Review of Seconds (1966) by Liam H — 25 Oct 2012

An absolutley rattling shocker directed by John Frankenheimer which deals with the ever-relatable topic of rebirth but in the manner of social science-fiction. Arthur Hamilton (played by John Randolph) is a man who's life he finds totally unfulfilling despite having a wife, a job and the money. He turns to a company who specialize in creating new lives for wealthy people who want to 'start again', so to speak. Hamilton is transformed via surgery into Tony Wilson (Rock Hudson) and what follows begins pleasantly enough but then the nightmare of irreversible damage and overwhelming paranoia ensues.

Released in 1966, Seconds still posesses an impact to affect audiences of nearly five decades down the line because of the simple but timeless motif it addresses - "What if we could be somebody else?" This film gives ways and means to such possibilities with frightening realism. The sense of paranoia and looming dread are punctuated by James Wong Howe's stylistically intimate photography which utilizes fish-eye lenses to somewhat stretch the visuals and heighten the surrealism. Also the opening credits created by Saul Bass set the uneven tone perfectly by displaying demented visuals of facial features to an almost hallucinogenic end result.

The second act of the film does in some measures appear to break the pacing, but considering the narrative of changing identities it is justified and still feels part of the whole. Even so, the final act in Seconds delivers more of the creeping terror and instability to keep one hooked right up until it's sledgehammer conclusion.

Seconds is a pitch black horror that will remain an eternal piece of cult cinema just as it will in the mind long after viewing.