The Whip and the Body

views updated

The Whip and the Body ★★½ Night Is the Phantom; What 1963

Mario Bava's 19th-century ghost/ love/revenge story makes a belated arrival on home video. Nevena (Lavi) is about to be married when her ex-lover Kurt (Lee), soon to be her brother-in-law, shows up. The rest of the action is almost pure Gothic with a moody castle for setting, secret passages, ladies wandering the hallways late at night in their diaphanous gowns. Though the story doesn't quite live up to the title, it is very sexually charged for its time and Lee turns in an aggressive performance. 88m/C DVD . IT Christopher Lee, Daliah Lavi, Tony Kendall, Harriet Medin, Isli Oberon; D: Mario Bava; W: Ernesto Gastaldi, Ugo Guerra, Luciano Martino; C: Ubaldo Terzano; M: Carlo Rustichelli.

About this article

The Whip and the Body

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article