The Deadly Trap (1971)

The Worst Film Ever

hyped garbage

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It should be said from the outset that the title Death Scream is not really very appropriate in describing this film. It's a much more low-key thriller than that pulpy title suggests. It was directed by the French film-maker René Clément, who had made a name for himself with Purple Noon (1960). It seems that the success with that film – the first screen version of Patricia Highsmith's character Ripley – led him to be called the French Hitchcock and resulted in him making a series of thrillers from then up until his final film in 1975. It seems the critics weren't very kind about his latter films, an opinion I disagree with. His final film Wanted: Babysitter (1975) is a very under-rated and effective film, while Death Scream is another that can hardly be described as terrible either. In fairness, it's the least successful Clément film I have seen but it still has something to offer.It's an English language French movie starring Faye Dunaway and Frank Langella. They play an American married couple living in Paris. They are in the midst of martial problems; he is highly secretive, while she is going through a nervous breakdown. To complicate matters, Langella is an industrial spy who retires from his job to the annoyance of his paymasters. Meanwhile, Dunaway's fragile psychological temperament leads to various problems, culminating with the couple's children mysteriously disappearing while out with her in the city. All the time in the background, there is talk of an enigmatic group called 'the organisation' who threatens the family.It's not the most dynamic of thrillers in truth and it is a little slow-paced. It could also have ramped up the suspense a bit as well. But Dunaway and Langella are good actors and the Parisian setting does offer an attractive backdrop to events. The story has just enough intrigue to keep the viewer engaged and it ultimately amounts to a good enough film, if a relatively minor one.

It takes a while to get going, but this René Clément thriller ends up being very satisfying. Faye Dunaway & Frank Langella are ex-pats living in Paris (he's a book editor) who find their life together crumbling as they grow more & more estranged. Dunaway appears to be having a nervous breakdown, forgetting everything from buying a dress twice to where her children are. When the children turn up missing, Clément's film takes off. Nothing in the first half prepares you for the second half, but every piece falls into place thanks to the clever script (by Eleanor Perry & Hollywood journeyman Sidney Buchman). Dunaway's neurotic acting style is a perfect fit for her role (she's clearly on the brink) and Langella is fine as her workaholic husband. Barbara Parkins plays the couple's extraordinarily helpful neighbor. A creepy, under-appreciated film.

I give this movie a 5/10.. because simply, I didn't understand what this movie was really about.. I couldn't see what was going on until maybe 3/4 of the way into it.. Faye Dunaway,character was slowly losing her mind.. Was the movie set to be in Paris or not? There was a lot of mention of "Phillipe" going to Paris.. then out of the blue, they are all speaking french.. It was a super hard plot for me to follow.. I thought the kids had killed themselves or had been murdered.. I also didn't agree with the fact that the little boy was allowed to play with guns. ill give the movie another look over and see what elements I was missing..

Playing a woman of slowly deteriorating mental health, Faye Dunaway dominates this movie. She graces it with her beauty and just about manages to keep us watching a story that's flawed and filled with implausibilities (SPOILER: for example, how come an organization as powerful and sinister as the one the movie supposedly presents has left ONLY ONE person - and a foolish one at that - guarding the kidnapped kids?). It's flatly directed, too. (**)