Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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One of the most mysterious art-horror films ever made, Malpertuis seemed like a sure thing during its creation in the early 1970s. Flemish director Harry Kümel was fresh off the international success of his dazzling Daughters of Darkness, and an eye-popping international cast headlined by Orson Welles promised plenty of marquee value. Unfortunately the finished product seemed even more cursed than the titular house, as the dream-like and often inscrutable film met with a baffled reaction at Cannes (in a cut the director disavowed) and quickly sank into oblivion. However, students of both horror and arthouse cinema continued mentioning the film over the next few decades, though few actually had the chance to see it; finally a restored director's cut was assembled through European funding in the early 2000s and, thanks to repertory screenings, finally restored the reputation of this long-lost Eurocult curio.

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Returning from years at sea to the seaside village of his childhood, blond sailor Jan (Carrière) finds his old home disappeared and the town populated by eccentrics, one of whom, the giggling Dideloo (Bouquet), follows his every step. At a nearby tavern, he becomes involved in a brawl and is knocked unconscious, only to awake weeks later at Malpertuis, an "evil house" which now serves as the home for his sister, Nancy (former Disney girl Hampshire), as well as his dying patriarch uncle, Cassavius (Welles). All the other residents, a gaggle of oddballs ranging from three prim, knitting sisters to a bearded stranger chained in the basement, eagerly await Cassavius' death so they can hear the reading of his will and finally escape the house than contains them, but Jan soon finds his own fate bound with everyone else in the house as the sinister old man's inheritance carries repercussions far more horrific and bizarre than anyone could imagine.

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Most reviews of Malpertuis casually reveal the truly bizarre third-act revelation which explains the true nature of the house and its inhabitants, which is a shame since this is a film best experienced with as little preparation as possible. The unique atmosphere is unlike any other film ever made, veering from humorous fantasy to delicate eroticism to all-out monstrous horror, sometimes all within the same scene. Though his screen time adds up to only a few minutes, Welles makes a strong impression in his key role, while Hampshire shines in three very different roles (or is it more?) as the pure Nancy, the unearthly red-haired Euryale (who won't look anyone directly in the eye), and one of the prudish sisters. Cinematographer Gerry Fisher (who lensed the great See No Evil the same year) helps the director conjure up a wondrous palette of colors throughout the film, from the blood-red tavern interior to the weird purple, blue and oak-wood hues of Malpertuis, while composer Georges Delerue contributes a wonderful score with a beautifully romantic main theme.

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Since it was shot in English (with some actors like Carrière and Bouquet looped by other actors to replace their accents), Malpertuis was first shown that way at Cannes in a 100-minute edition which opens with Magritte paintings beneath the opening titles. The version was apparently prepared in haste, which might explain the fairly straightforward scene editing and the frequent fades to black which close most of the major scenes. However, it's still an enjoyable experience and offers the wonderful opportunity to hear Welles and Hampshire voicing their own roles. This version was later hacked down by as much as ten minutes in various territories, where it was sometimes shown as The Legend of Doom House. When Kümel finally assembled his own cut of the film (running just shy of two hours), he drastically altered the entire editing scheme of the film, which still follows the same basic sequence of events but unfolds in an entirely different manner. For example, the woodcut main titles are new (with different music), Jan's entrance is presented differently (without mystical overtones), the memorable tavern song by fetching French chanteuse Sylvie Vartan (aunt of Alias' Michael Vartan) is chopped up very differently, and Jan's fate when he looks Euryale in the eyes is conveyed only through sound rather than the literal imagery of the Cannes cut.

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Honestly, both versions are worth watching, and in the end it's hard to say which one is preferable, as both have their virtues and faults while offering quite a bit of alternate and exclusive footage; the director's cut is definitely slower and dreamier, while the Cannes version is a more traditional Euro-horror experience. Both versions aren't perfect, particularly since the film chooses to end with one "gotcha!" moment too many that throws many viewers for a loop; still, it's a magnificent achievement and certainly a film whose allure hasn't diminished one bit over the years. The director and subject matter have often landed this one strictly in the horror category, though it's more correctly described as a dark gothic fantasy along the same lines as Mario Bava's near-simultaneous Lisa and the Devil, with which is shares a similar air of enchanted decrepitude as well as a nearly identical narrative structure; just check out the opening and closing 15 minutes of each, and the parallels are unmistakable.

Mondo Digital

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Released on DVD some time ago in Europe by the Belgian Film Archive, director Harry Kumel's (best known for Daughters Of Darkness) truly strange Malpertuis finally receives its due on domestic DVD thanks to Barrel Entertainment in one of their typically impressive definitive editions.

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Made shortly after his ode to Sapphic vampires, Malpertuis tells the story of an aging man named Quentin Cassavius (Orson Welles) who, lying on his death bed, decides to have a bizarre group of people arrive at his mansion named, you guessed it, Malpertuis. Cassavius' guests arrive and he tells them that he's split up his vast fortune among them equally, though in order for them to inherit it they must live out the rest of their lives in Malpertuis and the last two to survive must be wed. A rather bizarre dying request, but one that the guests give serious consideration proving that everyone does have their price.

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There are two very different versions of the film included on this set. The first is the Cannes Cut which Kumel has disowned. This is the version that was assembled out of his control and which played briefly at the festival and which gave the film its unjustly deserved bad reputation. The second, and longer, version of the film is Kumel's preferred Directors Cut (it's roughly twenty minutes longer) which Kumel re-cut in 2000 after which it played a few festivals before finally landing on home video where it will hopefully become the better known version of the picture.

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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The differences between the two cuts are quite drastic. While they don't really change the story or the outcome that much, things unfold in a very different manner and in a very different order and the added footage fills in a few interesting details that make for a much more involving experience. It's not that the Cannes Cut is bad - it really isn't - it's just that the Director's Cut has a much more mysterious and effective flow that adds a substantial amount of eeriness to an already bizarre film. The one drawback is that the Director's Cut is in Flemish only, meaning that Welles' instantly recognizable voice is dubbed.

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Regardless of which version you prefer, Malpertuis proves to be a very rewarding experience. Blending straight horror with erotic overtones and stylish moments that border on the surreal, Kumel has crafted a rather alien picture that sucks you in and holds you there until the completely twisted ending. Performances are uniformly strong across the board and while the top billed Welles doesn't have a whole lot of screen time her certainly makes an indelible impression in the picture. Susan Hampshire's performance(s) are unique and interesting and the rest of the cast rise to the material as well. Visually the film is gorgeous, using colors and visual symbolism very effectively and framed in a rather painterly method ensuring the movie looks fantastic from start to finish. If the film is a little too heady for some audiences, so be it, but for those who like a little art with their horror, Malpertuis is about as good as it gets.

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Malpertuis may be bizarre but it's an incredibly well made slice of arthouse-horror that definitely receives its due with this fantastic two-disc set from Barrel. Great quality, killer extras and two versions of a truly involving film make this a mandatory purchase for fans of the picture or cult/horror oddities in general.

DVDtalk

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Malpertuis (1971) [Re-UP]

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Special Features:
Disc 1:
* Malpertuis: Director’s Cut (1973; 119 minutes, in Flemish with removable English subtitles)
* Audio commentary from director Harry Kümel (in English)
* Orson Welles Uncut, a 25-minute featurette containing rare outtakes footage of Welles during the filming of Malpertuis (mix of French and English with removable English subtitles)
* Susan Hampshire: One Actress, Three Parts, an 11-minute featurette containing new interviews with Hampshire (in English with removable English subtitles)

Disc 2:
* Malpertuis: Cannes Version (1972; 100 minutes, in English with removable English subtitles)
* Reflections of Darkness: Del Valle on Kümel, a new 74-minute career-length interview with director Kümel by noted film journalist David Del Valle (in English with removable English subtitles)
* Jean Ray / John Flanders, a 7-minute featurette that delves into the fantastical world of the Belgian writer including archival interview footage (in French with removable English subtitles)
* Trailer

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