THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
US, 1961, 85 Minutes, Colour.
Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr.
Directed by Roger Corman.
The Pit and the Pendulum is one of the earlier adaptations of the Edgar Allan Poe story by writer Richard Matheson (Duel, Dracula etc.) and producer director Roger Korman. In the early 60s at least seven films were made of Poe's stories by American International with their lurid direct style, generally starring Vincent Price. Poe himself would probably be pleased with this rather baroque presentation of his Spanish story with overtones of the Inquisition and marital fidelity. Vincent Price has the chance to excel in this kind of role. John Kerr is rather stolid as the hero. The sequence of films was popular at the time and has since become the subject of critical acclaim and cult following.
1. Audience interest in and response to Edgar Allan Poe? Reputation, stories, world of violence and madness? The eerie and the supranatural? Preoccupations with violence, torture, death and burial? The shadow side of consciousness?
2. The quality of Roger Corman’s series on Poe? Production values, colour, Panavision? Decor? The use of stock material and conventions? Vincent Price and his presence? Technical aspects eg. the painters palette at beginning and end? The use of monochrome, distortions etc.?
3. The Spanish setting, the atmosphere of the 16th century, t he Inquisition, the torture chambers and their use? The background of the Inquisition, Nicholas's father and his tortures? An atmosphere of violence taken for granted?
4. The audience entering this world with Barnard the Englishman? His riding to the castle? The outside scenes soon to be limited to the claustrophobic atmosphere of the castle? Barnard's surliness, suspicion, asking for the evidence about his sister's death, hearing the stories, seeing what was happening? His experience of grief?
5. The introduction to Don Medina? The castle as background for his personality, activity? The presence of Vincent Price and his style, articulation, vocabulary? Larger than life and contrived? In the torture chamber, his grief at his wife's death? His madness and this being able to be exploited and his going berserk?
6. The flashbacks to his marriage, the morbid aspects of Elizabeth's curiosity, her being buried alive and her death? The irony of what really happened and what was to happen?
7. The flashback to Nicholas's experience as a boy, Vincent Price acting as the father with sinister tones? His uncle and his mother and their being confronted, torture and death? The memories and their later coming to fruition in him? The memories with the confrontation of Elizabeth?
8. The character of Elizabeth as she was painted by her brother, husband and sister-in-law? Her morbid curiosity? The irony of the contrivance to attack her husband? The scenes of scorn when he revealed herself and she him mad? Did she deserve her being buried alive? The tone of the film ending with the close-up of her eyes?
9. Don Medina's sister, her welcome? Her telling of the stories, her rescuing Barnard? The maid and her suspicious behaviour? The doctor and his friendship with Don Medina? His presence and reassurance? The irony of the plot?
10. The torture of Don Medina, the whisperings, the organ playing etc.? Eerie atmosphere? The suspicion of Don Medina with the secret passage? The revelation of the plot? Elizabeth's presence, liaison with the doctor, hostilities? The irony of the exhumed body?
11. The impact of Elizabeth on Nicholas? The revelation of the truth about the doctor? Nicholas's mind snapping, the using of his childhood memories, the reversal of behaviour?
12. The killing of the doctor? The torture of Barnard as Bartolome? The build-up to the pit and the pendulum sequence? The terror, the sounds, the menace of the pendulum?
13. The rescue just in time and the irony of Elizabeth being walled up?
14. The epilogue quotation, the scream and the anguish? The entertainment value of this kind of horror film? Presenting the shadow side of personality and symbols of evil?
