Mystery at Monstein (1954) User Reviews

Beautifully filmed little gem

[peter-00885 · 7/10 · 29 May 2017]

Out-of-the ordinary short, which boasts some wonderful cinematography and rich monochrome landscapes of the snowy Alps. Storyline doesn't live up to the grandeur, but I can understand the use of narration in place of dialogue; it saves money - who wants to cart sound equipment up a mountain? It allows the use of non-English speaking actors and extras, and it also means it can be dubbed by one voice for international sales. Quaint, interesting and captivating despite the plot. Well worth a look.

Similar to device used by the BBC

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 1 July 2017]

On seeing this I thought that this may have been a Swiss production.However on reading one of the reviews I realised that this method of production was probably utilised by the British production company to save money.The problem is that the narration detracts from any suspense because it often tells you what will happen.The BBC utilised this sort of narration when they brought in foreign language programmes for children's television.

Alpine murder mystery short

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 11 May 2017]

MYSTERY AT MONSTEIN is an odd little filmed drama with an Alpine backdrop. The story is about a couple of soon-to-be murder victims found dying on the ski slopes, with the involvement of various characters struggling to make sense of the discovery. It soon turns into a murder mystery with muddy motives but a workable chain of events involving consequences and comeuppances. One of the things that's off-putting about this is that it contains narration rather than spoken dialogue throughout, and that makes it feel very staged and long-winded; straight dialogue would have been the better option for me.

"It looks like a peaceful place, doesn't it?"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 1 December 2018]

Set in Switzerland, a boy goes skiing and then goes missing from the town of Monstein. His concerned guardians instigate a search and eventually something sinister emerges involving murder. Only 31 minutes long it is handicapped by having no sound dialogue but continuous narration which subdues the drama somewhat. However the cinematography by John Wiles is good, bringing out the majesty of the scenery. It is a short film but interesting enough.

None of the cast are credited which is a shame, apart that is from Peter Illing the narrator who does an efficient job.

Mystery at Monstein review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 2 July 2020]

A young man supects foul play when a young skier goes missing in the mountains. A neat little murder mystery with an unknown cast - literally, as they are not credited - and narration instead of dialogue. Features some beautiful shots of the Alps.

Mystery at Monstein

[CinemaSerf · 5/10 · 21 November 2022]

This is quite a fun piece - distinctive because it lacks any direct dialogue from the cast, it is simply narrated by Peter Ihle. Set amidst some spectacular Alpine scenery, a tiny village is rocked by a murder and the narrative now recounts just how exactly that happened. The presentation suffers from that style of production, however - the narrative frequently warns you of what to expect before you expect it, and as such the mystery is rather negated. The ending is quite good, though - it certainly reinforced my long-held trypanophobia. It's only half an hour, and the photography is decent enough so do give to a go...

Vintage transport scenes.

[ecdh-56157 · 10/10 · 28 May 2022]

I have just watched this concise murder story on the UK TV channel Talking Pictures TV, which specialises in old films and TV series.

Mystery at Monstein includes footage of a single horse four-wheel carriage, a 'crocodile' electric locomotive hauling a local train, and a Series One Land Rover - with brief shots of a funicular railway. A nice collection of material for the transport enthusiast.