Notable Cast: Barbara Nelli, Paul Müller, Gordon
Mitchell, Erika Blanc, Michel Forain, Carlo Kechler, Edith MacGoven
Arrow Video has delivered another one of those classic
box sets they are known for unleashing with their latest: Gothic Fantastico:
Four Italian Tales of Terror. Pulling together four films under a common
thematic and stylistic aspect, this set contains some 1960s cult cinema finds
with brand new 2K restorations, gorgeous packaging, and enough new
commentaries, essays, and interviews to impress any movie collector.
Although this might be the first film in the Gothic
Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror box set, one might expect that a
film named Lady Morgan’s Vengeance would have a lot more - vengeance?
Yet this 1965 gothic romantic horror film centers most of its time and energy
around the gaslighting of the titular Susan Morgan rather than the vengeance
that comes thereafter. Not that establishing characters, plot, and motivations
is a bad thing, but despite some strong visual elements and performances Lady
Morgan’s Vengeance is a film that doubles down on its easy-to-consume (yet
oddly offbeat) story which burdens the overall experience.
Lady Morgan’s Vengeance is a tame film by today’s
standards, but director Massimo Pupillo imbues the entire film with a palpable
atmosphere, gorgeously shot in black in white, and hammers home its formulaic
concept with relative ease. Although it occasionally gets into some more
intense moments like a possible torture dungeon in the basement of the new
house, the focus on developing the atmospheric touches in the first two acts
lends well to set the stage for its supernatural finale.
The film does have its well-shot and visually punchy moments, including an impeccable sequence where Susan is led up some shadowy stairs to the roof while under a trance-like spell. Just the manner that her billowing nightgown waivers in the wind is one of those classic gothic horror moments worth noting and why this film is included in this set. If anything, these moments can carry the film through its rockier moments and just went the film starts to slog one of these key scenes will pop up and keep the audience locked in.
Beyond that, Lady Morgan’s Vengeance makes some
intriguing choices. Not only does the titular vengeance take until the final
act to really get rolling - with the unintentional humor that comes with one of
her acts of vengeance being the ability to turn whiskey into water (?!), but
the film spends far more time on the villain dynamics than the protagonists.
While the love plot drives the supernatural spin of its latter half, Lady
Morgan’s Vengeance is far more interested in how the villains plot or react
than it is about finding the balance between their greed and lust compared to
love and justice. It makes for some wildly entertaining over-the-top
performances, particularly from Gordon Mitchell, and the film adds in an out of
left field ending that goes for broke. It is not enough of a foundation to
uplift the overall film though.
Although Lady Morgan’s Vengeance is entertaining and
features some great visuals and fun performances, it is a film that blows into the
viewer's brain with a whisper and leaves just as quickly once the credits roll.
It is one of those curiosity viewings for cult cinema fans more than anything
and for that - it’s worth the watch.
I actually really liked the convoluted story! I rate it a 3.5
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