Village of the Damned/Children of the Damned
(Warner Bros. DVD)
(1960/1963)
review by Suspirorum

Based on John Wyndham’s celebrated novel ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’, ‘Village of the Damned’ tells the story of the small English village of Midwich. One day, for no obvious reason, the entire town falls asleep at the same time & anyone who walks into the surrounding area also passes out. Then, just as suddenly everyone wakes up with no idea as to what has happened. The police & government scientists are unable to ascertain the cause of this strange event, but it quickly becomes apparent that all the women have inexplicably become pregnant at the same time. Babies that develop at unnatural speed & have enormous intelligence. Where have these children come from, & what is their secret?

One of the genre’s mini-classics, ‘Village of the Damned’ succeeds despite its relatively low budget, lack of onscreen carnage & low-key visual effects. The reason that is works is down to a factor that seems to becoming increasingly hard to find nowadays (eee, hark at the old man!) – it has a really great story that is consistently intriguing, compelling & intelligent, & is told with real skill. It’s also backed up with genuine ideas that engage the brain in-between the moments of creeping horror. Director Wolf Rilla keeps the flash down but keeps the suspense high, although the film is certainly not without its notable visual moments. Perhaps most obviously the children themselves, with their staring eyes & uniform blonde wigs, are hugely creepy & boldly memorable, but there’s also the wonderfully odd opening, & the “brick wall” climax is really nail-biting stuff. Ron Goodwin contributes an inventive & impressive orchestral score that aids in the build of suspense considerably.

Although the book is British, the film is a UK/US co-production. For the most part this compromise is not felt too keenly & there is something unmistakably 60s England about the film, which adds considerably to the films appeal, & the sleepy village setting allows for a telling juxtaposition to the odd events happening therein. The performances throughout are spot-on, helping the film to put a genuine human face around the horror that makes it all the more affecting.

The film was so successful that three years later a sequel was produced, & Warners have kindly released ‘Children of the Damned’ as a double-pack with the original film. Moving on from the events of the first film, ‘Children…’ follows a group of scientists who are conducting a massive simultaneous worldwide intelligence test. Some rather strange results are thrown up – six children from all across the globe have exactly the same intelligence rating, far above the average. The children are all flown to London to be investigated, but when each country discovers the power of their own child they are keen to have him or her returned. The children meanwhile have a strange bond, & escape to refuge in an abandoned church.

First of all this is still an unmistakably British production – for example when the first child runs away from his home, the scientists response is to sit down & have a nice cup of tea! New director Anton Leader proves to be a bit more adventurous visually, & throws in some nicely crooked angles, wonderfully shadowy lighting (kudos to DoP Davis Boulton) & makes good use of the decaying, cobwebby church location to make the film more consistently creepy than the first.

It’s just as well really, because unfortunately the narrative this time around is rather slacker, less focused and lacks the innovation & surprise of the first episode. It does add a couple of good ideas about the way in which each country sees their child as purely assets for example, but for the most part the film is simply content to rework the ideas of the first film, & something is lost in the repetition. The kids themselves have lost the eerie blonde hair of their counterparts in the first film, losing a little of their effect - although the idea of having them all belong to different ethnic groups is a good one & it does add a different & oddly unsettling visual aesthetic.

Still, it’s solidly entertaining stuff with some neatly inventive touches (love that organ weapon!) that makes it better than being simply a freebie when you buy the first film. Warners UK DVD release is R2/PAL format, & 2 discs rather than double-sided (or my review copy is anyway!) & contains both films in more than acceptable anamorphic widescreen transfers that looked just fine projected at 60”, although ‘Village’ looked marginally stronger than ‘Children’ to my eyes. The original mono soundtrack is good & clear with no real complaints. Sadly, the only extra is a trailer for Warner’s James Dead collection, the logic behind which escapes me.

Whilst the relatively stately pace & lack of gore & effects may alienate many modern viewers, these films are a real treat for fans of classic sci-fi & 60s cinema in general. With two movies for the price of one making of for the dearth of extras, I can’t help but recommend this set.