Sick Product of a Sick System

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

This is not a great film, indeed at times it appears no more than an average TV movie. And yet it is involving, has a very novel central idea and stars Richard Burton and Lino Ventura. Preposterous and yet persuasive this has a very violent beginning and then just as violent a surprise to launch this unique film onward. Burton is brilliant and some of the scenes are among his very best, the courtroom and the wife departure scenes come to mind when his delivery is masterful. Ventura holds his own well though I understand this was hoped to widen the great actor's appeal to the world wider than Italy. So understated is his acting and so ignored was the film that this unfortunately did not happen. Burton's character believes and we are convinced, that he can cause catastrophe. It is unfortunate that what must have been a limited budget led to overblown disaster scenes being unconvincing and a parade of celebratory actors unhelpful. Hidden gem this may not be but well worth seeing as something very different.

the nuances of story. the nuances of acting. the intensity of Richard Burton look. and an old theme. each as convincing ingredient for a real good movie interesting for atmosphere, original for the tension and large shadows. far to be original, it represents a good job. and that fact defines it. the presence of a remarkable cast - Lee Remick, Richard Burton and Lino Ventura, the short presence of Michael Hordern and Derek Jacobi, the image and the dialog rhythm are perfect bricks for a story about a kind of Raskolnikoff and his new form of justice. sure, it is slice from a large pie of conspiracies and paranormal events but that is only a virtue. because it has a special flavor and the right atmosphere.

First of all, there is Richard Burton. His presence alone, like his character's terrible power, carries the film even when Morlar is lying in a coma for the entire duration of the movie. Then there is the story. Slow pace? For 1978 this film is a fast paced horror thriller. Most of all, it all feels real, even if most supporting evidence in the film is just mambo jumbo. There are several things that make this film great, one of the movies that should stand at the foundation of any film maker or cinema watcher. One of them is the acting and, as a corollary, the way that acting was framed. Then there is the story, something that seems like a cheap thriller, but that has all the necessary details to make it great. None of the characters are special in any way, but they are not ordinary either. A police detective, a psychologist, a failed lawyer, husband and father that seems to be followed by disaster. Their dynamic throughout the movie forces you at the edge of your seat, making you think and feel what the characters are supposed to feel.I admit I saw this film as a child and, as such, my personality has been shaped by it. I am therefore biased and cannot see this film as anything but great. But I just watched it again now, in my middle age, and I still found it phenomenal. I also feel the pain of missing actors like Richard Burton and even Lino Ventura and Lee Remick. Nowadays, actors are so different, stories are so different, and everybody is afraid of showing true art on the big screen.

'The Medusa Touch' fits as one of those films that certainly deserves to be called a masterpiece that became a well kept secret. If you are a fan of the genre and haven't seen it, what a rare find it is! Contributors to threads of a remake of this film are filled with screams against that idea. And deservedly so. Any attempt to remake this classic would be a travesty.Richard Burton's excellent performance, and surly the role fits Burton's acting style like a well tailored glove. Casting him as an intelligent and well versed author, whose spoken (and written) dialog is scripted to delve deep into a profound command of the English language, is right up Burton's alley. I see much written here about Burton's outstanding performance and they are certainly correct.It almost seems an oversight however, that the performance given by Lino Ventura (Inspector Brunel) is as fine a work of acting as can be. Officially a 'supporting actor' in the film, one could hardly tell. Cast as a French Exchange Detective who has a suspicious, slightly non-trusting relationship with his English Scotland Yard counterparts, Ventura turns in a nearly flawless role, and makes the idea work exquisitely.Often while deep in puzzled thought and shock, mere facial expressions from Inspector Brunel are perfect additions to Ventura's role. To many thread do not topic Lino Ventura's excellent acting in this outstanding classic gem of a thriller. Perhaps due to many fans in the English speaking world never having heard of Lino Ventura, and figuring he was a 'small-fame' actor. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ventura was Italian citizenship and birth, while living the majority of his life in France.Ventura was a hugely acclaimed and decorated actor in France, who played some iconic roles there. Casting Lino Ventura in this film was no stretch, as his timeless performance attests. The filmmakers were fortunate to land him. In many ways, Ventura's performance helped mold this movie into the hidden classic 'The Medusa Touch' will forever be.