HOUSE OF WHIPCORD
UK, 1972, 102 minutes, Colour.
Barbara Markham, Patrick Barr.
Directed by Pete Walker.
House of Whipcord is an exploitational British film, directed by Pete Walker (Frightmare, House of Mortal Sin, Schizo) and film critic David Mc Gillivray.
This film is about an old prison which is run by an old blind judge, his wife who used to be a wardress and two guards from the prison. The mad son goes out and brings in women to be imprisoned because of their indecent behaviour – and they are punished, whipped and put on a cross in this institution.
The film is made with a small budget, has all of Pete Walker’s skills in making this kind of film – but it is very much inhumane and prurient.
1. A successful and interesting horror film? How entertaining? The grim tone about violence, crime, death. madness? How well were these combined? How was the film making some statement about their link?
2. The impact of this horror on the average audience? Comment on the dedication - to supporters of corporal and capital punishment and those who deplore our ‘permissive courts’. A reviewer said that the film charted the dark side of the Festival of Light with pop Freud, Jung and company. How accurate is this in the presentation of personal behaviour, themes? The ironies of the evil in the repressors and the contrast with the evil in their victims?
3. The tone of the title, the emphasis on prison and punishment? Themes of justice, law, physical punishment, capital punishment? Did the film, via its horror, make any valid statements about human behaviour and attitudes towards prison?
4. The effect of the structure: the opening with Ann Marie’s escape, the flashbacks, the irony of showing the flashback only to have her killed? The transferring of the themes to Julia? The atmosphere of mystery and the need for explanation during the first part of the film? How well did this involve the audience?
5. The initial impression of Ann Marie as she was shopping and had suffered violence? The transition to the party, her reaction to the photos? How ironic was her reaction to the later justice meted out on her? The atmosphere of the party, her friends especially Julia and Tony? The encounter with Mark as sinister? His sympathy and playing up to her? The bond between the two? The irony of his name sounding like the Marquis de Sade? The credibility of her decision to go on the weekend with him after the outings with him?
6. The audience sharing the puzzle with Ann Marie as she arrived at the house and was imprisoned? The ensuing encounter with Walker and Bates, the visual impact of the house with its grim interior and its cells? The court scene, the meals, punishment? How grim a picture of prisons, how ugly the personnel working there? The hanging sequences and reality of capital punishment? The breaking of the rules and the time in solitary, the scenes of whipping? The necessity of the film to have them? visually for its purpose and comment on capital punishment?
7. The impact of Mrs Wakehurst and her madness? The explanation of her past decades earlier, her role in prisons. her obsession with the suiciding prisoner and seeing contemporary trouble-makers as the past prisoner? Her hold over Justice Bailey? The hypocrisy of her manner and her way of living, her drinking? The revelation of the relationship with Mark and her hold over him? Her cruelty, the commanding of Bailey and her obsessive wanting of justice done, her hold over Walker and Bates? The irony of her accidental killing of Mark? The inevitability of her death and the irony of her hanging herself in the capital punishment scene?
8. Hoy insane was Justice Bailey? Literally blind, blind to justice? His attitude in the past on the Board to examine Mrs. Wakehurst's behaviour, his retiring with her, liaison with her? his wanting the court's justice to be done reasonably but with his blindness unable to ask what was happening? His trying of Ann Marie, of the other girls? His blind wandering at the end and his discovery of something of the truth?
9. The portrait of Walker and Bates? the grim puritanism, their words of punishment and violence, support of Mrs Wakehurst, their look, uniforms? Walker and her being against the body, her whipping the victims? Her bringing the cup of water - a touch of sentiment. and Ann Marie escaping? Their being caught at the end? flow responsible were they for their violence?
10. Ann Marie and her growing fear, her relationship with the others in the prison, contriving the escape, her skill in getting herself out of the house and the touches of suspense for the film, the reprise of her being rescued by the truck driver, the ironies of his bringing her back and the behaviour of Mrs Wakehurst and her attendants in getting her back? The hurried court case? The audience hoping that she was not executed and discovering that she was with Julia?
11. The contrast with Julia’s world - her petty worries, the dates with Tony, hoping that he would settle his marriage situation, her love for him? her worry about Ann Marie and her beginning the search? The disappearance of Mark and Julia’s worry? The discovery by the truck driver of Ann Marie's identity - the humorous pace of the discussion in the roadside amongst the truck drivers and the audience impatient for some discovery to happen? The reasonableness of her visit, the sudden encounter with Mark and the change of pace, her horror at the discovery of the body, her being pursued around the prison, the cross-cutting with Tony's coming? The build-up of suspense at the end of the film?
12. Tony's search and his seeming delay? Audience relief that he arrived on time? The gruesome goings-on in the meantime with the deaths of Mark, Mrs Wakehurst? Justice Bailey discovering the truth? Walker and Bates trying to escape?
13. The qualities of the film as a piece of horror? And interesting use of horror devices to explore puritanism, justice and the relationship of punishment to sadistic attitudes in individuals and society? What comment was the film making about human nature?
