THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is something of a Hammer anamoly for when it was made (1959). Instead of being exotic and colorful, it’s grim and monochromatic which is more suitable as it deals with the Thugee cult in India in the 19th century. This is certainly director Terence Fisher’s most brutal film as it contains numerous burnings and mutilations which, for the time, are graphically visualized.
STRANGLERS features a British army captain (Guy Rolfe, best known for William Castle’s MR SARDONICUS) who takes on the murderous cult after his servant is killed while his superiors haven’t a clue as to what is going on. There is a strong anti-colonial bent to the film as it criticizes how the British ran India. In one scene a British officer gets himself and his entire caravan murdered because of his upper class ignorance and rank stupidity. Complete historical accuracy is hardly the movie’s strong suit but then it isn’t meant to be. It’s also politically incorrect by today’s standards. Nevertheless it’s a solidly made historical drama with an unforgettable performance by George Pastell as the leader of the cult of Kali.
Since STRANGLERS is directed by Terence Fisher, who did most of Hammer’s FRANKENSTEIN & DRACULA films, you know that good will ultimately triumph over evil but at a heavy cost. It also means that the movie is full of crisp editing and interesting camera work as well as moving at a brisk pace (it runs 80 minutes). There can be no question that this film influenced Steven Spielberg’s INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM although the action here is historically based and is much darker in tone without a trace of humor.
In the final analysis STRANGLERS is loaded with numerous images that are hard to erase. It is also full of memorable dialogue such as “He is not our kind. I am Muslim, he is Hindu” or “Whoever rules decides the truth” that seems just as true in the India and Pakistan of today as it did when the film was made. This release is a DVD-R taken from the 2008 Sony set ICONS OF ADVENTURE with the picture (don’t forget it’s filmed in “Strangloscope”!) and sound of equal quality. A must for Hammer fans who wish to see something other than the Gothic horrors.
The Capsule Critic 