as a mysterious woman who knows somewhat more than she should about the legendary myth involving Maguera. The story is somewhat simplistic but holds a certain power because of the atmospheric sets and the high quality of the acting by an all British cast.
I've been critical of some of the Hammer films because they use garish color to get their effects (as in THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES which was done at an earlier time by Fox in glorious B&W with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, superior in every way to the Hammer version). But THE GORGON has been photographed with an eye for atmospheric details that give the proper Gothic feel to the story.
The ending is somewhat disappointing in that The Gorgon is not quite as sinister and real as it should be (especially with regard to the snake headdress), but it's good to see Christopher Lee playing a good man for a change.
Well worth viewing.
I've been critical of some of the Hammer films because they use garish color to get their effects (as in THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES which was done at an earlier time by Fox in glorious B&W with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, superior in every way to the Hammer version). But THE GORGON has been photographed with an eye for atmospheric details that give the proper Gothic feel to the story.
The ending is somewhat disappointing in that The Gorgon is not quite as sinister and real as it should be (especially with regard to the snake headdress), but it's good to see Christopher Lee playing a good man for a change.
Well worth viewing.
One of Terence Fisher's most undervalued films.
hitchcockthelegend13 April 2010
"Overshadowing the village of Vandorf stands the Castle Borski. From the turn of the century a monster from an ancient age of history came to live here. No living thing survived and the spectre of death hovered in waiting for her next victim."
Directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions, The Gorgon stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley and Richard Pasco. Photography is by Michael Reed, the design courtesy of Bernard Robinson and the unique score is by James Bernard {he blended Soprano with a Novachord). Very much a bit off kilter in terms of classical Hammer Horror, The Gorgon sees Hammer turn to Greek Mythology for its latest instalment.
The key issue here is that The Gorgon should be viewed more as a doomed love story featuring a legendary horror character. To call this a horror film is just wrong, and marketing it a such has done the film few favours over the years. Fisher always thought of The Gorgon as one of his best film's, and he was right to do so for it's a hauntingly beautiful piece of work, that is also one of Hammer's most visually accomplished efforts. Yes the effects of the Gorgon herself come the finale are low budgeted naffness, to which if it had been possible to never show close ups of her the film would have been greater. More so because all the prior long distance shots of her have gained maximum chill factor. A floaty green demon accompanied by eerie music, effectively shot in dreamy Technicolor by Michael Reed. But cest la vie, the story is such we have to have these close ups, so lets just embrace this minor itch for existing in a time before CGI and applaud its adherence to the Gothic tradition that the film faithfully captures.
Tho featuring the big Hammer Horror hitters Cushing & Lee, it's Barbara Shelley who really takes the honours. Her Carla Hoffman is the axis of the movie, an emotionally conflicted character, beautiful yet sorrowful, she gets an in-depth makeover from Shelley. Further lifting the film above the average jibes bestowed on it by cruel and unfair critics. Patrick Troughton also lends some good support as Inspector Kanof, wonderfully attired in Rosemary Burrows' Gothic European costumes. There's no bad performances in truth, all the cast are delivering good work to do justice to the material. There is no, if you pardon the pun, ham in this Hammer Horror.
A wonderfully told story is given a smart technical work over within the budget restrictions. Forget any hopes of a blood laden movie, for this is not the one. But if you yearn for Gothic atmosphere or prefer a hauntingly told tale, then this is for you. 7/10
Directed by Terence Fisher for Hammer Film Productions, The Gorgon stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley and Richard Pasco. Photography is by Michael Reed, the design courtesy of Bernard Robinson and the unique score is by James Bernard {he blended Soprano with a Novachord). Very much a bit off kilter in terms of classical Hammer Horror, The Gorgon sees Hammer turn to Greek Mythology for its latest instalment.
The key issue here is that The Gorgon should be viewed more as a doomed love story featuring a legendary horror character. To call this a horror film is just wrong, and marketing it a such has done the film few favours over the years. Fisher always thought of The Gorgon as one of his best film's, and he was right to do so for it's a hauntingly beautiful piece of work, that is also one of Hammer's most visually accomplished efforts. Yes the effects of the Gorgon herself come the finale are low budgeted naffness, to which if it had been possible to never show close ups of her the film would have been greater. More so because all the prior long distance shots of her have gained maximum chill factor. A floaty green demon accompanied by eerie music, effectively shot in dreamy Technicolor by Michael Reed. But cest la vie, the story is such we have to have these close ups, so lets just embrace this minor itch for existing in a time before CGI and applaud its adherence to the Gothic tradition that the film faithfully captures.
Tho featuring the big Hammer Horror hitters Cushing & Lee, it's Barbara Shelley who really takes the honours. Her Carla Hoffman is the axis of the movie, an emotionally conflicted character, beautiful yet sorrowful, she gets an in-depth makeover from Shelley. Further lifting the film above the average jibes bestowed on it by cruel and unfair critics. Patrick Troughton also lends some good support as Inspector Kanof, wonderfully attired in Rosemary Burrows' Gothic European costumes. There's no bad performances in truth, all the cast are delivering good work to do justice to the material. There is no, if you pardon the pun, ham in this Hammer Horror.
A wonderfully told story is given a smart technical work over within the budget restrictions. Forget any hopes of a blood laden movie, for this is not the one. But if you yearn for Gothic atmosphere or prefer a hauntingly told tale, then this is for you. 7/10
You've been ... Gorgonized!
Coventry1 September 2007
Ah women
They mess with your head, break your heart or as it is the case in "The Gorgon" turn you to stone! This is one of the only classic movies I've seen featuring a female monster (apart from "Ariel, The Little Mermaid") and that alone is enough reason to check it out. Other damn good reasons to watch "The Gorgon" include: the production company (Hammer), the director (Terence Fisher) and the fact that it's another film pairing two of the most legendary genre icons that ever lived: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Granted, they share very few scenes together and actually Christopher Lee only appears late in the film, but still their mutual presence adds a whole lot of charm to an already intelligent and atmospheric Gothic chiller. In the small & isolated place of Vandorf, people are regularly murdered during the nights when there's a full moon. They're not sucked dry by vampires or shredded to pieces by werewolves, no
they're gorgonized! Literally turned to stone, as a result of looking straight into the eyes of Magdar; one of three ancient gorgon-creatures with serpents in her hair and suffering from a severely ghoulish personality. University professor Jules Heitz, as well as his son Paul, tries to investigate the peculiar murder cases, but they're obstructed the entire townsfolk and particularly the nervous local Dr. Namaroff (Cushing). Only when the arrogant and straightforward professor Karl Meister (Lee) arrives to help Paul with his investigation, progress is made. "The Gorgon" benefices from the original choice for a monster as well as from the brisk performances and direction. The set pieces and filming locations are visually striking and deeply impressive, most notably all the sequences that take place inside autumn gardens and nearby old castle ruins. My only complaints concern the lack of Grand Guignol, the rather tacky make-up job on Prudence Hyman and the abrupt & disappointing climax. The actual Gorgon creature doesn't look terrifying at all, which is quite a shame.
A world turning to stone
Forester-21 October 1999
The crucial clue to understanding the work of director Terence Fisher is to note that his directing hero was not one of the 'usual suspects' for a horror director, like Lang or Hitchcock, but Frank Borzage, the 30's director of tender, fragile romances like 'Moonrise' and 'A Farewell To Arms'. And as he grew more confident and independent in his work for Hammer films, Fisher's most personal work smuggled Borzagian romance past his producers in horror guise. Forget the usual critical cliche about his work: that it presents rigidly defined black-and-white battles between Good and Evil.This only applies to a handful of his pictures, usually from the earlier part of his Hammer career. In Fisher's mature work, the lines between good and evil are often more ambiguous than in many of the more modernist horrors that came after him (e.g.'The Exorcist' and 'Halloween'). And his most heartfelt work - 'Curse Of The Werewolf','Phantom Of The Opera','Frankenstein Created Woman'and the film discussed here, is a sequence of tragic love stories. Which brings us to 'The Gorgon', one of the most romantic but also the bleakest of these love stories. All the key characters in the film are driven by the most desperate love: the pregnant Sascha in the opening scenes, Professor Heitz mourning and defending a lost son, Carla and Paul in their foredoomed affair, Namaroff oppressing Carla and torturing himself with the love she can never reciprocate, Ratoff(who might at first seem a token thug)worshipping Carla as devoutly as is master does, even Christopher Lee's celibate Meister has a father's anxious protectiveness towards Paul. But in the bleak world which cameraman Michael Reed depicts throughout in grim blues and greys, there is no reward for such devotion but the stony isolation of death. The film, however, is tragic rather than merely nihilistic, for the characters are haunted throughout by the thought that their love might somehow win them a place in some better world somewhere else. This makes Carla's parting from Paul in the castle scene all the more poignant: haven't we all known a moment such as she knows then, when we face the fact that the door to salvation was open to us as recently as a couple of minutes ago, but we looked away at the wrong moment and the breeze blew it shut? That's why this, like all Fisher's best films, is such a treasurable work. It's not about shock effects, but about the beauty and sadness of being alive. It stands as the bleakest of all Gorgon myths, bleaker by far than the Greek originals, for it portrays a whole world whose fate is to turn to stone.
Medusa's sister is loose in post-Victorian Germany!
Wuchakk31 October 2019
The spirit of one of the three Gorgon sisters from Greek mythology is terrorizing a German village in the early 1900s. A doctor (Peter Cushing) seems to be in denial about the supernatural element of the mounting deaths in the last seven years, but a professor from out of town has no qualms about finding the truth (Christopher Lee). Barbara Shelley plays the doctor's assistant while Richard Pasco is on hand as a subordinate to the professor.
"The Gorgon" (1965) is cut from the same gothic horror cloth as other Hammer flicks of the era, like "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" (1966), "Frankenstein Created Woman" (1967) and "Frankenstein Must be Destroyed" (1969), as well as similar non-Hammer movies, like Corman & Coppola's "The Terror" (1963) and "The Creeping Flesh" (1973). If you like these kinds of films, you'll appreciate "The Gorgon," although it's the least of these IMHO, albeit not far off.
The pace is slow as suspense mounts with various revelations. The romantic element lends human interest and it's nice to see Cushing and Lee sorta trade typical roles. As usual with Hammer and similar flicks from the era, the colorful spooky ambiance is a top attraction. And noble redhead Barbara Shelley doesn't hurt.
The movie runs 1 hour, 23 minutes, and was shot at Bray Studios in England.
GRADE: B
"The Gorgon" (1965) is cut from the same gothic horror cloth as other Hammer flicks of the era, like "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" (1966), "Frankenstein Created Woman" (1967) and "Frankenstein Must be Destroyed" (1969), as well as similar non-Hammer movies, like Corman & Coppola's "The Terror" (1963) and "The Creeping Flesh" (1973). If you like these kinds of films, you'll appreciate "The Gorgon," although it's the least of these IMHO, albeit not far off.
The pace is slow as suspense mounts with various revelations. The romantic element lends human interest and it's nice to see Cushing and Lee sorta trade typical roles. As usual with Hammer and similar flicks from the era, the colorful spooky ambiance is a top attraction. And noble redhead Barbara Shelley doesn't hurt.
The movie runs 1 hour, 23 minutes, and was shot at Bray Studios in England.
GRADE: B
Enjoyable Hammer Horror Of Mythical Greek Monster Stalking Remote Village
ShootingShark14 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
When both his brother and his father die mysteriously in the remote village of Vandorf, Paul Heitz is determined to find out what fate befell them. But there is a conspiracy of silence and his only friend is the beautiful Carla, who may also be keeping secrets ...
This is quite a nice idea; Megaera, a Gorgon, pops up in 1910 in Germany and gets up to the old turning-people-to-stone shenanigans. Combine that with an amnesia patient case and the reliable we-don't-like-strangers-in-our-village rustic schtick and you have a neat little horror mystery. As often in Hammer films the best aspects are the trappings (great sets by Bernard Robinson, which the camera drifts languidly around) and of course the cast. Shelley is an unusual Hammer femme fatale with her auburn hair and tall figure, but she's excellent in the pivotal role (check her out also in Village Of The Damned and Quatermass And The Pit). Troughton steals his scenes in the Pickelhaube-wearing prefect of police part, Cushing is wonderful as always, and this must be the only Hammer flick where Lee is the only one left alive at the end ! For mythology purists, Medusa did have two sisters (called Euryale and Stheno), but unlike her they were immortal and their gaze did not petrify people. Megaera is one of the Erinyes/Furies (the other two being Alecto and Tisiphone), deities who represent revenge and punishment of sin.
This is quite a nice idea; Megaera, a Gorgon, pops up in 1910 in Germany and gets up to the old turning-people-to-stone shenanigans. Combine that with an amnesia patient case and the reliable we-don't-like-strangers-in-our-village rustic schtick and you have a neat little horror mystery. As often in Hammer films the best aspects are the trappings (great sets by Bernard Robinson, which the camera drifts languidly around) and of course the cast. Shelley is an unusual Hammer femme fatale with her auburn hair and tall figure, but she's excellent in the pivotal role (check her out also in Village Of The Damned and Quatermass And The Pit). Troughton steals his scenes in the Pickelhaube-wearing prefect of police part, Cushing is wonderful as always, and this must be the only Hammer flick where Lee is the only one left alive at the end ! For mythology purists, Medusa did have two sisters (called Euryale and Stheno), but unlike her they were immortal and their gaze did not petrify people. Megaera is one of the Erinyes/Furies (the other two being Alecto and Tisiphone), deities who represent revenge and punishment of sin.
The Gorgon (1964)
RevRay18 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is in my opinion, one of the classic 'Hammer' films. Almost the entire film takes place at night on full moons, which gives the film an added frisson of suspense.
In 1905, somewhere in Europe Megara (one of the three gorgons from Greek mythology) is terrorising a village by picking off the locals on the night of the full moon and turning them to stone. Peter Cushing plays the local Doctor, who covers up these supernatural deaths by issuing false death certificates. The Chief of Police (Patrick Troughton) motivated by fear is also covering up the truth. After two of his friends are petrified Christopher Lee turns up to investigate, and its finally by his hand(in the manner of Perseus)that Megara is beheaded.
For anyone who's a fan of 'Hammer' films or who likes a well made horror film without the buckets of blood that modern horror films are drenched in, this one's for you!
In 1905, somewhere in Europe Megara (one of the three gorgons from Greek mythology) is terrorising a village by picking off the locals on the night of the full moon and turning them to stone. Peter Cushing plays the local Doctor, who covers up these supernatural deaths by issuing false death certificates. The Chief of Police (Patrick Troughton) motivated by fear is also covering up the truth. After two of his friends are petrified Christopher Lee turns up to investigate, and its finally by his hand(in the manner of Perseus)that Megara is beheaded.
For anyone who's a fan of 'Hammer' films or who likes a well made horror film without the buckets of blood that modern horror films are drenched in, this one's for you!
A horror movie that delivers more than Goth scenery
mtsahakis12 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Do not expect to get any short of chiller from this one. More than 40 years old, this outdated movie is worth seeing for its superb British cast, the mystical, foggy atmosphere and its unusual choice of evil figure: Megera, a creature from Greek mythology. The story has its holes (how did Megera reached Britain's countryside is beyond me) but the duration is considerably tight (less than 90 minutes) and the characters are well outlined. Another thing I liked is the use of so many scientists, given that almost every character in this movie is some sort of doctor! But when science fails comes the Gorgon to bring mayhem in her past
and trust me she does. I have not decided whether the main point in this movie is how we sometimes try to keep a secret at all costs or how we ultimately fail to rationalize the environment that surrounds us. On any event, close up the lights, grap some popcorn and give this movie a try...
Plainly watchable
bsinc19 November 2004
I have developed a liking towards old horror movies and it was fun to see this one at a Horror film festival in Spain. I enjoyed the movie for being old and actually something refreshing to watch but at the same time also to appreciate the development movies in general have gone through. I have to admit I found the acting to be quite weak and unconvincing, except from the father who gets murdered at the beginning of the movie. Now there was an impressive actor. The role of the professor from Germany is quite hilarious and Magaera's costume is very poorly done but somehow the movie appealed to me.
Recommend - to old movie lovers with some patience.6/10
Recommend - to old movie lovers with some patience.6/10
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