The Keep (1983)

The Keep (1983)

1983 R 96 Minutes

Horror

Nazis take over an ancient fortress that contains a mysterious entity that wreaks havoc and death upon them.

Overall Rating

4 / 10
Verdict: So-So

User Review

  • WHAT I LIKED: In the words of Michael Mann himself, there is certainly some merit here to be found in the production design, the practical effects and the eerie direction of tension during some of the opening scenes.

    WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Unfortunately though, mostly 'The Keep' suffers from huge narrative problems that clearly come from heavy studio interferences. Yes beyond some good build-up, the film is missing so much of its original three and a half-hour run-time that scenes begin to stop making even the slightest sense as events begin to unfold without any context at all. This is not only extremely confusing; it also dispels any tension that might have otherwise been built, and in the end all of that amounts to one pretty bad and often laughable attempt at a horror movie.

    VERDICT: The original cut may well have been good, but there's so much missing from 'The Keep' that it winds up one pretty incomprehensible beast overall. Shame.