Mord nach Maß (1972)

Mord nach Maß: Directed by Sidney Gilliat. With Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, Britt Ekland, Per Oscarsson. A working-class young Englishman marries an affable American heiress, but their marital bliss is soon interrupted when they begin constructing a home on land alleged to be cursed.

“u0026quot;Endless Nightu0026quot; follows working-class freewheeling chauffeur Michael (Hywel Bennett) who falls in love with a billionaire heiress Ellie (Hayley Mills). The two marry, and build a large estate on property in the English countryside known as Gypsyu0026#39;s Acre, which is purported by locals to be cursed land. After Ellieu0026#39;s relative Greta (Britt Ekland) arrives to stay, a series of bizarre events unfold, including ominous encounters with an elderly gypsy woman who roams the property.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBased on the Agatha Christie novel, director Sidney Gilliat takes the meat of Christieu0026#39;s novel and puts unique twinges on it that are reminiscent of Hitchcock (Bernard Herrmannu0026#39;s spooky score understates this). The film is admittedly slow, especially in exposition, and there are few quote-unquote thrills to be had, but I found this film strangely compelling in spite of its odd pacing.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere is a consistent sense of unease that permeates nearly every scene, although itu0026#39;s difficult to put your finger on what is exactly the cause. The photography in the film is fantastic, capturing the rolling landscapes and the cloudy skies surrounding the manor; this is punctuated by subtle scares that come in the form of various figures lurking below on the hillsides or in the woods, almost like indistinct figures in a painting. The film is at times reminiscent of English Gothic in its aesthetics, even though the house itself is very much u0026quot;retro u0026#39;70su0026quot; in both style and furnishings. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSolid performances from Hywel Bennett and Hayley Mills really shine here, with Mills being especially memorable as a good natured girl who happens to be a billionaire (u0026quot;worldu0026#39;s sixth richest!u0026quot;). Britt Ekland is also great as the stalwart and fawning relative— her performance really comes full circle in the finale, which provides her the bulk of the roleu0026#39;s dynamics, and she handles it fabulously. The conclusion to the film is fairly routine by contemporary standards, although I can honestly say that I didnu0026#39;t see the plot twists coming, so props to Christie and the filmmakersu0026#39; handling of the material— I was definitely had by the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOverall, u0026quot;Endless Nightu0026quot; is an enjoyable and well-acted picture that seems to have been forgotten in time. It is too slow to qualify as a full-blooded thriller, but there are tinges of a British psychothriller here with some genuinely bizarre and eerie moments that stand out among effective cinematography and a disquieting score. In spite of the filmu0026#39;s lackluster pacing, it is unexpectedly transfixing, and manages to hold oneu0026#39;s attention until the head twisting finale. 7/10.”