This film which was originally called 13 (it’s still listed as that in the end title credits). I’m sure the title was changed to make it sound more horrific. I assume it refers to a pagan amulet used in the film although no one ever calls it that. While watching this film I was struck by similarities to two other films beside THE WICKER MAN. One was a little known 1953 film called THE MAZE about a man who returns to his ancestral home in Scotland and a terrible secret. His fiance’ follows him there and encounters hostility and psychological terror. The other is the 1960 cult shocker CITY OF THE DEAD better known as HORROR HOTEL. The outfits and behavior of the worshippers is almost exactly the same.
EYE OF THE DEVIL is a real oddity. It was shot in black and white in 1966 when most films were in color. This could have been a budgetary consideration although EYE features two major stars of the period in David Niven and Deborah Kerr (who replaced another major star Kim Novak). The director, J. Lee Thompson, only a few years removed from the major successes THE GUNS OF NAVARONNE and CAPE FEAR, was still considered a top tier director. The look of the film recalls Deborah Kerr’s earlier psychological thriller THE INNOCENTS as well as the original THE HAUNTING and it seems to have been influenced by the 1940s movies of Val Lewton. Excellent pedigrees to have.
The story revolves around a modern day French aristocrat (Niven) who is called back to his family’s ancient home to deal with failing vineyards. His wife (Kerr) and their two children follow later and she runs into a wall of resistance and secrecy. There’s a mysterious brother and sister duo (David Hemmings and Sharon Tate) hindering her attempts at knowledge of what goes on there and a charismatic priest (Donald Pleasance) who holds the key to what is happening. The photography is stark and atmospheric and the committed performances help to put it over. A first class transfer on this Warner Archive DVD cannot be faulted. Horrific? Not really. Scary? Certainly not. It is, however, deeply unsettling and if that’s the kind of movie you prefer then you need to get this release before it disappears.
The Capsule Critic 