William Wyler supposedly turned down The Sound of Music in order to direct this creepy little thriller. Probably not a great career decision, though one can see why he might have been attracted to this small-scale, two-person story about a demented man who kidnaps the woman he desires, in a misguided attempt at making her fall for him.
I’m far from an expert on Wyler’s films, but from what I’ve seen, The Collector has more in common stylistically with The Children’s Hour (1961) and the claustrophobic Desperate Hours (1955) than his higher-budgeted films like Ben-Hur (1959) and The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946). The basic plot alone might remind one of horror films which came later (Misery [1990], Captivity [2007]), and so for that reason, the story may seem too familiar. But the performances and Wyler’s masterful atmosphere draw the viewer in, and while the film goes on perhaps ten, fifteen minutes too long, the tension is solid, and builds, from the beginning to the end.
I also found myself quite surprised by the ending—one which, if the film had been made a few years earlier—wouldn’t have been allowed, I’m sure. While not strictly a horror film, The Collector has its share of creepy moments, along with a perfectly bizarre villain played by Terence Stamp.
As with films studying similar themes, the dynamic between captor and prisoner is strange and unsettling—but documented in real-life cases. This movie is worth checking out; the suspense slowly builds to an expected, satisfying conclusion.
I’m far from an expert on Wyler’s films, but from what I’ve seen, The Collector has more in common stylistically with The Children’s Hour (1961) and the claustrophobic Desperate Hours (1955) than his higher-budgeted films like Ben-Hur (1959) and The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946). The basic plot alone might remind one of horror films which came later (Misery [1990], Captivity [2007]), and so for that reason, the story may seem too familiar. But the performances and Wyler’s masterful atmosphere draw the viewer in, and while the film goes on perhaps ten, fifteen minutes too long, the tension is solid, and builds, from the beginning to the end.
I also found myself quite surprised by the ending—one which, if the film had been made a few years earlier—wouldn’t have been allowed, I’m sure. While not strictly a horror film, The Collector has its share of creepy moments, along with a perfectly bizarre villain played by Terence Stamp.
As with films studying similar themes, the dynamic between captor and prisoner is strange and unsettling—but documented in real-life cases. This movie is worth checking out; the suspense slowly builds to an expected, satisfying conclusion.
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There has been a really fine sampling of keen (and overlooked) horror/speculative/suspense films over the last few weeks on the blog here.
ReplyDeleteMy queue with Blockbuster online has a fat little knot of creepy stuff coming in a week or so. Thanks!
Keep them coming (and take a look at Oldboy if you haven't yet--very good)!
Daniel--thank you for the feedback!
ReplyDelete"Oldboy" is a good one. I know there was talk about an American remake (but then, what HASN'T been discussed for potentially remaking in the last few years).