An einem trüben Nachmittag

One of the best British films of the 1960's, "Seance on a Wet Afternoon" is now available on DVD through general distribution. This should help the film to gain the wider appeal that it deserves.

This succeeds on all levels - extraordinary direction with riveting tracking shots, evocative cinematography, great set pieces, a winding plot, and amazing acting from the two leads. The showy yet introspective role of Myra Savage might be one to elicit histrionics and stern looks in the wrong hands, but the character is immensely deepened and supplemented by Kim Stanley's superbly rich "Method" performance. Stanley is matched by Richard Attenborough's Bill Savage, attenuated and subordinated by his wife's unstable, grasping personality.

Much has been said about Stanley's performance as a deserving Academy Award winner. This is difficult to judge. Most of the awards presented in 1965 were for lighter films, and it is difficult to find fault with Julie Andrew's now legendary performance as "Mary Poppins". Deeper inspection of past Awards shows a predilection toward films of an escapist nature during certain times, such as "Going My Way" during the dark, uncertain days of World War II 1943/1944. Could the same be said of the tumultuous aftermath of Kennedy's assassination and other upheavals? Under any circumstance, this film is a masterpiece with no small debt to the acting of Stanley and Attenborough. Seek this out and you will be richly rewarded - 10 out of 10.

Kim Stanley delivers a tremendously affecting performance as a sad English suburban housewife who desperately wants to prove her validity as a medium and will go to criminal means to do so in this chilly and chilling drama.

Critics heaped praise upon Stanley, always known as more of a stage actress than a movie actress, and the Academy awarded her a best actress nomination for her work in this film, and rightly so. At a time when movie acting could still be superficial, when Hollywood starlets were cast in ill-fitting roles because they looked better and would sell more tickets, Stanley gave a performance that distinguished itself in sheer commitment to character. It was rare then and still rare now to see a performance in which the actress creates a living, breathing human being before your very eyes.

But in the interest of fairness, one must also mention the equally strong work of Richard Attenborough, who gets a less showy but as important role as Stanley's beleaguered husband, who will do anything to keep his wife happy, even after he begins to suspect that she may be ill. Attenborough creates the image of a middle-aged man who suspects that he was lucky to get the wife he has, and who wants more than anything to live a normal, family-oriented life that seems to always remain just beyond his grasp.

"Seance on a Wet Afternoon" is not a masterpiece, but it is a subtly and intensely disquieting film, the kind that lingers in your head long after you've seen it.

Grade: A-

This is an almost forgotten masterpiece by British director Bryan Forbes in which everything is unique.

The sound track is macabre and chilling, the story and setting: simply adorable (the atmosphere of the old house is comparable to the one in Wise's "The Haunting"), the cinematography is great, and the editing almost perfect.

The greatest plus, whatsoever, is Kim Stanley's acting. Perfection would be the right word to describe it. Regarded as being "America's finest actress", she proves what Method acting can be like in this stunning, electric performance. It's so sad that her filmography is that short! Equally good is Richard Attenborough as Stanley's weak husband. Both actors deliver a tour-de-force duel in acting -- it's great to watch!

I highly recommend this film which still -- in times of "Hannibal", and "Scream" -- gives us chills. It's the best entertainment you can get!

An unsuccessful psychic and spiritualist has grown frustrated with her lack of celebrity--and so devises a plan to bring herself the fame she craves. She and her husband will kidnap a child. When the police are baffled and press coverage has reached a fevered pitch, she will have a "vision" that will lead to the child's recovery and the reap the rewards of publicity. But no sooner is the plan underway than there are complications--and in this instance the complications are the characters themselves.

Everything about Brian Forbes' SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON is understated yet oddly moody. The story, although unusual, is told in a direct sort of way; although it offers an occasional twist, the plot avoids tricky devices. The script is very natural sounding, the black and white cinematography avoids undue cleverness, and the background music is discreet. This throws all attention on the characters--and Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough offer amazing performances, with Stanley the very personification of rising madness and Attenborough painfully accurate as her emotionally dependent husband.

The interplay between Stanley and Attenborough is justly famous, and the two stars are well supported, most particularly by Judith Donner as the kidnapped child and Nanette Newman as her distracted mother. The film has a dreamy, claustrophobic quality that many will find fascinating; some, however, may consider it a bit talky and its conclusion an anticlimax. But if you are in the mood for a psychological thriller that really is psychological, you couldn't pick a better choice for rainy day viewing. Recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I remember seeing Seance on a Wet Afternoon, before I was teenager. And then seeing it again five or six years later. It still had the same impact watching the movie as I was young child. If this playing on TV tomorrow, I would watch Seance before any TV show. It is an excellent study of characters in story. This is one the movies made me interested in older films. I did not care if the movie was in black and white or color as long as the film is made well. I enjoy for the mysterious atmosphere the movie is set and creativity that the actors bring to their roles. The plot had been copied many of times on film and TV but never can duplicated. Kim Stanley plays the strong controlling wife who does the seances and Richard Attenborough as her weak husband. If like the Others and Sixth Sense, you might like this film.