Der unheimliche Besucher (1971)
6KDer unheimliche Besucher: Directed by Laslo Benedek. With Max von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Liv Ullmann, Per Oscarsson. In a Scandinavian insane asylum, murderer Salem sneaks out at night to exact his revenge on those who he deems responsible for his predicament.
“This film opens up with Max von Sydow running across snowy fields in his underpants. Good lord, we wonder, whatu0026#39;s he doing out there? Isnu0026#39;t he freezing? Soon he cleverly figures out a way to get into a house via an upstairs window, and it becomes apparent that he knows the three people who are engaged in a disagreement in the kitchen below. Weu0026#39;re not sure what heu0026#39;s up to, and as itu0026#39;s best you donu0026#39;t know a lot about the plot before watching this one, I wonu0026#39;t say more. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story is taut and well-told by director László Benedek, who wisely avoids extraneous detail, and there are moments of real tension. Itu0026#39;s dark, but Benedek exercises restraint, which I liked, but which may turn off viewers seeking more explicit thrills. Trevor Howard, who you may recognize from Brief Encounter (1945) and The Third Man (1949), is strong as a detective, and the rest of the cast are all good as well. I liked the way we eventually see how von Sydow is able to do what he does, though youu0026#39;ll have to suspend disbelief a bit. Clever ending too.”
