CIRCUS OF HORRORS
UK, 1960, 92 minutes, Colour.
Anton Diffring, Erika Remberg, Yvonne Monlaur, Donald Pleasence, Jane Hylton, Kenneth Griffith, Jack Gwillim, William Mervin, John Merivale.
Directed by Sidney Hayers.
Circus of Horrors has a comparatively contemporary setting from the time that it was made. It is set in post-war Britain in 1947 where a plastic surgeon has to flee the country because of errors he made in a procedure. When he goes to France, he begins to help women whose faces are disfigured – and then places them in a circus. This gives the opportunity for some circus acts. However, the women want to get out of the circus – and then meet mysterious deaths.
The film is an interesting example of the kind of horror that was emerging in British films at the end of the 1950s and which was to develop very strongly in the 1970s and 70s.
The star, Anton Diffring, portrayed Nazis in a great number of films. The director, Scottish-born Sidney Hayers, spent a long career working in television but made several films, especially at the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 70s including The Southern Star, All Coppers Are … and Deadly Strangers.
1. Expectations from the title? Overall impact in terms of horror and enjoyment? A quality horror film,
average?
2. A horror film of the early sixties? The horror traditions and conventions? The trend of the sixties for emphases on
violence and sadism? Contribution to the film, taking away from the impact?
3. The plot's attempts at plausibility? Dates, explanations, reliance on background of the plastic surgery, circuses? How plausible was the plot? The atmosphere of the post-war period? The developments in plastic surgery and the dangers? The atmosphere, the reconstruction of new people by plastic surgery? The insights into the evil of human nature, vengeance as making the plot plausible?
4. The film's emphasis on physical violence especially gashes, mutilations and so on? The tone that the film had because of this visual portrayal of ugliness and violence?
5. The atmosphere of the opening, the plight of the characters, ugliness? The importance of the surgical situation, the lay? The flight the crash? The indications of Rossiter as unscrupulous? The way that this was developed throughout the film?
6. The build-up to the flight, the contributions of Martin and Angela? Their relationship with Rossiter? Their interactions? Audience sympathy for Martin and Angela and the audience being in conflict with Rossiter?
7. The atmosphere of danger, concealment of the truth? The encounter with the circus? The character of the man who owned the circus, his concern about his daughter, his being pleased with the operation? The deal about owning the circus? The savagery of the circus owner's death? Rossiter being revealed as evil?
8. How satisfactory was the transition in the screen play with the ten-year gap? The build-up of the circus? The prostitute? The people within, Rossiter and his madness? The horror circus that he had produced? Angela, and Martin as continuing to support him? Their tears and jealousies?
9. The transition to Schuyler: the nature of his madness, his ambition towards success, his playing God, his surgical skills his lack of scrupulosity, blackmail, sexuality? A monstrous devil figure?
10. Schuyler and his playing God with lift and death, killing the people who rebelled against him? Audience horror at this? The various reactions of the characters and their hatred of Schuyler?
12. Schuyler’s underestimating Angela and Martin, not fulfilling their needs, creating an atmosphere of vengeance in them?
13. The build-up of a rebellious situation against Schuyler? The visualizing of the deaths that he contrived? The escape?
14. Audience identification with the police and the journalist trying to probe the truth? How much did the audience hope the truth would come out? Why?
15. The build-up to the final crisis? The poetic justice of the circus turning against Schuyler?
16. Is there any more value in this kind of film than an exercise in horrifying an audience?
