Isle of the Dead

Continuing my look at the films of producer Val Lewton, I turn to Isle of the Dead, a 1945 film directed by Mark Robson. It's not so much a horror film as a psychological drama, constructed on superstition and the fear of disease.

Set in Greece during the First Balkan War of 1912, Boris Karloff stars as Greek general. He's a strictly-by-the-rules guy--the first scene has him condemning an officer for his troops being late to the front. An American reporter (Marc Cramer) is alternately horrified and charmed by him, as Karloff is polite.

Karloff tells Cramer that his wife is buried on an island nearby, and Cramer accompanies him for a visit to her grave. When Karloff arrives he finds his wife's coffin desecrated, her body gone. He looks for an answer and finds a home occupied by a Swiss archaeologist (Jason Robards Sr.), who is hosting a few other people, including an English couple (the husband is played by Alan Napier, who would go on to be Alfred the butler on Batman), the wife's caregiver (Elizabeth Drew), and an old woman who is full of old superstitions.

The old woman tells Karloff that Drew is a vorvolka, a myth of Greek folklore that is something like a vampire. Karloff laughs her off. But then another guest, an Englishman, dies of plague, and Karloff realizes he must quarantine the island. The remaining guests either wait to die or the wind to change, which will kill of the fleas that carry the disease.

The result is kind of a cross between an old-fashioned English mystery, with a house full of guests, and a sinister horror film, with Karloff growing ever crazier, as he starts to believe the old woman about Drew. Cramer, representing good old-fashioned American instincts, protects Drew (and puts the make on her at the same time--go Yank!)

As with the other Lewton films, Isle of the Dead isn't really about scares but more about an overwhelming sense of dread. You might jump or scream while watching it, but it may stick with you long after it's over. The use of light and shadow is also impeccable.