Review of The Intruder

Although by modern dramatic standards "The Intruder" might be considered somewhat heavy handed and unrealistic (and the ending wraps things up in a tight little bow that might irritate people who have actually been through similar experiences), I was impressed by how edgy and upsetting this movie was.

Shatner gives a hell of a performance here - kind of an anti-matter version of Burt Lancaster - and the role plays to his strengths. Having seen him in "Incubus" and a couple of Twilite Zone episodes, I knew he could carry a movie with the right part, and he is fascinating to see in action here.

I also admit that the screenplay didn't aways go for the easy out - the hero turns out NOT to be the crusading newspaper man (who is indeed brave, but not especially effective in the end) but the seemingly thoughtless and one-dimensional "good old boy" salesman living in the hotel room right next to "Adam Cramer". And the climatic scene near the end where the young black man is seemingly about to by lynched from a swing set (!) does something else instead that made me whistle in admiration.

Not perfect, but shows what Corman could have become if things had worked out differently.