It's probably an update of Faust. It's in many ways one of the most depressing movies I have ever seen. It's a portrayal of how a weakness can make one prey for evil, sucked in by someone weaker already fallen, and how far they can pull you down.
It was odd how quickly the man was willing to give up his old life without questions, but it may be explained by his 'sponsor's insights about him, and the immediate blackmail that was put in place before the decision.
The 'grapes' scene was a time capsule of mid 1960s 'forced freedom', but it went on way too long.
The scene where he visits his old wife was one of the most depressing movie scenes I have ever seen, both for it's frank, but not unkind portrayal of his old self, and the coldheartedness of his new self to intrude on her after what he'd done to her. It may be a brilliant scene, in that he could come back into his old house and life and have no recognizable soul that would give him away - maybe that was the point.
It was in some ways brilliant how universally cold hearted everyone was once they entered this world - surgeon, businessman, new 'girlfriend', friend, minister. Will Geer as the ringmaster really gave me the creeps.
For the movie buff, it' worth seeing, it's a different idea, the acting/actors/actresses are good. As a horror movie, it is in many ways brilliant, and the most terrifying. What really makes the movie work, is that it's somewhat plausible, and that the central character is participant in his own destruction.
Seeing it a second time, I thought more highly of the movie, it was more tightly crafted than I had given it credit for first time around. Some very nasty foreshadowing, in his entry to the company.
It was odd how quickly the man was willing to give up his old life without questions, but it may be explained by his 'sponsor's insights about him, and the immediate blackmail that was put in place before the decision.
The 'grapes' scene was a time capsule of mid 1960s 'forced freedom', but it went on way too long.
The scene where he visits his old wife was one of the most depressing movie scenes I have ever seen, both for it's frank, but not unkind portrayal of his old self, and the coldheartedness of his new self to intrude on her after what he'd done to her. It may be a brilliant scene, in that he could come back into his old house and life and have no recognizable soul that would give him away - maybe that was the point.
It was in some ways brilliant how universally cold hearted everyone was once they entered this world - surgeon, businessman, new 'girlfriend', friend, minister. Will Geer as the ringmaster really gave me the creeps.
For the movie buff, it' worth seeing, it's a different idea, the acting/actors/actresses are good. As a horror movie, it is in many ways brilliant, and the most terrifying. What really makes the movie work, is that it's somewhat plausible, and that the central character is participant in his own destruction.
Seeing it a second time, I thought more highly of the movie, it was more tightly crafted than I had given it credit for first time around. Some very nasty foreshadowing, in his entry to the company.