IMDb on iPhone and iPod touch Learn more Learn more Download from the App Store
IMDb > The Mind Benders (1963)

The Mind Benders (1963) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 6 | slideshow)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   128 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
James Kennaway (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Mind Benders on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 February 1964 (Denmark) more
Genre:
Tagline:
PERVERTED... SOULESS! The Most Dangerous And Different Motion Picture Ever Brought To The Screen!
Plot:
A dedicated British scientist tests the possibility of brainwashing. If the experiment succeeds, he will stop loving his wife. full summary | add synopsis
User Reviews:
Really? Isolation causes mental instability? more (6 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Dirk Bogarde ... Dr. Henry Laidlaw Longman
Mary Ure ... Oonagh Longman
John Clements ... Major Hall
Michael Bryant ... Dr. Danny Tate
Wendy Craig ... Annabella
Harold Goldblatt ... Professor Sharpey
Geoffrey Keen ... Calder
Terry Palmer ... Norman
Norman Bird ... Aubrey
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
109 min | USA:99 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Norway:16 | UK:12 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Edward Fox's first film. more
Quotes:
Annabella: And I have every limb and organ that a girl should have, except one. I no longer have a shoulder to weep on. A Polish gentleman wore it away with his tears. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Trailer Cinema (1992) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
2 out of 4 people found the following review useful.
Really? Isolation causes mental instability?, 25 March 2008
4/10
Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

It took me no less than five attempts in order to watch this film straight from start to finish. This primarily has to do with my personal bad habit of always wanting to watch movies when I should be doing something else (like…sleeping!), but it also has to do with the subject matter, which inarguably isn't the most exciting stuff ever told on film. "The Mind Benders" is a mature, sophisticated and fascinatingly intellectual thriller - but let's remain honest - it's also a tiny bit boring and too often just stating the obvious. Even in 1962, scientists must have been aware that phenomena like isolation and brainwashing are likely to negatively affect the test subjects' mental condition and social skills? The supposedly prominent doctors appear genuinely astonished when Dirk Bogarde's character emerges from a water tank and behaves disorientated and unearthly. Well, what do you expect he acts like? Do a little dance? Make a little love?? Get down tonight, perhaps? The script is coherent, albeit very slow-paced, and the character drawings are likable as well as realistic, but the obviousness of the depicted events inevitably causes your attention to wander off. The opening five minutes are absolutely magnificent (and, personally, my sole motivation to not give up on it) and sets the exact right tone for a thoroughly sober film. Whilst on a moving train and amidst a carriage full of passengers, a clearly confused Professor stands up and… jumps off the train! The investigating Major is convinced Professor Sharpe acted like a Communist spy with remorse, but his young acolyte Dr. Tate refuses to accept this verdict and seeks the help of Sharpe's former colleague and friend, Dr. Longman. The latter volunteers to undergo a devastating experiment and the scientists quickly learn that eight hours of isolation in a water tank has the same nightmarish effect on people as eight months of intense brainwashing methods. They decide to take the test up to an even more dangerous level and make Dr. Longman believe he doesn't love the wife he's been married to since 12 years and has 4 children with. With a slightly more progressive and perhaps more venturous screenplay, "The Mind Benders" could have been listed alongside the most disturbing thrillers of the 1960's (like "Carnival of Souls", "Seconds or "Blow Up") but now it sadly falls a little short. It's certainly a stylish effort, with wondrous cinematography by Denys Coop and a staggering by George Auric, but unfortunately director Basil Dearden can't materialize the story's immense potential. Heck, even the fantastic opening sequence are nearly ruined by the compulsory happy-ending. "The Mind Benders" isn't fundamental viewing in my humble opinion, but definitely interesting. If you do decide to see the film, make sure you're wide awake and/or high on caffeine.

Was the above review useful to you?
more (6 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Mind Benders (1963)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
On Her Majesty's Secret Service Peeping Tom The Ipcress File The World Is Not Enough The Dam Busters
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Drama section IMDb UK section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.