The snake pit and the pendulum
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The snake pit and the pendulum |
 | |
| Country of production | Federal Republic of Germany |
| original language | German , English |
| Publishing year | 1967 |
| length | 80 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Harald Reinl |
| script | Manfred R. Koehler |
| production | Constantin Film |
| music | Peter Thomas |
| camera | Ernst W. Kalinke |
| cut | Hermann Haller |
| occupation | |
| |
The snake pit and the pendulum is a German horror film based on motifs from the short story The Pit and the Pendulum (German title: Die Torttern , Wassergrube und Pendel) by Edgar Allan Poe . The film , directed by director Harald Reinl and produced by Constantin Film , was shot from May 16 to July 7, 1967. From October 5th, 1967 it ran in German cinemas.
action
Count Regula wants to develop an elixir that will give him eternal life. For this he needs the blood of 13 virgins; He has already tortured and killed twelve at his Andomai Castle. After the 13th virgin managed to escape, the count is caught. Judge Reinhard von Marienberg announces the verdict: death by quartering. Before the execution, the count prophesies his revenge on the judge and his family.
35 years later, Roger Mont Elise and Baroness Lilian von Brabant received an invitation to the castle from a one-legged morality singer who was present at Count Regula's execution. Roger is supposed to learn more about his past there (he is a foundling and therefore does not know his origin), the baroness is expected to take over the inheritance of her deceased mother. They are due to arrive on Andomai on Good Friday. The invitation is signed by a certain Count Regula. Despite the people's superstitious fear of the castle and its surroundings, they decide to continue their journey together. On the way to the castle they pick up the priest Fabian, who later turns out to be a robber chief. After the coachman witnessed eerie apparitions and died of a heart attack, Lilian and her maid Babette are kidnapped by Anatol, the count's servant.
Roger and Fabian finally make their way to the castle. There they have to make do with servant Anatol first. The latter explains to you about the plans of the "dead" count before he brings him back to life. This is prevented at first because a cross, the crucifix of the Baroness, is nearby. Fabian had stolen it and is tricked by Anatol to get it out of the room. A path opened by the servant leads him directly into a dungeon. Shortly afterwards, the count succeeds in resuscitating them, who then explains everything to Roger and Lilian. It turns out that Roger Mont Elise is actually called Roger von Marienberg and is the son of the judge who sentenced Regula to death. The baroness learns, however, that she is the daughter of the 13th virgin who once escaped the count.
Regula wants to take revenge on Roger and ties him to the floor in a chamber with a sharp pendulum swinging from the ceiling. The baroness is held captive at the edge of a pit full of snakes; a board on which she stands is pulled back piece by piece, so that she must fear falling into the pit. This should cause her to suffer as much fear as possible so that her blood will be suitable for the count's elixir. When she passed out in complete panic, Anatol saved her from falling into the pit at the last moment. The baroness's blood is now good enough to prepare the count's elixir. When the swinging pendulum threatens to cut Roger, he manages to get it out of sync with the help of a stone so that it cuts his bonds. Shortly afterwards he is freed by Fabian, who managed to escape from his dungeon. Together they can finally destroy the elixir of the count with the help of the crucifix, kill him and Anatol and save the baroness.
German version
The actors Karin Dor , Carl Lange and Dieter Eppler can be heard in this film with their own voices. Other voice actors included:
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Mont Elise / Judge Reinhard von Marienberg | Lex Barker | Horst Naumann |
| Count Regula | Christopher Lee | Herbert Weicker |
| Fabian | Vladimir Medar | Klaus W. Krause |
symbolism
The numerous references to Christian symbolism are striking, although they have been reversed in a manner corresponding to Count Regula's evil character. On Roger's journey there is a statue at the entrance to the Sander Valley, which resembles famous paintings in which God the Father holds Jesus who has been removed from the cross in his arms (so-called mercy seat ). It shows a man with a crown, holding a man with a loincloth and severed limbs, and can therefore also be referred to Count Regula. Count Regula wants to be resurrected on Good Friday and he wants to gain eternal life through the blood of 13 virgins. He is also terrified of the cross. The sound of the name of Regula's Castle Andomai is also reminiscent of the term Adonai, which means "Lord", which was pronounced in Judaism instead of the divine tetragram.
Others
- The title of the script written by Manfred R. Köhler was Schloß Schreckenstein . The production company Constantin Film later announced the film as an Edgar Allan Poe film adaptation under the title The Water Pit and the Pendulum .
- Instead of the actress Christiane Rücker , Ilse Pagé was initially planned.
- The name of Count Regula is a reference to Count Dracula , whose role Christopher Lee made famous in the Hammer films .
- The cameraman Ernst W. Kalinke broke his arm while filming the carriage ride. He was temporarily replaced by Dieter Liphardt .
- The outdoor shots for this film were made in Rothenburg ob der Tauber , in the Isar Valley near Straßlach , on the Externsteinen in the Teutoburg Forest and on a section of the Fürstenallee near Schlangen . The interior shots were shot in the Bavaria Film studios in Geiselgasteig near Munich .
- The film structures and paintings came from Gabriel Pellon , the production management was carried out by Wolfgang Kühnlenz .
- The film was approved by the FSK for ages 12 and over without any restrictions.
- At the box office, the film could not keep up with the successful Edgar Wallace or Karl May films ; However, due to the low age rating, it turned out to be a satisfactory business. Constantin-Film and other German distributors then released other horror films from Germany and those coproduced with foreign production companies, including Im Schloß der bloutigen Begierde (1968), Necronomicon - Dreamed Sins (1968), Night When Dracula Wakes Up (1970), Is Bitten only at night (1971) as well as witches tormented down to the blood (1970) and witches - desecrated and tormented to death (1973).
- In addition to numerous international distribution titles, the film was released under the titles Die Burg des Grauens and Die Schlangengrube des Dr. Dracula in the shortened Super 8 versions .
Reviews
"Tame horror in the romantic style."
"German attempt at a horror film based on EA Poe, more laughable than scary."
“It is not surprising that so many people who saw (the film) in childhood (...) still appreciate it today. It appeals to dreamers and moves something primordial in the soulmates of the romantics who lived two centuries ago. Fears are transformed into fairy tales, worldly existence into an exciting search for identity. (...) "The Snake Pit and the Pendulum" - an important and unique example of German film history. "
“Colorful horror film based on motifs by Edgar Allan Poe. The horror is only designed superficially and therefore remains quite harmless. "
Movie quote
“I'm already dead. Hanged, yes, hanged. If you are cut from the gallows in time, the body develops substances that make you immune to bullets. "
"But monsieur, I ... I did nothing to you!"
"Of course not. You only shot me a little. "
Quotes
"I have no idea if this film will ever be shown outside of Europe, and that might even be beneficial."
“The stay in Munich was a lot of fun and I was pleasantly surprised by what I have seen of the film so far. The colors are first class, the sets are excellent and the acting is more than adequate. The film may not be as bad as I feared. "
"[...] completely terrible mixture of the Poe story The Pit and the Pendulum , The Hunchback of Notre-Dame , The House of Legends and Eternal Life ."
literature
- Edgar Allan Poe: Pit and Pendulum and Other Tales. German by Erika Gröger and Heide Steiner , 128 pages. Insel Verlag, Leipzig 2004, ISBN 3-458-34807-7 .
References and comments
- ^ "Lippe aktuell" from October 6, 2010
- ↑ Evangelical Press Association, Munich, Review No. 447/1967
Web links
- The Blood Demon in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The snake pit and the pendulum ( memento from December 26, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) at deutscher-tonfilm.de
- The snake pit and the pendulum at Filmportal.de
- Sound carrier with the film music