PERSECUTION
UK, 1974, 96 minutes, Colour.
Lana Turner, Ralph Bates, Olga Georges Picot, Trevor Howard, Suzan Farmer, Ronald Howard, Patrick Allen.
Directed by Don Chaffey.
Persecution is a psychological thriller directed by veteran Don Chaffey, one of many horror films coming from England in the early '70s. It offers an opportunity to see Lana Turner at age 50. Ralph Bates, star of a number of horror films of the period, is her son and Trevor Howard has a guest role.
Lana Turner has the opportunity to be a glamorous vindictive mother, loving her cats more than her son, vengeful against him and ultimately wreaking revenge.
1.Entertaining psychological horror thriller? Star vehicle for Lana Turner? English setting? Elderly woman and cats drama?
2.The title, Carrie persecuting her son, her son persecuting her?
3.The English setting, the black and white flashbacks, the wealthy estate? Eerie atmosphere? The focus on the cats - and the cats' eye perspective of the action? Musical score?
4.Lana Turner as Carrie, her relationship with her son, her disdain, his gifts, shunning him, the meals and her behaviour towards him, spurning his gifts? Her love for her cats? The flashbacks and her marriage to her chauffeur, her remembering him pushing her down the stars, her injury? Her visit with Paul Bellamy, blackmailing him for 24 years? Father of her son? Her not publicising the truth? David and his growing up, her resentment? His marriage, the child? Her offhandedly telling Paul Bellamy this information? Her criticisms of her daughter-in-law? The cat killing the baby? Her fondness for the cat, the series of cats? The daughter-in-law's illness, her going to the nightclub, hiring the prostitute, getting her to care for her daughter-in-law, getting her to seduce her son? Setting up the daughter-in-law to discover them? The final confrontation between David and Carrie, his digging up the skeleton, putting the hand in the bed, the death of the cats? His humiliating her like a cat - and drowning her in the milk just as he had drowned the cat? Punishment for an evil woman?
5.Paul Bellamy, his public career, the relationship with Carrie? Her visit with him, the 24 years of blackmail? The phone calls and her demands? His place in her flashbacks - and the irony that it was he who pushed her down the stairs? The contrast with Robert Masters, her chauffeur, marrying him, his not wanting the child, her murdering him and burying him in the garden?
6.David, the unwanted child, the cat loved more than him, his drowning the cat? His antagonism towards his mother, trying to win her affection, the gifts? Grown up, marriage, the possibility of happiness, the child? The accident and the death of the baby? His resentment towards his mother, care for his wife? The coming of Monique, seductive, his liaison with her? His wife's death? The confrontation of his mother, the photos, tearing up Paul Bellamy's photo, the discovery of the truth? His humiliating his mother, making her cry like a cat, killing her?
7.Monique, the nightclub, coming to care for the daughter-in-law? Seductive, the encounters with David? The night with him? Her leaving the house and being paid by Carrie? Her being murdered by David?
8.Psychological horror tale? Plausibility? An attempt at 1970s style Gothic horror?
