Malpertuis (1971)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Blistering performances.

A sailor stops by his old town, realizes his family's home had been removed, attempts to find his sister, gets stuck in a bar fight over a dance hall girl, gets hit across the skull knocking him unconscious, awakening in the home of his bedridden uncle, Cassavius(Orson Welles). The sailor is Jan, portrayed by blonde headed, blue-eyed, scrawny Mathieu Carrière(Born for Hell), and he, at first, just wishes to leave but his demanding uncle has something of importance to tell him regarding a will which could prove profitable if he decides not to leave. Within the house are an eccentric group of oddballs, all attempting to appease their master, hoping to leave Malpertuis once Cassavius kicks the bucket. Even still, Jan has no desire to stay until a ravishing red head, Euryale(Susan Hampshire who plays multiple roles, presenting an astonishing range, making three specific characters completely unique and different, a multi-faceted performance that deserves praise), his cousin, arrives, throwing his life into torment. The proposition in Cassavius' will is for those inside Malpertuis to remain until one couple survives, gaining the inheritance. Relatives and hired help, the greedy vultures they are, remain, awaiting for the chance to gain the giant piggy-bank and property entitled if they can outlast their peers. Meanwhile, Jan decides to trek through the halls, mysterious rooms, and spiral staircases of Malpertuis, a massive ring containing an army of keys, hoping to unlock the secrets of the place, hoping to understand Cassavius. Along the way, Jan discovers that Malpertuis may be much, much more than just a mansion, and those people within it's walls could be more than they appear. The film incorporates dream logic which has you wondering what Jan might experience next. We are, in a sense, on the same surreal journey as Jan is, experiencing what he does, bombarded by unpredictable behavior, always yearning to learn more. Lots of symbolism, and director Harry Kümel(Daughters of Darkness)establishes the importance of faces..through the multiple characters portrayed by Hampshire(..as not only Euryale, the one Jan desires and seemingly can not touch, but also his beloved sister, Nancy, and a lusting Alice who openly engages him for sexual favors, longing to be "human", despite what she "really is"), we realize that what we are seeing isn't a real world as we know it. The mansion itself(..the astonishing spiral staircases and endless rooms/halls)is a veritable maze, about as maddening as the unusual characters which inhabits it's domain. We keep discovering, like Jan, new things regarding the characters that remain in Malpertuis, and what their true relation to him(..in a dream, faces of people that exist often derive from those you have contacted in real life). Harry Kümel's visual style is magnificent and his camera vividly captures the nuances of this remarkable habitat observing what Jan sees. Everything from the art direction(..every room produces a different kind of mood, and yields a startling color/atmosphere all it's own)to the editing(..the way Kümel is able to feature three Hampshires in one single room is awe-inspiring), everything's first-rate, developed with top-notch skill. Color me impressed because I hadn't ever heard of it's existence until just recently, and I'm thankful I had an opportunity to see it. I watched the director's cut, dubbed into French with English subtitles. Orson Welles, entirely in bed, commands the screen moving very little..it's simply amazing how much presence he had. Hampshire is positively divine, her beauty hypnotic at times. The twists at the end(..who these people are is revealed not once, but twice)really dazzle, but the pace slowly develops so many might grow impatient, but I couldn't wait to see what was gonna come next.

Before seeing "Malpertuis" (1971), I was already a fan of Belgian director Harry Kümel for his mesmerizing Lesbian Vampire film "Les Lèvres Rouges" (Daughters of Darkness) from the same year, which, in my opinion, is the best film of its kind. I had great expectations for "Malpertuis", because of my admiration of Kümel as a true master of atmosphere, because I had heard the film was Kümel's greatest, and because of Orson Welles stared in it. Even so, this instant favorite of mine surpassed my greatest hopes and totally blew me away. "Malpertuis" is a bizarre and hypnotic mixture of surreal Gothic Horror, macabre family Drama, mad science and Mythological Fantasy, that no cineaste should allow himself (or herself) to miss. Actually, I'd like to correct myself. The film cannot really be narrowed down by attributing it to a particular Genre as such, as it is simply one of the most unique films ever made. In one sentence: The film has everything, and more than that. "Malpertuis" tells one of the most fascinating stories ever brought to screen, and does so in a brilliantly moody manner. The film maintains an incomparably rich, eerie and foreboding atmosphere that becomes more intense with each passing minute. The sublime atmosphere comes along with breathtaking settings, brilliant cinematography, complex and demented characters and fantastic acting performances. The most fascinating thing about "Malpertuis", however, is the story, which is one of the most incomparable and gripping I ever saw in a film. "Malpertuis" is not a film that can properly compared to anything else. It is like a macabre, haunting yet incredibly beautiful Fever Dream.The film is an adaptation of a novel by Jean Ray, which I haven't yet read. I sure intend to, though, as the plot of "Malpertuis" is one of the most unique and fascinating stories that have ever been filmed. Great praise therefore also belongs to writer Jean Ferry. Jan (Mathieu Carrière), a young sailor, comes to his hometown and, without wanting to, visits the family mansion owned by his creepy and mysterious uncle Cassavius (Orson Welles). The mansion is named Malpertuis, its inhabitants are (equally creepy) relatives who hate Cassavius, but do everything to brown-nose him in desire of his inheritance. A mysterious palace of a mansion, bears fascinating and terrifying secrets... Though this is only a vague description of the film, I shall stop at this point. I do not want to give too much away, as the story is gripping and fascinating from the very beginning and should be experienced rather than read in a review. The sceneries are some of the greatest, most awe-inspiring I have ever seen. The house Malpertuis alone is one of the most fascinating settings ever in cinema. The atmosphere is overwhelming, rich and uncanny throughout the film. Each character is fascinating, most of them creepy and demented, the performances are sublime. Orson Welles is, of course, great as always, an I would personally even consider "Malpertuis" one of the greatest films this brilliant actor has been part of in his awe-inspiring career. The other performances are also magnificent. Mathieu Carriere is great as Jan, and other actors, such as Jean-Piere Cassel, Victor Rilla, Michel Bouquet and particularly Charles Jenssen are also brilliant in their roles. Particular praise has to go to the stunningly beautiful Susan Hampshire, who is wonderful in her triple role, playing three different female leads. The rich atmosphere profits from the Flamish (Dutch) language and an ingenious score. The film was once reportedly cut to shreds, watching the uncut 126 minute director's cut is absolutely essential. "Malpertuis" is a film that simply cannot be praised enough. This ingenious and absolutely unique masterpiece is one of the most fascinating cinematic experiences one can have, both atmospherically and story-wise, and must not be missed by anybody interested in cinema. As said above: It has everything, and a lot more. 10/10

An adaptation of a modern gothic tale "Malpertuis", written by Jean Ray aka John Flanders. The acting is good and the story is full of symbolism. There are two versions of this movie: the original (in French or in English) feels more like a horror film but the longer re-edited Dutch version lacks most of the superb atmosphere created by the haunting score of Georges Delerue and is therefore disappointing.

Yes, Malpertuis is extremely impressive, in my opinion the best Euro-horror movie! I read the Jean Ray book - which is by far my favorite horror writer - and the adaptation by Harry Kumel, altough not extremely tight to the novel, is quite decent.Sadly, this movie is nearly impossible to find...