The stage origins of this piece are all too obvious, especially in the hands of Brian G. Hutton's relentlessly TV style direction with its monotonous close-ups piled on top of monotonous close-ups. And as if there wasn't enough talk in the film already, the producers hired Evan Jones to flesh it out with "additional dialogue". For some reason, the original British release print is a merciful seven minutes shorter than that released in the U.S.A. The acting, depending as it does upon plot twists and what-she-didn't-know-was, could be described at best as no more than serviceable. Liz Taylor, who is now showing her age, despite all the too-obvious care in costuming, photography, make-up and hair styling, gets the lion's share of technical attention. Billie Whitelaw has to make do with seconds. And as for Laurence Harvey, he looks positively haggard. The best performance in the movie actually comes from Bill Dean, perfectly cast in a straightforward role as the imposed-upon police inspector. Fortunately, the art direction focused on the creepy old house next door is indeed eerily atmospheric – and this is abetted by superb photography and a really creepy music score which gives the film just the right unsettling atmosphere. Indeed, for a moment or two, we are treading suspensefully on Psycho ground, and happily, the climax does make amends for a lot of the tedium that has gone before.
Review of Night Watch
