Eye of the Devil

J. Lee Thompson – 1966 – England

In spite of its unfortunate title, Eye of the Devil is one of the best and earliest films – (possibly the earliest) – to present paganism seriously and not simply as a jumble of Satan-worship and the occult designed as horror fodder.  The Wicker Man (1973) is usually awarded this distinction.  A British lord (David Niven) is summoned back to his birthplace, a large estate is rural France, because the vineyard is failing and his presence is required in order to restore it.  What his obligations entail prove to be increasingly sinister as the film unfolds.  The film has a lilting and dreamy tone that has made it a cult favorite, and there is little evidence on screen of the turmoil behind its production.  Apparently, three journeyman directors were successively hired before journeyman J. Lee Thompson was settled upon, and star Kim Novak was replaced late in the game, requiring major re-shoots with Deborah Kerr.  One of the main pleasures of the film is its remarkable cast that also includes Donald Pleasance, Flora Robson, David Hemmings and Sharon Tate.  Hemmings and Tate play an eerie pair of siblings who utter few words and roam the estate with bow-and-arrow while glaring menacingly at the meddlesome outsider Kerr.  Where Eye of the Devil differs greatly from The Wicker Man is in its depiction of paganism not at war with its enemy Christianity but as an ancient tradition that insinuated itself into Christianity in order to stay alive.  The film is also more accurate in showing the sacrifice as a willing, comprehending participant, not the victim of a conspiracy as in The Wicker Man.