The Antichrist

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The Antichrist

October 5th 2009 21:58

The Exorcist (1973) had a lot to answer for. So many producers around the world cashed on William Friedkin’s monumentally successful demonic possession movie and had similarly-themed flicks rushed into production, many of which brazenly lifted whole elements directly from the original Hollywood shocker. Alberto De Martino’s The Antichrist (1974) is no exception, but it’s a damn sight better than nearly all the countless other rip-offs.

An Italian production designed for English-speaking audiences (much of the cast were speaking in English, but later dubbed by other actors who could speak more fluently, whilst some were in fact speaking in Italian and had actors dub their parts in English), The Antichrist doesn’t actually deal directly with the offspring of Satan, but a woman who is possessed by the Devil. It seems the job of the psychiatrist and priest is prevention. But is it really all just psychological?! Perhaps all she needs is a strong cup of tea and an early night. The floating furniture, levitation and disembodied limbs suggest something a little more vivid than just bad dreams though.

Carla Gravina as Ippolita

Ippolita (Carla Gravina) is paralysed, due to a nasty car accident as a young girl in which her dear mother died. Her wealthy, influential father Massimo (Mel Ferrer) cares for her, but Ippolita is a troubled woman, psychologically unstable, and deeply resentful of her father’s clandestine relationship with Greta (Anita Strindberg). A psychiatrist, Dr. Sinibaldi (Umberto Orsini), is brought in to try hypnosis on Ippolita, in a hope of curing her of her anxiety and unhinged emotional state.

IUnder hypnosis Ippolita revisits her mother's nasty demise

The doctor’s treatment only makes matters worse when an unconscious Ippolita, retreats into a previous life as a witch during the Inquisition. It seems the witch is keen on possessing Ippolita and uses the hypnosis as the perfect key. Now starts to have disturbing visions, her ginger-hair a metaphor for her diabolical intent. The most potent vision her other self - aka the blonde witch - being delivered to an alfresco orgy in a phantasmogorical setting where Satan in a goats-head mask, surrounded by minions instructs her to taste his blood, in the form of a torn apart toad whose severed head she devours, and to perform a rimjob on a goat (!). Then Satan penetrates her, all the while Ippolita writhes on her bed, her tongue flicking, moaning in dark ecstasy. Soon after Ippolita seems healed, possessed with a hungry desire to seduce and murder young men. Can she be stopped? Can she be cured? An exorcism is the order of the day!

This is one hysterical chamber piece (if there can be such a thing). The first half of the movie is deeply intriguing, with some excellent set-pieces, a rich, full-blooded palette (courtesy of cinematographer Aristide Massaccesi, better known to exploitation/hardcore fans as Joe D’Amato), potent score from Ennio Morricone, and a terrific central performance from Carla Gravina. It is her character’s arc which dominates the movie, however the second half drags terribly, becoming bogged down in the semantics and histrionics of the exorcism (it is here where The Exorcist similarities are most obvious). Still, the movie works; the garish production design and costuming, Rome locations, dodgy special effects, and all-round perverse nature of the movie are a compelling witches’ brew.

George Coulouris as Father Mittner

The Antichrist was known as The Tempter and also Blasphemy (the most accurate title) in America where it was heavily cut (the goat orgy would no doubt have caused trouble). In Germany the title translated as Black Mass of the Demons. As The Antichrist the title sequence alone is surprisingly unsettling with the striking type and accompanying sound effect. I remember passing the movie on VHS on the video store shelves time and time again when I was young the image of a demonic Ippolita, sores covering her face, green bile spilling out of her mouth, staring maniacally at me. But I never hired it out,the cover art irked me too much (no doubt it would’ve been the cut U.S. version). Now I finally get round to watching it, and thankfully Umbrella have released it in its uncut form (albeit with the American-English dub track).

God rains down on Ippolita

The Antichrist turned out to be a curiously satisfying excursion into that genre I have such dark fondness for: sexually-charged Euro horror trash. Mmmmm.

Here is the trailer:

The Antichrist DVD is courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment, many thanks!

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

3 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by JohnDoe

October 6th 2009 18:45

Film & TV on DVD

Hi Bryn,

When I clicked on this I thought it was for the new lars Von Trier film of the same name.

Glad I did drop in though, the film sounds like one I've missed over the years and sounds worthy of a retroactive screening.

Comment by Bryn

October 6th 2009 21:42

Horrorphile

JD, I'm sure a few cinephiles will be thinking the same thing. Lars is just Antichrist. Not sure when it will open here, it played the MIFF, but not Sydney.

Comment by i am no one

February 16th 2011 03:42

Your text goes herePeopld say these movies{Such as the exorcist, aintichrist, changling, and rosemarys baby} suck and in lite of what we can now do with computer graphics someone new to see it would agree but 30 years ago these directors friedkin in point was a genious and are my fav no matter what they come out with. Your text goes here

[ Previous - The Ferryman, The Alphabet Killer, Repo! The Genetic Opera ]

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