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U.K.
/ 1960
Directed by John Gilling
Starring
Peter Cushing
Donald Pleasence
Billie Whitelaw
B&W / 94 Min. (U.K. version) / Not Rated
Format: DVD (R1 - NTSC)
Image Entertainment
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Review
by
Brian Lindsey
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7
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6 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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The
chilling true story of notorious "Resurrectionists"
Burke and Hare has been told on film a number
of times, usually with the names of key historical
figures altered. 1960's The
Flesh and the Fiends, starring horror icon
Peter Cushing, is by far the best of these adaptations;
names and places have not been changed
to protect the innocent. An intelligent script,
rich production values (for a low budget feature)
and fine performances by the leads make this a
must-see for horror and "true crime"
aficionados alike.
Dr.
Knox (Cushing) is a brilliant surgeon and anatomist
who presides over a progressive medical academy
in 1820s Edinburgh, Scotland. Because of outdated,
theologically-based laws then in effect, cadavers
available for scientific research are strictly
limited to those of executed criminals, often
decomposed by the time they are received. Knox
chafes under this edict; he requires "fresh"
subjects for his lectures. A man obsessed, Knox
is totally dedicated to educating his students
in the most up-to-date surgical methods. His self-appointed
mission is to replace the quacks that proliferate
in the profession with cutting-edge physicians,
doctors who'll strive to advance the field of
medicine to benefit all humanity. But where —
how —
to procure fresh corpses?
Enter
the Resurrectionists, graverobbers who dig up
bodies to supply Dr. Knox and others with the
anatomy subjects they require. But the bodies
delivered are often less than ideal for the academy's
needs —
the Resurrectionists' claims of "freshness"
can't be taken for granted. Where there is a market,
however, some enterprising entrepreneur will emerge
to meet the demand. William Burke (George Rose)
and William Hare (Donald Pleasence), two seedy
ruffians from the lowest strata of Edinburgh society,
hit upon a lucrative scheme to provide Knox with
the freshest corpses possible:
Murder. They find their victims among the
lost, downtrodden souls that populate the shabby
gin joints, whorehouses and poverty stricken neighborhoods
that comprise their bleak world. Here missing
persons aren't missed, the police are seldom seen,
and death is commonplace. Dr. Knox, blinded by
his obsession, puts his ethical considerations
aside —
Burke and Hare's "product" is simply
too good to pass up. But the murderous duo ultimately
prove as careless as they are greedy for the coins
jingling in Knox's purse. In the end the law will
catch up with them, tainting the good doctor with
a scandal that would go down in history.
The
Flesh and the Fiends is marvelously acted,
with a literate, surprisingly witty script. Cushing
is fabulous as Knox, a character not unlike his
Baron Frankenstein, though nowhere near as ruthless
or cold-blooded. (Knox would never purposely murder
someone himself.) I loved the scene in
which the doctor, confronted by four of Edinburgh's
most prominent physicians over a highly critical
article he's published, haughtily rips them to
pieces in the the most scathing —
yet gentlemanly —
Oscar Wilde fashion. George Rose and Donald Pleasence
(Phenomena), as the
malleable, dimwitted Burke and scheming, insidious
Hare, attack their roles with gusto. A young Billie
Whitelaw (The
Omen) is quite fetching as the sexy
but shallow prostitute that ends up on the academy
dissection table, ultimately dooming one of Knox's
lovelorn students; the higher-billed June Laverick,
as Knox's niece, is a cypher in comparison.
While
focusing on the ethics of early medical research,
the film fails to address the evil inherent in
a conservative society that would permit such
abject poverty and misery to exist —
an aspect of the tale given prominence in Freddie
Francis' 1985 color version of the Burke and Hare
story, The
Doctor and the Devils
(which starred Timothy Dalton, in the Cushing
role, as "Dr. Rock"). It's also given
a moralistic, rather pat ending. Still, the production
values and superior cast lend authenticity to
this recounting of one of the darkest, most sensational
scandals in British history. (Note: The very thick
Scottish accents of some of the characters may
throw American viewers for a loop; be prepared
to hit the rewind button a time or two.)
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The
packaging trumpets this disc as a "Double Feature".
Technically it is, as both the U.K. and "Continental"
versions of the film are included. However, the
Continental version is exactly the same movie except
for the addition of roughly 1 minute of footage
featuring some topless barmaids in scenes at the
Merry Duke tavern and the bordello. (The "Bare
Flesh" icon above refers to these scenes.)
While picture quality of both versions is comparable,
the U.K. version has superior audio. I think it
was unnecessary to include the Continental version
in its entirety; since it's the only difference
between the two cuts, the extra minute of bawdiness
could have easily (and more logically) been included
as an Bonus Feature. I'm not complaining, mind you...
Considering its superior sound quality, however,
I much prefer the U.K. edit. (I have nothing against
breasts —
honest!) Viewing
either version on a larger-size TV or PC monitor
is recommended. The film was shot in widescreen
("Dylascope") and director Gilling typically
uses as much of the canvas as possible, with minimal
close-ups used.
Part
of Image's ongoing Euro-Shock Collection,
the DVD also features an American theatrical trailer
for the film (under the title The
Fiendish Ghouls), an alternate title
sequence (using the title Mania),
onscreen bios of Cushing, Pleasence, and director
Gilling, a photo and poster gallery, and two pages
of informative liner notes. 8/30/01 |
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