I have to agree with other critics of this film because after finally getting the chance to see it, I have realised it does not deliver on any level. The story opens with a disturbed man named Martin being caught stealing a toy from a department store. Following a later argument with his parents, he leaves home and sets up a clever deception built around an attractive girl named Susan (who he encountered while stealing the toy), conning her into thinking he's retarded and moving into her family's small guest house, while at the same time conning his parents into thinking he has taken a trip to Paris. Martin's behaviour is for the most part indecipherable, but one thing's for sure, it's all going to end in tears.
The reason, I think, behind the film's failing, is it's pivotal explanation for why Martin is behaving abnormally, which is spurious in the extreme. Based around a medical condition, the film goes to great lengths to show learned doctors discussing just such a topic and how it might affect a sufferer. The trouble is that the script writers did not seem to know what "disturbed" traits to actually give the the character of Martin, so he simply acts erratically, inconsistently and ultimately homicidally just to make the plot exciting.
The feeble reasoning behind his behaviour really dates the film, and I can only assume there must have been some research being done at around the time the film was made (1968) that inspired such ideas.
At any rate, the film was not well received at the time because of it, and it only appears worse when viewed today. So too does some really appalling racism directed towards an Indian doctor in the film, which is highly embarrassing to watch. The acting on the whole is pretty good, although Hywel Bennett does not instill the character of Martin with any particular depth, and Hayley Mills looks very pretty as Susan and fulfils the role very well although she isn't given very much to do. Much more interesting is Billie Whitelaw as Susan's mother, who makes a real impact with her appearance.
Sadly the film itself can't claim to grab the attention. Despite a small sprinkling of blood and murder, things never get really tense or gripping. The overall impression is spoiled by the sheer datedness of the thing, but more importantly, it seems as though the whole thing was written around the expectation that the spectacular psychological revelations would carry it, but as they don't work, the film as a whole doesn't work either. As it stands, it's just another film about a disturbed man causing trouble, and it doesn't really do that very well.
The reason, I think, behind the film's failing, is it's pivotal explanation for why Martin is behaving abnormally, which is spurious in the extreme. Based around a medical condition, the film goes to great lengths to show learned doctors discussing just such a topic and how it might affect a sufferer. The trouble is that the script writers did not seem to know what "disturbed" traits to actually give the the character of Martin, so he simply acts erratically, inconsistently and ultimately homicidally just to make the plot exciting.
The feeble reasoning behind his behaviour really dates the film, and I can only assume there must have been some research being done at around the time the film was made (1968) that inspired such ideas.
At any rate, the film was not well received at the time because of it, and it only appears worse when viewed today. So too does some really appalling racism directed towards an Indian doctor in the film, which is highly embarrassing to watch. The acting on the whole is pretty good, although Hywel Bennett does not instill the character of Martin with any particular depth, and Hayley Mills looks very pretty as Susan and fulfils the role very well although she isn't given very much to do. Much more interesting is Billie Whitelaw as Susan's mother, who makes a real impact with her appearance.
Sadly the film itself can't claim to grab the attention. Despite a small sprinkling of blood and murder, things never get really tense or gripping. The overall impression is spoiled by the sheer datedness of the thing, but more importantly, it seems as though the whole thing was written around the expectation that the spectacular psychological revelations would carry it, but as they don't work, the film as a whole doesn't work either. As it stands, it's just another film about a disturbed man causing trouble, and it doesn't really do that very well.