Deviation (1971)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

José Ramón Larraz

Writer:

José Ramón Larraz (writer)

Release Date:

18 December 1971 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Karl Lanchbury	...	Julian
Lisbet Lundquist	...	Rebecca
Sibyla Grey	...	Olivia
Malcolm Terris	...	Paul
Shelagh Wilcocks	...	Auntie
Geoffrey Wincott	...	Old Man Chemist
Frederick Schrecker	...	Old Man Taxidermist
Andrew Grant
Debbi Garland	...	Vivian
Hugh Fraser
Terence Lenis
Hillary Gotter	...	White Orgy Female
Lucienne Camille	...	Black Orgy Female

Runtime:

USA:89 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Trivia:

Released on VHS in Canada by Marquis Video, but for some reason, the company opted not to put their name on the cassette box or the presentation itself. The tape opens with a video generated title for Prima Film, Marquis' parent company, but has no other distributor identification. Also, the front of the box features a photo of Jo-Ann Robinson, as the possessed character "D.J." from Scalps (1983). Marquis also released Ray's film on tape around the same time.

that house lost in the woods

A black-clad woman with raven black hair running through a forest, a man frantically nailing planks across the door. The wind is howling, the woman is running among the trees, and the young man, hammer in his hands, nailing the door shut. These two scenes alternate several times. Why is she running that way? Why is he so keen on closing that room?

Next we see them in London. The man is Julian (Karl Lanchbury), a taxidermist, and the woman is Rebecca (Lisbeth Lundquist), his sister.

He enters a shop and is given a new task by the shop's owner: to stuff a recently deceased dog. He speaks briefly with the shop's owner about the work to be done. Rebecca is waiting outside in the car. On the surface everything looks normal - Julian's youthful looks and civil demeanor are belied by something weird lying behind his facade, and Rebecca, in spite of her groovy 70s looks, looks like a beautiful witch just come from a sabbath. Where ever does Larraz find these exotic women that appear in his films?

The next scene show us a couple driving through a road at night - Paul (Malcolm Terris) and Olivia (Sibyla Grey). They drive slowly through the woods, the night is dark. Paul swerves to avoid a indistinct figure in a white poncho and hits something. No harm is done, but the car is stuck. Help is offered to them by - guess whom - Julian and Rebecca that live in a house nearby.

This house is used by a hippie sect for their ceremonies. There they play their games, smoke their pipes of peace and indulge in their sexual orgies (but they are not concerned about Satan). Remember, this is early 70s England!

Paul and Olivia, the new couple, accidentally(?) arrived in this house, will discover (for good of for bad) the goings-on. And love, repulsion, jealousy and madness will play their hands in what will happen.

"Deviation" is a sensory trip difficult to translate into words. Larraz' world is unique - landscape, people and sensuality blend harmoniously in his films. He's a good actor's director that can extract natural performances from his actors even when they are at their most bizarre.

"Deviation" could be labeled as an atmospheric psycho-horror film - from the very beginning we enter a realm of weirdness and fantasy.

Those of you that have a weak spot for the early 70s and swinging England should check out this film. See the hippie happenings in "the Refuge". And Rebecca teaches us how to smoke the pipe of peace. All this underlined by the beautiful prog rock score by Stelvio Cipriani.