Val Lewton

This weekend I was engrossed in the book Fearing the Dark, a biographical overview and critical analysis of the life and work of RKO B unit horror film producer/auteur Val Lewton. His most famous films include Cat People, I Walk with A Zombie and The Body Snatcher. His productions are renowned for its literate screenplays, tense fright scenes and reliance on suggesting horror rather than graphically depicting such scenes. His films had a strong influence on one of my favorite genres, Film Noir.

My favorite Lewton film would have to be The 7th Victim. Not so much for the plot, but for its ambience and characters. The film is set in Greenwich Village. Nearly every character is lost and lonely in an urban environment. The character who touches me most is the poet Jason Hoag, a man who managed to publish one volume of poetry. The volume failed and he's been floundering ever since, spending his days in a survival job and his evenings in an Italian restaurant entertaining the guests. The man is lonely. One of the most poignant scenes is when the heroine of the film, Mary, comes to his apartment. He is so glad to have her visit and is eager to share the view he has from his skyroof. I guess I really relate to Jason Hoag in many respects as I'm, truth be told, a failed writer, and live a pretty solitary existence. Nearly every character in 7th Victim lives a solitary life, except for the coven of Devil worshippers who make up the horror element of the film. 7th Victim is a bizarre, sad, depressing but enriching film and well worth viewing.