Review of Seance On A Wet Afternoon

Introduction

Why don`t we hear more about this incredible movie? It`s not often aired yet created a sensation on it`s release in 1964, with Kim Stanley gaining an Oscar nomination for her performance in one of the key roles. The trailer (included on this disc) suggests that it`s a movie "For you who enjoy unusual entertainment…". It`s certainly that - and a whole lot more. Adapted from a little known Australian novel by Bryan Forbes, who also directed, this is a dark and gripping film with a confident plot that tells you nothing until it unfolds.
It`s plot is relatively straightforward, but in common with Hitchcock, has twists and turns and red herrings that mean you can never quite second guess what is about to unfold. This makes for incredibly compelling viewing. The film features Kim Stanley playing the part of Myra Savage, a terribly well spoken middle-aged woman who, from the outset, shows tell-tale signs of mental illness. Her husband Bill is played superbly by Richard Attenborough - meek, weak and perplexed, still passionately in love with his wife he is compelled to comply with her every command. This repressed frustration and internal battle fuels his every move. We learn that his wife has suffered the loss of a child (Arthur) who she claims continues to talk to her - and she has the powers of a medium, regularly conducting séances to great effect in her family home.
For reasons that are never quite made clear, she feels compelled to execute an elaborate plan (suggested by `Arthur`) which involves abducting a young child and exhorting money from her parents. We understand that the money is not for personal use, but is for some other aspect of her elaborate and grand design. Against his better judgement, Bill does as he`s instructed, step by step, often objecting but inevitably conceding. When his wife finally informs him that `Arthur` would like the abducted girl to join him (and she must therefore be murdered) we see him battle with his inner conscious and you`re never sure which way the plot will turn next.
Of course the end of the movie has fresh twists and surprises which I won`t offer up here, and my plot synopsis is a gross simplification of a sophisticated and intricate movie. A very glamorous and youthful Nanette Newman (wife of Director Forbes) plays the part of the kidnapped child`s mother with great skill. (I can`t help wondering if a young Emma Forbes ever watched this movie and what effect it might have had.) Apparently Kim Stanley (who passed away just last year) was herself a difficult lady to work with and was committed on more than one occasion. Despite this brilliant portrayal she never went on to make another significant movie, whilst Attenborough, of course, has continued to keep himself pretty busy.

Video

Once again, hats off to Carlton. Having acquired great chunks of the Rank back catalogue they seem intent on giving most (not all) the attention they deserve in transfer. This is a clean print, nicely transferred, bringing out all that`s best in the high contrast monochrome. The movie itself was produced for a paltry £140,000 (which even in 1964 wasn`t much of a budget) and this really doesn`t show except in the exterior sequences which look positively documentary like. (In the trailer, Bryan Forbes explains these as a reflection of deliberate cinema verite technique, though this is inconsistent with the wonderfully and precisely choreographed camerawork at Pinewood, which sounds like analysis after the event!) The interview with Bryan Forbes is from a video source, and I suspect that it`s softness derives from originally American NTSC tapes.

Audio

Whilst the trailer audio is thin and scratchy, the reproduction on the film is of a fair quality. John Barry`s eerie score is used to great effect throughout creating a tension that sometimes feels unbearable. Music is used sparingly too - where it`s required. Occasionally it`s the very lack of music, or indeed any sound other than the ticking of a clock, or slow nervous breathing that creates the tension.

Features

There`s a trailer here which is fun and shows the positive reaction the film got from the popular press of the day, and there`s a lengthy interview with Bryan Forbes who talks with candour about the making of the movie. It`s a fascinating insight and reveals plenty about his on-going relationship with Richard Attenborough (Beaver Films) and about the process of pulling the movie together - from writing the screenplay, through to getting backing, casting and what drove particular directorial decisions.

Conclusion

If you`re looking for a completely absorbing, edge of the chair thriller that is a complete contrast to the standard big-budget Hollywood blockbuster then this film is for you. No special effects required here in this deeply claustrophobic psychological drama. (This is not a horror film in the usual sense of the genre). It`s a harrowing and thought provoking film, superbly cast, played and directed. Causing a sensation on it`s release, it`s kept a fairly low profile ever since and this superb DVD release heralds an opportunity for a major re-assessment. Both Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough, as a slightly off-kilter middle-class English couple, turn in the kind of performance that is rarely captured in film - all the more remarkable when you consider that Kim Stanley was an American from New Mexico! The R2 release is a wonderfully cleaned up print with a crisp soundtrack, and the extra features here, including an in-depth interview with Director Bryan Forbes, make it an essential purchase.