THE SINISTER MONK

 

This is one of the better entries in the series of German films made in the 1960s based on the works of British mystery writer Edgar Wallace. This Krimi has an iconic title character, a hooded, cloaked figure who carries a whip and is quite proficient at using it. Like many of the other German Edgar Wallace thrillers, THE SINISTER MONK was directed by Harald Reinl. 

The story centers around Darkwood Manor, a former monastery which is now the home of the Gilmore family. During an obligatory dark & stormy night, the elderly Lord Gilmore passes away, and his family schemes to get control of the estate, especially after they learn that Lord Gilmore's granddaughter Gwendolin (Karin Dor) is meant to inherit. The manor is being used as a girl's boarding school, which is run by Gilmore's daughter (Ilse Steppat, who Bond fans will recognize from ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.). Gwendolin is invited to stay at the manor by her greedy relatives, and she learns that a number of girls from the school have gone missing or have been murdered, and the grounds are supposedly haunted by a whip-wielding monk. She also learns that there's way, way much more going on around the estate than she can even imagine, and her life is very much in danger. 

THE SINISTER MONK has all sorts of things going on in it. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, and numerous shady characters and red herrings. As expected from a German Krimi, the sharp, expressionistic black & white cinematography adds much to the atmosphere, and Harald Reinl keeps the story moving. 

This Krimi doesn't have as many of the familiar faces one encounters in this genre--Klaus Kinski and Joachim Fuchsberger are not in this one--but veterans Karin Dor and Eddi Arent pick up the slack. Dor is once again appealing in the damsel in distress role, and Arent plays another comedic servant, although this time he's much more subdued, for a very important reason. The girls school element (a common plot device in plenty of Euro genre films) gives the movie an excuse to feature a bevy of young lovelies, including Uta Levka, who would later appear in SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN. The girls wind up being victims in an international kidnapping scheme, run by the Sinister Monk himself. One point that must be made about this picture is the music score by Peter Thomas. Thomas' Krimi soundtracks have a tendency to be over-the-top, but this one is so flamboyant that one wonders if it was written for another movie altogether. You'll either be annoyed or amused by it. 

The titular Monk doesn't have a lot of screen time, but maybe that's just as well, for the character would probably lose effectiveness with more exposure. When the Monk was finally unmasked, I was absolutely surprised, as will anyone who watches this film for the first time with some knowledge about Krimi actors. 

The unexpected ending of THE SINISTER MONK adds to the overall entertainment value of the movie. It's a wild, crazy ride, and it has the bonus of even having some scenes that were actually filmed in London. There's a number of Krimi films I haven't seen yet, but out of the ones that I have, THE SINISTER MONK ranks at the top.