Review of Peeping Tom (1960) by Rex F — 30 Dec 2018

A truly underrated work of art, Peeping Tom was panned and very much misinterpreted by just about every critic at the time of its release in the United Kingdom. I found this to be very similar to the equally classic Psycho, which actually only came out a couple months after this one. It's strange that two very similarly controversial films come out at around the same time, and one director (Alfred Hitchcock) is praised for his work, while the other (Michael Powell) is diminished and arguable had his career ruined. But now that violence has long since cemented itself into cinema, let's take another look at this movie, shall we? I can't quite explain my strange fascination for how the lead character Mark Lewis's mind works. In some scenes, he shows no remorse for his actions, but we know that can't be true as other.

Scenes most definitely hint at it. I think one of the main complaints that critics had about this film was.

Hated so much was because it followed and centered around an anti-hero. But thirty something years later, Pulp Fiction is being nominated for best picture, and that was full of anti-Heros. So now that we've been introduced to our disturbed camera-man, who else have we got? We have.

Helen Stephens, a woman who lives on the middle floor of Mark's house, as he cannot afford to have it all to himself. She attempts to befriend Mark, asking him questions about himself. He is not exactly the most talkative person, which is most likely the reason why she has taken interest in him.

I guess the reason she finds him so appealing is because of her curiosity. She knows it's not going to be easy to figure him out, which is why she attempts to take on the task, having no idea of the horrible crimes he has committed. Slowly but surely, she (as well as us) get to learn his backstory and what makes him the way he is. Elsewhere, police offers attempt to find the identity of the recent killer of a prostitute. This would be much easier today, but since this movie is in 1960, it's gonna take some time. With spot on acting, smart directon, intriguing visuals, and a melodic unique tone to go with it, Peeping Tom is a film that will never be seen by as many people as it deserves, but I am sure that most people who do stumble upon it will greatly appreciate it.