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      The Night Visitor

      PG Released Feb 10, 1971 1h 42m Mystery & Thriller List
      13% 8 Reviews Tomatometer 50% 100+ Ratings Audience Score Wrongly convicted criminal Salem (Max von Sydow) escapes from a mental institution hoping to get revenge on the man who put him there, his brother-in-law Anton (Per Oscarsson). Driven genuinely insane by his time in the institution, Salem plots to commit a series of crimes to frame Anton. Caught up in this murderous scheme is Anton's wife, Salem's sister Ester (Liv Ullmann). The three are thrown together, and the couple must outfox the madman in order to survive. Read More Read Less

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      The Night Visitor

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      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Salem (Max Von Sydow) has escaped a near-inescapable insane asylum, a place where he's been trapped since being wrongly charged with killing a farmhand. Now he truly is deranged and is out for revenge on those he believes are guilty: his younger sisters Emma (Hanne Bork) and Ester (Liv Ullmann) and her husband Dr. Anton Jenks (Per Oscarsson), the man who accused Salem of the murder. Beyond the fact that the villain is actually the hero of this, it has an incredible score by Henry Mancini that was made for synthesizer, 12 woodwinds, organ, two pianos and two harpsichords — with one tuned to be flat and add dissonance. Originally entitled Salem Came to Supper and released again ten years later by 21st Century Film Corporation as Lunatic (before that company was bought and rebranded by Menahem Golan after the breakup of Cannon), this was directed by Laslo Benedek (who made the 1951 Death of a Salesman) and written by Guy Elmes, who adapted several Italian films for Western audiences. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member This Swedish thriller was long thought to be lost. I'm glad it's now newly discovered and released on Blu ray. It tells the tale of a mental institution resident who is thought to have escaped to take revenge on the people involved in his case who forced him to plead insanity. But if he escaped, how did he do it as it seems impossible? Also, doesn't returning back to the asylum after he has committed the crime just as impossible? Max Von Sydow plays Salem, the criminal in question and is (predictably) brilliant in the lead. In fact, all of the actors are fantastic with great support from acting heavyweights such as Liv Ullman and Trevor Howard. Theres even a small supporting role by Gretchen Franklin- Ethel Skinner (from 1980's episodes of EastEnders) herself! No sign of her Willie though (but there is a parrot).  The locales are gorgeous and provide a very picturesque backdrop to the film's events whether it be the large imposing monolith of the institution or the gorgeous snow-laden villages that Salem escapes to. The ending is unexpected and completely from left-field. No wonder the film ends with Salem laughing at the absurdity of it.  A low key delight. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review delysid d a creepy as hell murderer sneaks out of prison to commit the perfect crime! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/17/20 Full Review paul h Seemingly has all the elements of a good horror picture, with impressive list of actors, director and film location coupled with gothic-like story line. But it just doesn't work? When it's not working, the audience quickly says "what in the world was this about?" Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member a plot that still works, after all this time! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member This film opens up with Max von Sydow running across snowy fields in his underpants. Good lord, we wonder, what's he doing out there? Isn't he freezing? Soon he cleverly figures out a way to get into a house via an upstairs window, and it becomes apparent that he knows the three people who are engaged in a disagreement in the kitchen below. We're not sure what he's up to, and as it's best you don't know a lot about the plot before watching this one, I won't say more. The story is taut and well-told by director László Benedek, who wisely avoids extraneous detail, and there are moments of real tension. It's dark, but Benedek exercises restraint, which I liked, but which may turn off viewers seeking more explicit thrills. Trevor Howard, who you may recognize from Brief Encounter (1945) and The Third Man (1949), is strong as a detective, and the rest of the cast are all good as well. I liked the way we eventually see how von Sydow is able to do what he does, though you'll have to suspend disbelief a bit. Clever ending too. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Stefan Kanfer TIME Magazine Laslo Benedek's methodical direction and Henning Kristiansen's astonishing photography-a gothic mix of melancholy blue landscapes and pale, crumbling interiors-only serve to underline the film's deficiency, the utter lack of logic. Feb 8, 2018 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The thing that makes The Night Visitor less than thrilling is its compulsion to give away its own plot. Rated: 2/4 May 21, 2005 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A lackluster thriller. Rated: C Oct 18, 2015 Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) Who precisely was this made for? Rated: 3/5 Feb 17, 2011 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Jun 19, 2005 Full Review Brian A. Gross Apollo Guide Rated: 63/100 May 21, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Wrongly convicted criminal Salem (Max von Sydow) escapes from a mental institution hoping to get revenge on the man who put him there, his brother-in-law Anton (Per Oscarsson). Driven genuinely insane by his time in the institution, Salem plots to commit a series of crimes to frame Anton. Caught up in this murderous scheme is Anton's wife, Salem's sister Ester (Liv Ullmann). The three are thrown together, and the couple must outfox the madman in order to survive.
      Director
      Laslo Benedek
      Screenwriter
      Guy Elmes
      Production Co
      Glazier
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Feb 10, 1971, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 7, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 42m
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