Based on a short story by Robert Graves, “The Shout” tells the story of a man who (supposedly) has learned a mystical skill from Australian Aborigines, a shout that can kill. I am not familiar with the director (Jerzy Skolimowski) but it does have an excellent cast, headed by John Hurt, Alan Bates and Susannah York. The man insinuates his way into the home of a couple and then promptly steals the wife (with magic, supposedly.)

The acting in this is very good. Bates is sufficiently mysterious and moody as the magical Charles Crossley. Hurt is Anthony Fielding, a composer (of electronic, experimental music), who also plays organ at the local church. York is his wife, Rachel Fielding, who frankly is not well fleshed out and the audience is never told what Rachel does or who she is as a person. She seems to exist in this story solely to be seduced by Crossley.

The atmosphere is sufficiently moody. There are long vistas of English countryside, a beach and ocean, the sound of wind whistling, and a good soundtrack, composed by Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford of Genesis. The cinematographer Mike Molloy is also known for films such as “A Clockwork Orange” and “Barry Lyndon”, excellent credentials indeed. Unfortunately I think this is all I can say I liked in this movie.

If I were an indigenous Australian I would be horrified by the depiction of Indigenous culture in this film. There is no one ‘Aboriginal’ culture – there are many tribes and areas with different beliefs and cultural practices.  I really don’t think the claims made in this ridiculous film were correct or appropriate.

The plot is actually very basic, with the film relying on its supposedly spooky atmosphere to see it through. There is a framing story, where a cricket match is taking place at a mental hospital. A man , actually called Robert Graves (played by Tim Curry) attends, as he has been asked by one of the doctors there to score for one of the teams. The other team is being scored by one of the patients, Crossley. Crossley points out Fielding among the cricketers as a man who lost his wife, and tells Graves he is going to tell him a story. He insists the story is true while at the same time stating he changes the events around frequently. Viewers might immediately be reminded of “The Cabinet of Dr Caligari” where two men sit on a bench while one tells the other a story.

Fielding goes to his local church to play the organ, and as he leaves is accosted by a man, Crossley, who asks him about his opinion of the sermon and announces they will walk together and talk more about it. Fielding naturally does not agree, saying he must get home (though he actually goes to see a woman with whom he is having an affair). He arrives home finally to see that the mysterious Crossley has arrived ahead of him. Crossley claims to not have eaten for two days and invites himself to lunch. Fielding for some reason invites him in.

I assume we are supposed to believe that Fielding’s actions, here and later, are due to some innate politeness. I cannot see that any sensible person would invite a stranger into their home just like that, especially one who has already been talking in a very strange way. Once Crossley is in the house he asks for the bathroom and uses the excuse to poke around upstairs. He then feigns illness, and when Fielding says he can lie on the sofa, Rachel insists Crossley use the spare room.

Crossley makes statements that should inform them that the man is mentally ill and should encourage them to get him out of the house. He tells them he has murdered his children, and tells Crossley that he has learned a technique from an Aboriginal wise man of the Shout, a magical yell that can kill. His various ramblings would surely be enough for anybody to kick him out, but while Fielding keeps on grumbling about his presence, he doesn’t confront Crossley and tell him to go. His wife is equally blasé about the whole thing.

Crossley takes Fielding out to the beach where he says he will demonstrate the Shout, warning Fielding to block his ears so he won’t be killed by it. Even so Fielding is knocked down by the Shout, and we see sheep in the vicinity drop dead. Later we learn that their shepherd has also died suddenly. Fielding now appears convinced.

Crossley tells Rachel that Aboriginal men take a wife by magic, casting a spell so she will be his as long as he wants her. A short while later he orders her to go to his room, which she does, gets undressed, and rolls around weirdly on his bed while he watches. Later Fielding finds her sitting at Crossley’s feet and quite happy with Crossley telling Fielding to get out of his own home. Fielding does not go to the police. Why? It makes no sense.

Crossley has said early on that a man can move his soul into another item (an old folktale from many cultures) such as a tree, or a stone. Fielding found a stone on the beach that he thought had some kind of effect on Crossley. He threw it away at the time, but when Crossley kicks him out he goes back to the beach and finds it. When he breaks it Crossley at the house is screaming that people are out to get him and sends Rachel downstairs. She finds police, who are there to arrest Crossley for murder, of his children.

At the cricket match (which has briefly flashed on the screen throughout), a storm starts. Some of the patients become agitated, one even stripping completely naked. The staff try to get them inside, while a few of the men start to roll the score box under cover. Graves, understanding that Crossley is more crackers than he thought, is replaced by the main doctor at the hospital, who tries to calm Crossley down, suggesting he do his Shout if he wants. Crossley does, and at that moment lightning hits the score box. Crossley, the doctor, and a third man are killed.

But it’s all a story, right? There was no affair with Rachel, no harassment of Fielding. That was all in Crossley’s story after he picked them out at the cricket match. But the film ends with the same scene it started with, Rachel running to the hospital and being told ‘he’s’ in the dining room. She finds the three men laid out on tables and stops at Crossley’s table. If it was just a story, why is she there? But if it was all true, she appeared to be with her husband just before the match, was dropping him off. So, what is going on?  Who knows?

Honestly, by the end of it I didn’t care much. I can see they were trying for ambiguity, and I have no issue with that. The characters don’t act in a way that would make this story engaging. This ‘horror’ movie, while moody, is not scary, threatening, sinister or whatever else might be claimed. It is nice looking with interesting music, and that is all. Basically “The Shout” is long on style and short on substance. I do not recommend it.