In a Glass Cage (1986)

A former nazi child-killer is confined in an iron lung inside an old mansion after a suicide attempt. His wife hires him a full-time carer, a mysterious young man who is driven slowly mad by the old man's disturbing past.

Director:

Agustí Villaronga (as Agustín Villaronga)

Writer:

Agustí Villaronga (as Agustín Villaronga)

Stars:

Günter Meisner, David Sust, Marisa Paredes

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Günter Meisner	...	Klaus (as Gunter Meisner)
David Sust	...	Angelo
Marisa Paredes	...	Griselda
Gisèle Echevarría	...	Rena (as Gisela Echevarria)
Imma Colomer	...	Jornalera (as Inma Colomer)
Josuè Guasch	...	Niño Cantor (as Josue Guasch)
David Cuspinera	...	Niño barracon
Ricardo Carcelero	...	Angelo Niño
Alberto Manzano	...	Niño Gitano

Storyline

In Spain, the former Nazi doctor Klaus tries to commit suicide jumping off the roof of his manor. However, he survives with the entire body paralyzed and dependable of an iron lung with glass sides. His wife Griselda decides to hire a nurse since she does not bear the situation. Klaus asks Griselda to hire Angelo, a mysterious teenager that appears in their house. Angelo befriends Klaus' daughter Rena and sooner it is shown that Klaus was a pedophile that loved to feel the fear of death in young boys before abusing and killing them. Further, Angelo is a disturbed and totally insane victim of his experiments that intends to follow the insanities described in Klaus' diary and incorporate his personality.

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Plot Keywords:

iron lung | dead children | giallo | spanish giallo | sleazy giallo | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

First feature film directed by Agustí Villaronga.

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Quotes

Klaus: [talking to a child] Want a cigarette? Want to make some money?

User Reviews

dismal, dreary, and too long

Well, if you're looking for a film more apt than "Apt Pupil," feel free to knock yourself out with "In a Glass Cage." A Nazi doctor confined to an Iron Lung is tormented by a former victim who poses as a housekeeper (but is even more mentally unbalanced than the good doctor himself) in order to learn the tricks of torture he used during the war. Despite the good performances, the psychological bond between these two is rather half-baked and unbelievable (partly because it's so weakly written), even more so when the kid starts performing his own murders in the doctor's witness. The script is much more content to wallow in its own outre subject matter than approach it with a fresh, absorbing insight--basically, we hear the same rants on molestation and murder over and over again, but the film isn't curious about exploring these themes on anything other than a very basic level. The mood of the film (and that is one thing it DOES have, in abundance) is often broken by elements that seem lifted from a slasher film (the wife's hanging is a prime example), and it simply goes on too long, playing the same repetitious notes over and over again. If you want to see a truly disturbing film that is a masterpiece of both depravity and intelligence, try Pasolini's "Salo"; "In a Glass Cage" only has the depravity.

5.5/10

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

6 August 1986 (Spain)

Also Known As:

In a Glass Cage

Company Credits

Production Co:

T.E.M. Productores S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1