FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

 

A couple days ago I received in the mail the brand new 4K/Blu-ray release of the 1952 British science-fiction film FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE, a product put out by the people now running Hammer Films. This is a magnificent package, filled to the brim with all sorts of extras and special features. There's so many things this set contains that I'm going to do something different--instead of trying to cover everything in one blog post, I'll be writing about the actual movie first, and then discussing the details of the home video release later. 

FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE, which was made in 1952, but not released until the following year, was the very first full-on science-fiction story produced by Hammer Films. It was also the first science-fiction story directed by Terence Fisher (ironically he was not a fan of the genre). The movie isn't a technical extravaganza--it's a low-budget black & white drama that has no innovative special effects. What it does have is a plot that provides plenty of food for thought. 

The story is set in a small English village called Howdean, and it is conveyed to the viewer through the town's Dr. Harvey (James Hayter). Harvey explains how two lifelong friends, Bill Leggett (Stephen Murray) and Robin Grant (John Van Eyssen), take their mutual interest in science to the ultimate level by creating a machine that can reproduce any object. Assisting them in this endeavor is another lifelong friend, the lovely Lena (Barbara Payton). The machine is a success, and the trio have all sorts of plans. Both Bill and Robin have deep feelings for Lena, but the lady chooses Robin to marry. Bill is so distraught that he decides to use this new technology to duplicate Lena and have his own version of her. Surprisingly she agrees, and the process works.....but the "new" Lena, maned Helen, comes out too well. Not only is she the perfect image of Lena, she has all her memories, and her personality traits...which means that she prefers Robin to Bill as well. Undeterred, Bill tries one more experiment to "fix" things....but it only causes disaster for those concerned. 

One thing about watching FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE on this new release is how fantastic the print looks. I don't have a 4K player, but the visual quality of the Blu-ray is stunning. FSD did not have a big budget, but this movie doesn't look cheap, and the photography (by Reg Wyer, who worked a number of times with Terence Fisher) and the art direction (by J. Elder Wills) are both impressive. In his book on Terence Fisher, Tony Dalton states that he thought the film looked shoddy, but I totally disagree with that. Bill and Robin's DIY laboratory (located in an old barn) is filled with all sorts of odd equipment, and it looks exactly like something a couple of bright guys who don't have a lot of funding would put together. Despite Hammer's low economic status, their films for the most part always looked good, and were usually technically proficient. 

FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE was based on a novel by British author William F. Temple, and one can easily understand why the story's central idea would intrigue filmmakers. If FSD does have a weakness, it's that it doesn't have the running time--or the creativity--to adequately deal with all the consequences brought about by the duplication machine. At one point it is mentioned that such a machine would have a major impact on the world's economic status, but this isn't dealt with at all. The duplication of a human being has all sorts of questions and conundrums, but the film focuses on the true four-sided triangle between Bill, Robin, Lena, and Helen. 

The very idea of a male rejected suitor duplicating a woman who doesn't love him, so he can have his own version of her, raises all sorts of flags in today's world. It's hard to believe that Lena, or any woman would agree to be part of this process--once could say that this is the ultimate example of an assault. It's to the credit of actor Stephen Murray and Terence Fisher that the character of Bill doesn't come off as a crazed psychopath. Bill isn't so much a mad scientist as a forlorn, empty man who is emotionally disabled. The movie details that Bill was the son of a abusive, drunken wastrel, and while Bill and Robin are portrayed as true and loyal friends, the latter is the son of an aristocrat who is far more socially assured than the former. One can disagree with Bill's actions while still feeling sort of sympathetic toward him. 

Bill's biggest problem is one that most scientists in these types of films experience--they don't think things all the way through. If Lena doesn't love him, why would an exact duplicate of her feel any different?? When Bill finds out that "his" Helen doesn't love him either, he decides to attempt to erase her memory (which is really Lena's memories). This idea makes one wonder--if Bill truly does love Lena, what would he want with someone who looks like Lena, but doesn't act like her?? Does Bill really just love the appearance of Lena?? Personally I feel that what Bill really wants isn't so much as to love Lena as to have Lena love him, and no amount of scientific expertise is going to make that happen. 

As for Lena, it will be surprising to some that this film is not told from her experience, but rather from the perspective of Dr. Harvey and Bill. Barbara Payton actually doesn't have all that much to do here, but she does tone down her usual blonde-bombshell tendencies. Her Lena--and Helen--appear strangely accepting of the entire situation, but one has to realize this project was written and created by straight males in the mid 20th Century. 

One positive about FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE is that Terence Fisher presents things in a straightforward, get to the point manner that avoids outlandish flourishes. It's way too easy to look at Fisher's early 1950s films and come up with connections to his later Gothic works, but if you're a Hammer fanatic you can't avoid doing so. The character of Dr. Harvey is basically an early, less-stodgy version of Paul Krempe in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Dr. Harvey acts as a mentor and teacher to the young Bill, as Krempe did to the young Baron in CURSE, and both Harvey and Krempe mention that their charges have vastly surpassed them in knowledge. Harvey also echoes Krempe in the way that he advises Bill against his plans, but continues to help him along nonetheless. 

At one point Bill is shown burying the result of one of his failed experiments with animals during a wind-swept night, and yes, there are plenty of swirling leaves about, a major Fisher trope. This scene would easily fit into any of the later Hammer Gothics. The laboratory sequences are edited and shot in such a way that they can't help but remind an informed viewer of similar scenes in the later Peter Cushing Frankenstein films directed by Fisher. 

The main Fisher theme that one finds here is that those who are greedy, possessive, or have unnatural desires will inevitably hurt others, and cause their own downfall. There's a lot more going on in Terence Fisher's early non-Gothic Hammers than most people realize. 

I had first seen FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE on YouTube a few years ago, and my first impressions were that it was a decent film, nothing more. Having now watched it on this special edition home video release, along with some of the fine extras discussing it, my appreciation of it has grown. It's not a great film, and it doesn't fully explore the ideas that it presents (the climax wraps things up way too easily), but it's a solid, well-told effort that makes one think--and that's about the best thing you can expect from any science-fiction tale. 

THE 10TH VICTIM On Blu-ray From Kino

 

Kino Lorber has released a new Blu-ray featuring the 1965 Italian cult science-fiction film THE 10TH VICTIM. This movie has gotten plenty of attention in recent years due to its influence on numerous films and TV shows, such as AUSTIN POWERS, THE RUNNING MAN, and THE HUNGER GAMES. 

Sometime in the 21st Century, war has been outlawed, and mankind's thirst for violence has been replaced by "The Big Hunt". Those who sign up for it are matched by computer with other players to legally hunt and kill each other. Italian Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) is picked to be the "victim" of American "hunter" Caroline (Ursula Andress). Not only are the duo both proficient in killing and avoiding being killed, they're also well matched in physical attractiveness. The two start to fall for one another, but can they avoid their instincts to complete the hunt? 

THE 10TH VICTIM was based on a short story by American fantasy writer Robert Scheckley called "The Seventh Victim". Needless the say, plenty of changes were made to the original tale before it became a full-length feature film. (Scheckley himself was not pleased with the result.) Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Elio Petri, THE 10TH VICTIM has plenty of pop-art 1960s fad style--nearly every shot composition resembles a fashion ad or a snippet from a TV commercial. The future is presented here not through any intricate special effects, but with a certain sense of coolness and a stylized look. 

If there are any major special effects in this movie, they would have to be Ursula Andress and Marcello Mastoianni. There's a coldness, however, in their combined beauty--one doesn't believe that their characters have any deep feelings for anyone (at one point Caroline refers to herself as an iceberg). One could say that the duo are so detached with their perfect looks that they deserve one another. They're certainly eye candy, but it's hard for a viewer to be all that involved in their plight. More eye candy is provided in the form of Elsa Martinelli, who plays Marcello's high-maintenance mistress. 

The satirical aspects of a futuristic society that legalizes hunting other human beings are laid on pretty thick, but this is a society that isn't really delved into with any depth. The entire movie is more style than substance, but there are plenty of highlights for film geeks, such as the iconic opening sequence where Ursula Andress uses a "bullet bra" to kill someone, a cameo appearance by the space suits from Mario Bava's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, and pistol and rifle sound effects that are the same that can be heard in dozens and dozens of spaghetti westerns. 

Kino states that this Blu-ray features a 2K restoration of the film, and it is a fine-looking, colorful print (and Ursula Andress is absolutely devastating in HD). This print carries the Italian title LA DECIMA VITTIMA, with Italian main & end credits. Two audio tracks are included--the original Italian with available English subtitles, and an English dub track. (The Italian is much superior.) 

A brand new audio commentary is featured on this disc. The Blu-ray case states that the talk is by Steve Mitchell, Howard S. Berger, and Nathaniel Thompson.....but actually it's Mitchell and Euro Cult expert Troy Howarth. The duo give a wide-ranging and informative discussion that covers the careers and the star power of the three main actors at the time of the production, and they also detail what impact international cinema was making in America during the 1960s. 

Included on this disc is a 30 minute program with Elio Petri's widow and film expert Kim Newman. Mrs. Petri gives some behind-the-scenes info on THE 10TH VICTIM, including the fact that producer Carlo Ponti didn't like scinece-fiction (or the director), while Newman gives insights and analysis on Petri's film making career. Kino has also included the original Italian and American trailers for the film, and a comparison of the two shows how different the movie was looked at on both sides of the Atlantic. 

THE 10TH VICTIM will appeal more to film geeks than a regular audience. It feels more like a magazine layout than a science-fiction story--it's about as Sixties Mod as you can get.