The Whip and the Body(1963)La frusta e il corpo(original title).Kurt Menliff is a ruthless and sadistic 19th Century nobleman who returns to his seafront castle home after years of wondering. He finds himself immediately at odds with his invalid father, a Count, as well as Kurt's spineless younger brother Christian, whom is married to Kurt's cousin and former lover Nevenka. When Kurt is found in his room on the next night, murdered, suspicion falls on everyone which gets more complicated when Nevenka begins seeing his ghost (real or imaginary?) haunting the castle supposedly wanting revenge against his killers. Written byMatt Patay... Synopsis The Whip and the Body(1963)La frusta e il corpo(original title)
Movie Title: The Whip and the Body(1963)La frusta e il corpo(original title)
Run Time:
Rating: 6.8 / 10
Genres: Horror |Mystery
Release Date: 10 December 1965 (USA)
Director: Mario Bava
Writer: Ernesto Gastaldi ,Ugo Guerra , more credit ... and other credits
Actor: Daliah Lavi,Christopher Lee,Tony Kendall
With Italy being my favorite Horror-producing country, and Gothic Tales and Gialli my favorite sub-genres, it is not surprising that I regard Italian Horror-pioneer Mario Bava, sublime master of the first- and inventor of the second category, as one of the greatest geniuses in the history of Motion Pictures. Unlike any other Horror director, Bava made most of his films so ingeniously that it is very hard to name favorites, simply due to the fact that this great man's repertoire includes so many flawless masterpieces. Bava's doubtlessly most brilliant film is the 1960 masterpiece "La Maschera Del Demonio" (aka. "Black Sunday"), which is, as far as I am concerned, one of the greatest films ever made, but the man created several other flawless films that no Horror lover or even cinema-fan in general could afford to miss. Such as this overwhelming film, for example. In 1963, the same year in which he invented the Giallo-sub-genre with his milestone "La Ragazza Che Sappeva Troppo" and furthermore created the arguably most memorable Horror omnibus ever with "I Tre Volti Della Paura", Bava also brought us this wonderful Gothic gem named "La Frusta E Il Corpo" (aka. "The Whip And The Body"), a film which perfectly illustrates what a brilliant director he was. "The Whip And The Body" is the absolute proof that, unlike any other director, Mario Bava had a unique talent of combining beauty and terror in a most mesmerizing manner. The need of a a high quality copy is something i seldom find essential, and yet I would highly recommend to watch "La Frusta E Il Corpo" in the highest possible quality. Whenever using the pause-button on the remote control, one has the impression of looking at a beautifully haunting painting. This is no exaggeration, but merely the only proper description of how visually overwhelming this dream-like Gothic masterpiece is.
Horror-icon Christopher Lee, as far as I am concerned one of the greatest actors ever, gives a brilliant performance as one of his most haunting and sardonic characters here. The ravishing Daliah Lavi is as stunningly beautiful as the film itself, and she also delivers a stunning performance in the female lead. The supporting performances are also great, the cast includes Italian genre-regulars as Tony Kendall and Ida Galli. I will not give a long plot description as everybody should be capable of drifting into the dreamlike Horrors of Castle Menliff on their own. I do want to say though, that "The Whip And The Body" is a unique and fascinating mix of Gothic Horror and S&M love-story. The eerie castle is the perfect setting for this wonderful film, which takes place in the early 19th century. The brilliant score is as mesmerizing and hauntingly beautiful as the film's visual style - "The Whip And The Body" simply is a film that overwhelms all senses a film possibly can. This was originally intended to resemble the story of Roger Corman's 1961 masterpiece "The Pit And The Pendulum" (another favorite of mine), but it turned out entirely different, the brilliant Gothic eeriness, castle setting and great acting being the only mutual elements. Mario Bava created many masterpieces in his impressive career, and all of them have something particularly essential about them. "La Frusta E Il Corpo" is a film that shows this man's unique talent for atmosphere and the combination of the beautiful and the uncanny. This is one of the most visually overwhelming Horror films ever made, and easily deserves the highest rating of 10/10!
