I first saw this film on Mystery! in the early nineties while in college. The downright creepy tone of the movie is set from the beginning and continues through the end. That's probably what made me like it so much. You meet Maud and know that she is sheltered and innocent. You sense something sinister between her father and his estranged brother. When the father dies and Maud moves in with Uncle Silas (played by Peter O'Toole) everything seems normal enough for a while. However between the crumbling house Silas lives in, his weird children, the pills and wine he depends on, and the disturbing way he plays the helpless invalid, you soon can feel that something really bad is going to happen. The slow way in which things go downhill for Maud draws you in. I particularly liked the way the director used windows in the film.
A strung out looking O'Toole was perfect for the part of Uncle Silas.
The only negative thing was that the scenes changed so abruptly in several instances that I felt like I was watching an edited version.
A strung out looking O'Toole was perfect for the part of Uncle Silas.
The only negative thing was that the scenes changed so abruptly in several instances that I felt like I was watching an edited version.