Rent Bedlam (1946)

Period Horror (spoiler). - Bedlam review by Steve

Val Lewton's last production for RKO's B horror unit is a historical film about the mentally sick inhabitants of an asylum, in eighteenth century London. Boris Karloff is marvellous as Master Sims, the corrupt, devious head of the institution, who shows his charges to the public for tuppence, and is amenable to allowing the enemies of his rich friends to disappear into its dark corridors, for a consideration.

This is an extremely impressive historical drama which isn't scared to show its learning. William Hogarth is given a writing credit and the film visually recreates frames from A Rakes Progress! The script is witty, intelligent and rich in fascinating historical detail which never even remotely slows down the story. It's not easy to think of an A film that recreates the era nearly as interestingly.

Bedlam is a horror film because of the revulsion generated by the enemies of enlightenment as they not only obstruct change, but hide away the reformers within the walls of this living hell. Apart from the excellent period look, there are brilliant visual flourishes of horror. The many bare arms snaking out of the bars of the cells in the moonlight, reaching for an intruder. Or the flicker of Karloff's eyes as the inmates place the last brick in the wall that will entomb him.

This is a world of menace and cruelty where wickedness is often hidden within a witticism. Where the decadence of the rich is not only accepted, but presumed to be fair. Where the poor suffer unbearably and the pretence of taking care of the sick is a racket. After WWII, the public turned away from horror and Bedlam lost money. Lewton's unit was broken up after five years, but his legacy is the greatest anthology of genre films in cinema.