Review by Stuart Barr
Stars James Donald, Andrew Keir, Barbara Shelley | Written by TEB Clarke
UK certification 12 | UK RRP £22.99 | DVD/BD Region 2/B | Runtime 93 minutes | Directed by Roy Ward Baker
It’s hard to imagine now, just how much impact the BBC’s original Quatermass television serials had in 1950s Britain, made in the days before multiple channels and repeats, they were event television and gripped the nation. The success of the first two serials The Quatermass Experiment (1953) and Quatermass II (1955), led Hammer Studios to acquire the film rights producing two adaptations in 1955 and 1957. Both starred an American lead Brian Donlevy much to the displeasure of Quatermass’ creator Nigel Kneale. Although the films were extremely successful, Kneale was so displeased with them that he resisted Hammer’s attempts to film the third of the BBC serials Quatermass and the Pit (1958) and the eventual Hammer adaptation (written by Kneale) did not appear until 1967 with Scottish actor Andrew Kier playing the character. The delay benefitted the production, allowing for greater resources and the use of the rich colour palate for which Hammer became known during the 1960s - the previous two films were black and white.
In Quatermass and the Pit London Underground workers discover ancient bones whilst excavating a new line extension. An eminent archeologits Dr. Rooney (Donald) is called to the find, but further excavations uncover a large metallic object buried in the clay. Believing it might be unexploded German ordinance from the blitz, the army are called in.
Quatermass enters the scene with the army, but soon becomes convinced that the find is no bomb, but an alien craft that has been buried for over five million years. Investigations into local history uncover evidence of a persistent curse afflicting the area of Hobbs End (formerly known as Hob’s End, Hob being an archaic word meaning devil or demon). While Quatermass initially dismisses her findings as superstitious twaddle, the increasingly uncanny events at the dig lead him to to a terrifying theory.
Quatermass and the Pit is a superb example of Kneale’s work, favouring ideas over action, and character over spectacle. While the film does eventually work its way to a spectacular finale, this is built on a bedrock of solid plotting, dense with fascinating notions. At the heart of the film is a science fictional explanation for the existence of evil and the mythology of demons. In many ways Quatermass and the Pit deals in strikingly similar themes to those Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clark do in the following year’s 2001 A Space Odyssey.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker - who had directed A Night to Remember (the best Titanic film) and went on to direct many films for Hammer - the film is efficient and makes good use of claustrophobic settings. However it is very nearly undone, by some truly appalling special effects. However enhanced by an excellent cast, and with such a great script, the film recovers because of the strength of the ideas. There’s more in here than in every Hollywood big budget SF film made in the last ten years combined. It should be said that the quality of the special effects do dramatically improve for the film’s climactic scenes.
The influence of Quatermass and the Pit can be clearly seen in the work of Stephen King whose novel The Tommyknockers is virtually a rewrite, and John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness and Paul WS Anderson’s Event Horizon which both explore quasi-SF explanations of demoniacal evil (although neither with the Kneale’s depth). In fact Carpenter acknowledged his debt by writing Prince of Darkness under the pseudonym Martin Quatermass.
This Blu Ray release presents the film in a clean transfer, with excellent detail and colour. This is undoubtably the best this film has looked since release. For anyone who prizes ideas over spectacle, this is not only the best film Hammer ever produced, it is one of the best Science Fiction films ever made in the UK.
EXTRAS ★★★ Initially, they look a bit thin on the ground. There is a commentary track with Kneale and Baker, an SF episode of the World of Hammer TV show (essentially just a series of clips), and some interviews. However the interviews are extensive and hide some real treasure. Interview subjects include Kneale’s wife, the author Judith Kerr, actor Julian Glover, Hammer historian Marcus Hearne, and fans of Kneale, Joe Dante, Kim Newman and Mark Gatiss. Newman and Gatiss are particularly good examining the film’s themes in some depth.