WHISPERS

US, 1989, 96 minutes, Colour.
Chris Sarandon, Victoria Tennant.
Directed by Douglas Jackson.

Whispers is a version of the celebrated horror novel by Dean R.Koontz. However, the bare elements of the plot are taken for a routine horror thriller. In fact, the treatment is quite crass at times. What might have been an interesting portrait of a woman confronting evil, investigating’ the background of evil '(psychological and physical) is presented often as merely sensationalist. Victoria Tennant is the heroine, Chris Sarandon the investigating police officer. While the elements are there, this is a film of what might have been .....

1. Impact of the film as a horror thriller? Adaptation of a Dean R. Koontz novel?

2. The atmosphere of the American city, the countryside? Musical score?

3. The title, its reference to Bruno and his brother? Their manner, their way of speaking?

4. Special effects for violence and horror?

5. Victoria Tennant as the heroine: her work, visits and tape recordings, writing? The impact of the assault and its violence? Her calling the police, the questioning of Bruno's alibi? The attractive police officer, the further assault, the policeman and his help? Her relationship with him? The partner and his macho rudeness? His death? The search for information? The video, the visit to the house, the butler and his cover-up, the undertaker? In the house, the discovery of the twins? The
final violence? The being saved? A resourceful heroine?

6. Chris Sarandon as the policeman, conventional role, investigation, working with his partner, the counter-balance to the partner, his partner's death? His relationship with the author, the investigation, sexual liaison? Getting the information, the visit to the house, the fight with the brother, his being shot - surviving and exercise in heroics?

7. The world of the police, investigations? The partner and his macho attitudes, crudeness? Ironies? His death?

8. The butler, his role in the household, the funeral, the cover-up?

9. The madam, the discussions with her, the story about the ugly aspects of the family?

10. The undertaker, the sexual encounter and the suggestions of necrophilia (exploitive?), his attitudes, behaviour, greed?

11. The two sons: in appearance, whispering, violence, the attack on the author, the speaking about Catherine? The brutality, the alibis? The death, the morgue, the body taken to the town, the burial? the revelation about the father, his relation ship with his wife, with his daughter, her pregnancy, the cover-up, the irony of the two children? Their being just one identity, abuse?. Their hatred for their mother, killing her? The sexual perversion? Each taking the others place, each the other? The narcissistic scenes with a mirror, in the bed, the unity between the two? Character, violence?

12. The tradition of films of psychological horror, the quality of this film, its depth or lack of depth?