To paraphrase Steven H. Scheuer, the man who published TV movie reviews before Leonard Maltin, “Make a hundred Grade B thrillers, and you’re bound to turn out one gem, and this is it”. He wasn’t referring to THE NIGHT VISITOR, but he easily could have been. This early 1970s thriller was made for a small independent company called UMC Pictures who also gave us Mel Brooks’ THE TWELVE CHAIRS and Dario Argento’s THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE.
It got good reviews, was directed by Laslo Benedek who did Marlon Brando’s motorcycle flick THE WILD ONE, was shot on location in Scandinavia with a mostly Scandinavian cast, and had music by Henry Mancini. Nevertheless it disappeared, along with the company, into movie limbo until VCI, a first class purveyor of public domain titles, released it on video back in 2000 along with other UMC titles. It was out of print for awhile with used copies costing a pretty penny but now you can stream it.
Max von Sydow is accused of a crime he didn’t commit and incarcerated in a local asylum for the criminally insane. After 2 years he manages to get out to have his revenge and then get back in again with no one being the wiser. The movie starts off like a Swedish version of COLUMBO as we know from the outset that he committed the crimes that he couldn’t have. The brillance of the film lies in seeing how he did it and if the police can figure it all out. The harsh Scandinavian Winter is vividly portrayed and there are several fine performances.
In addition to von Sydow, there is Liv Ullmann (at the height of her popularity then), Per Oscarsson, and Trevor Howard as the inspector investigating the case. The film was shot in English so that it could play in England and the U.S. but it is unmistakably Scandinavian in its outlook and execution. The ending, while somewhat implausible, is sufficiently effective. Not an all time classic but a good, solid, entertaining B movie that should be better known than it is.
The Capsule Critic 