Symptoms Review from BFI!
I know I’m biased and might be thought of as patriotic, but I really think as many remember the ‘70s fondly, UK movies are underrated in the horror world, and criminally so! Hammer is King of that period, true, then Amicus, Tigon, etcetera, but what about the little quirky flicks that floated about in a time when England was spitting out a whole arsenal of the wild, weird and wacky? Like Hammers’ own, Straight on til Morning, Psychomania (see review of Psychomania here) Craze, and Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (see review of Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly here), Symptoms stands alone with a certain eerie feeling inside of it. Like an echoing empty house that’s been derelict for some time. Unlike those prior mentioned gems, this one relies on a very slow build up, little whispers in your ear as to how the plot will progress, and you’re left wondering exactly what’s going on.
Symptoms has the perfectly cast, Angela Pleasence, daughter of the late and legendary, Donald. I admit, other than the short story she shared with her Dad in the Amicus anthology, From Beyond the Grave, I hadn’t seen her in anything else. Her unique features coupled with the way she can speak silently just by a stare, timid but altogether threatening, makes her a force to be reckoned with and I’m surprised she didn’t really claim many starring roles in her life.
Opening to a man groping a woman by a lake, we have cut edits to a floating corpse in the said water as they fondle some more. Changing scene to Helen (Angela Pleasence) writing a letter alone in her country manor home, we hear her say that she dreamt they had returned. The creepy barebones tune which accompanies the beginning credits is a real treat to our ears.
Helen brings Anne, her writer friend, to stay. Curtains open, Grandfather clock wound up and alive again, they settle in. They discuss Switzerland where Helen has apparently been staying and working. When Anne enquires as to if she received her letter, she bristles slightly and says, “No.” Helen is a twitchy nervous girl, afraid to be left alone and stares constantly and with lust at her chum
At night, Helen struggles to sleep due to hearing voices up above in the attic. The next day, the local village pharmacist asks about, Cora. Helen states that Cora isn’t with her. Walking by the lake with Anne, Helen suddenly says, “Someone drowned themselves here once.” On the way back, they pass a middle-aged man chopping wood who glares at Helen, not lowering or moving his eyes. His name is Brady, he’s the odd job man who lives in the stables round back. As Helen snarls, he disgusts her.
Night after night, Helen still hears the voices. Some nights, Brady stares over at the house. One morning whilst Anne is in the village, Helen watches Brady through binoculars. It appears they both fear and hate one another equally over something that has happened.
As days go by, it becomes more apparent that Helen cannot be left alone for long, she goes into a meltdown. At one point she chances a kiss from a rather stunned Anne. Some nights, Anne is awoken hearing moans from Helen’s bedroom, and above in the attic. She asks Helen if anyone else is in the house, Helen denies this.
It becomes too much, Anne decides to sneak into the attic. This is where Symptoms scores a huge point, doing Bloch/Hitchcock’s Psycho and removing the heroine from the equation half way. For the rest of the running time, Anne is a corpse perched in a chair as Helen begins her downwards spiral into madness.
Proving herself to be a strong and lethal creature, she confronts Anne’s husband who comes looking for her, and Brady, whilst steps are heard in the attic and Cora appears. Is she part of Helen’s fevered mind? Or is she as real as the bodies piling up?
Symptoms has that dark broody damp British countryside look. Ideal for a little chiller. The acting is solid and really helps to build the tension throughout. Many scenes are done by expressions and long silences. Angela kept busy on TV and taking on smaller roles in films, so this is a lovely role to see her in. The same with Lorna Heilbron who brings the ill-fated Anne to life, richly portrayed but didn’t get many big roles.
However, acting heavyweight scene stealing goes to character actor, Peter (Time Bandits, Game of Thrones, Straw Dogs, Zulu Dawn) Vaughan as Brady. He simply oozes menace and a grubby knowing aura about everything that is going on around him. A severed thumbs up to director, Jose Ramon Larraz of the infamous, Daughters of Darkness/a.k.a. Vampyres, for bringing such quality performances out of everyone (though in an interview on the extras, Angela explains they had a few falling outs whilst making this movie).
What is exceptionally well done is the tempting little clues here and there, Helen finding dead flowers by the door which trigger emotions, her play on being vulnerable not wanting to be by herself, and of course Brady and his constant staring and passing by. It’s a shame the conclusion isn’t as explosive as you’d imagine since the racking up of nerves makes you expect a slam in your face finale. Symptoms leaves a lot of questions unanswered which feels a bit unfair for such an involving flick.
The lesbian theme isn’t used as an erotic exploitation angle. It is downplayed but visible, edgy, and atmospheric. The only issue has to be the ending, as I stated, I suppose we are left to pick up the pieces but it just feels wrong somehow.
BFI have to be the world leaders in finding and restoring old movies. Hell, they have a huge budget behind them so we expect no less. They also tend to lob a handful of tasty extras on near enough all of their releases. Symptoms has assorted interviews, plus a career retrospective on the director. All this and more. (Let’s not forget BFI are one of those labels that supply a DVD and a Blu-ray).
Symptoms is a low-key, shuddering film. It doesn’t need action and gore (there’s some of the ol’ crimson splashes here and there, mind you), just a small cast, a claustrophobic main setting, and some exterior beautiful countryside. Symptoms is like a classy ghost story, but without the supernatural elements.
AKA: The Blood Virgin, Sintomas, Lanet
Directed by: Jose Ramon Larraz
Written by: Jose Ramon Larraz, Stanley Miller, Thomas Owen |
Produced by: Jean Dupuis | Cinematography by: Trevor Wrenn |
Editing by: Brain Smedley-Aston | Music by: John Scott | Special Effects by: Bunty Phillips | Cast: Angela Pleasence, Peter Vaughan, Lorna Heilbron, Ronald O’ Neil, Marie-Paule Mailleux | Year: 1974 | Country: UK, Spain | Language: English | Color: Color | Runtime: 1h 32 min
Distributor: BFI
DVD SPECS:
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Region: PAL R0/ALL
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
– Interviews
– From Barcelona to Tunbridge Walls: The Films of Jose Larraz
– On Vampyres and other Symptoms
– Trailer
– Booklet