Malpertuis (film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Malpertuis

| image = Malpertuis.jpg

| caption = Film poster

| producer = Paul Laffargue
Ritta Laffargue
Pierre Levie

| based_on = {{based on|Malpertuis|Jean Ray}}

| starring = Orson Welles
Susan Hampshire
Michel Bouquet
Mathieu Carrière
Jean-Pierre Cassel
Daniel Pilon
Walter Rilla
Dora van der Groen
Charles Janssens
Sylvie Vartan

| music = Georges Delerue

| cinematography = Gerry Fisher

| editing = Richard Marden

| studio = Artemis Film
Les Productions Artistes Associés

| distributor = Premier Releasing

| released = {{film date|df=yes|1971}}

| runtime = 119 minutes

| country = Belgium
France
West Germany

| language = Dutch
French
English

}}

Malpertuis (released in the US as The Legend of Doom House) is a 1971 Belgian fantasy horror film directed by Harry Kümel, based on the 1943 novel of the same name. It was selected for the official selection and was presented "in competition" at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. A Flemish "director's cut" version was released in 1973.{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2333/year/1972.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Malpertuis |access-date=13 July 2017|work=festival-cannes.com}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cinema-francais.fr/cannes/cannes_1972.htm |title=25ème Festival International du Film - Cannes |work=cinema-francais.fr |language=French |access-date=13 July 2017}}

Plot

Jan (Mathieu Carrière), a young sailor, returns to land, and while searching for his childhood home, is mysteriously abducted. He awakens in an isolated old mansion called Malpertuis, where he find himself among various relatives, including his sister Nancy (Susan Hampshire), as well as a strange taxidermist and a resident madman called Lampernisse (Jean-Pierre Cassel). The mansion turns out to be a labyrinth of corridors, staircases, and secret chambers, belonging to his family.

His bedridden occultist uncle Cassavius (Orson Welles) is about to divide the estate among his heirs, but, as it turns out, only if they commit themselves never to leave the premises. They find themselves trapped in a mystery where they enact gods from Greek mythology, which Cassavius believes them to be, while anyone who tries to escape is found horribly murdered. The plot remains obscure to the end, as Jan tries to unravel the mystery, and seems to spiral into a dreamlike madness.{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdwildrealm.com/f-malpertuis.html |title=Wild Realm Reviews: Malpertuis |work=weirdwildrealm.com |access-date=13 July 2017}}

Cast

Orson Welles as Cassavius
Susan Hampshire as Nancy / Euryale / Alice (Alecto) / Nurse / Charlotte
Michel Bouquet as Dideloo
Mathieu Carrière as Jan
Jean-Pierre Cassel as Lampernisse
Daniel Pilon as Mathias Crook
Walter Rilla as Eisengott
Dora van der Groen as Sylvie Dideloo
Charles Janssens as Philarette
Sylvie Vartan as Bets

Versions

The English language version of the film that premiered at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival was 100 minutes, as it had been edited by the American distributor from the original 1971 version, and retitled The Legend of Doom House. It was subsequently edited further by other distributors. The Royal Belgian Film Archive, together with director Harry Kümel, worked to restore the uncut Flemish version of the film, which was released in 1973 as "the director's cut". This version is 20 minutes longer, containing scenes of the film which had been edited out. Although this version is more complete, the original voice of Orson Welles is missing from it.

Reception

Neil Smith of the BBC gave the film 2/5 stars, calling it "Bizarre, lurid and baffling".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/07/05/malpertuis_1971_review.shtml |title=Movies - Malpertuis (1971) |work=BBC |access-date=13 July 2017}} Michael Barrett from PopMatters rated it 7/10 stars, calling it "ragged and dizzy, full of sharp zooms and frantic cuts."{{cite web |last1=Barrett |first1=Michael |title=Malpertuis|website=PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/malpertuis-2496220981.html |date=1 August 2007 |access-date=11 July 2018}} On his website Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings, Dave Sindelar called it "[a] disorienting, slightly disturbing and sometimes infuriating movie"{{cite web |last1=Sindelar |first1=Dave |title=The Legend of Doom House (1971) |url=https://fantasticmoviemusings.com/2015/08/05/the-legend-of-doom-house-1971/ |website=FantasticMovieMusings.com |date=5 August 2015 |access-date=11 July 2018}}

References

External links

{{IMDb title|id=0067386|title=Malpertuis}}
{{Rotten tomatoes|malpertuis_the_legend_of_doom_house|Malpertuis: The Legend of the Doom House}}
{{tcmdb title|82505|Malpertuis: Histoire d'une maison Maudite}}

Category:1971 films

Category:1971 horror films

Category:1970s avant-garde and experimental films

Category:1971 fantasy films

Category:West German films

Category:Belgian avant-garde and experimental films

Category:Belgian horror films

Category:Belgian fantasy films

Category:1970s Dutch-language films

Category:English-language Belgian films

Category:English-language French films

Category:English-language German films