Review of The Shout (1978) by Stella D — 25 Jan 2010

Capturing a flavor of the decade prior (the 60's) this film is almost real to the point of surrealism, with a quirky story line brilliantly told through the eyes of a certifiable lunatic.

Shout takes the unusual stance at starting from the ending, though we certainly don't know it at the time. From there we wander the grounds of a mental institution and witness a game of cricket between the "guests" and the staff.

Scoring the game is newcomer Tim Curry (looking so very young!) and Alan Bates (who gives a truly haunting and commanding performace). Bates begins to tell a tale of a man (a young John Hurt) who is a guest at the asylum who has "lost his wife". From here the story unfolds, involving a married couple (Hurt and Susannah York) who take in a charismatic vagabond (Bates) who claims that he spent 18 years in the Australian outback with the aboriginies; learning, amongst other things, a shout that is deadly to all who hear it.

He also apparantly learned some other magic from the Shaman, such as the ability to bind someone's heart by casting a spell over an item belonging to that person. What then ensues is like a drug infused dream where all appears normal, but then slightly out of step - just as the cricket game appears normal, but is fraying at the edges since it involves lunatics.

The performances here are very good throughout, but the direction could have used a bit of tightening. There are some transcendant moments but others that seem trivial and unbelievable (odd considering that the entire premiss is pretty darned unbelievable).

In the end you get an interesting period type piece (and by that I mean looking at the film in the time it was produced, not a Jayne Austin drawing room piece), that shows a director taking big chances and swinging for the fences, but too often missing the mark.

I will say that Bates was riveting and the commanding presence that his charactor was supposed to portray. I can see a remake with Ian McShane.