Bedlam (1946)

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

A lot of fun.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

So I gave this a watch this morning and see if Id be easily creeped out by it, however it just seemed very dull and confusing. I mean, if it was gonna be set at a mental hospital, they should've set it up as a mental hospital, not a 17th century like. OK at the beginning, we see a mental institution patient leaping to his death but that's about it really. It honestly didn't concentrate on the whole story, it more less concentrated on the lead characters who dressed up in ridiculous Mozart type costumes.Yeah, you wont be easily entertained or creeped out folks because its not something to go over the top about..........

A young protégé of the obese Lord Mortimer, Nell is offended by his friendship with Sims, the director of an asylum where a man is killed while trying to escape. During a dinner party, one of Sims' inmates is forced to perform but dies after being covered in gold paint. Mortimer and his friends find this highly amusing but Nell is not so happy with the conditions in the asylum, which she finds barbaric. She befriends a Quaker and the pair begin to initiate asylum reforms, but there are repercussions to come...Boris Karloff and producer Val Lewton band together once again to create a typically atmospheric slice of psychological horror, full of shadows and a general spooky ambiance. This time, the horrors are more real in the sense of the mentally ill, who are here treated in a respectful, if disturbing, light. Asylums have always come in useful in horror films and this is one of the best. The scenes with the inmates are quite disturbing, especially the mute staring girl and the man in the cage.Karloff is on top form once more and steals the entire picture with his portrayal of Sims, the director who is cruel and yet human. He stands out in the trial scene at the end of the film (which has influences going back to Shakespeare's KING LEAR) where the inmates test his sanity and find that he only practices cruelty as he is afraid of society. This trial is the highlight of the film and is well worth waiting for. Unfortunately, Anna Lee, the supposed heroine of the film, comes off as being more unlikeable than Karloff himself although the rest of the cast do their jobs admirably.The setting here is the mid-to-late 1700s, which means that the costumes are all fine and extravagant, while the scenes of the London and the way that the central upper classes of the story deal with the working classes are much the same as the themes in THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS (at least what little we see of them). BEDLAM definitely benefits from Lewton's presence and both the plot and the atmosphere tie together nicely. While BEDLAM is short on shocks and scares used by numerous other horror films, it's high on visual images and an overall sense of oppression. And for that reason it's one to add to the collection.

Mark Robson directs Boris Karloff as Master George Sims, who runs the notorious St. Mary's of Bethlehem asylum(known as Bedlam). He is a glib but ruthless man who runs it like his own private serfdom, unconcerned with the patients in his care, and will kill anyone who tries to stop him in his power. One such person is Nell Bowen(played by Anna Lee) who is the consort of Lord Mortimor(played by Billy House). This offers her some protection, since the cowardly Sims wont risk angering anyone in power over him, but cleverly sets about undermining her credibility, to the point of having Nell committed to his asylum! Can she overcome this cruel ordeal? Last film in the Val Lewton horror series is quite good, with fine performances by all, especially Karloff, playing Sims the same way he would later voice the Grinch!(sneaky and deceptively charming) A bit slow at times, but leads to a satisfying end.

Of their collaborations The Body Snatcher especially is a superior film but Bedlam has many impressive things about it. The pacing can feel a little too padded out at times, and for my tastes Richard Fraser's performance is too stiff and underplayed. How Bedlam is made though is both sumptuous and atmospheric and the historical period detail is highly impressive too. The music is hauntingly eerie, while not undermining the suspense, while the film is very intelligently scripted with dialogue that provokes your thoughts a lot. There is a fair bit of talk but you don't mind when the dialogue is as well-written as it is, if I have a problem with a film being talky it is when the dialogue is not particularly good really. The story has a restrained yet eerie atmosphere, is suspenseful and handles the idea of living life in a confined place better than a fair number of films I've seen(there are some obvious ones that are an exception though). Boris Karloff gives a performance that is menacing and witty, clearly relishing his role, while Anna Lee is appealingly spirited. Billy House does a good job playing pompous and Jason Robards Snr makes the most of his interesting character. To conclude, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox