“There is always the moment when the
killer is unmasked and spews out his bitterness and hate and
vindictive triumph over his would-be victims. I find it a wonder this
obligatory scene has survived so long, since it is so unsatisfying.
How about just once, at the crucial moment, the killer gets squished
under a ton of canned soup, and we never do find out who he was?” -
Roger Ebert (from his review of Saw)
Evidently, Mr. Ebert had never seen the
original Black Christmas, as his wish was fulfilled in the
1970’s, but minus the canned soup. As a matter of fact, minus the
death. The killer in Black Christmas survives and escapes,
with only hints as to his motives. Not that we need those motives.
He's a lunatic attacking sorority girls. He isn't a messiah, nor
does he believe himself to be one.
At one point early in the film he calls
the sorority house while masturbating and tells them all the lewd
acts he wants to do to them while threatening to kill them. He isn't
taken very seriously. Other times he calls to recite what are
implied to be scenes from his past. It seems to be roughly implied
that he killed his sister... or possibly raped her... but whether
this is true or a fantasy is never elaborated upon. Over the course
of the film, his calls become increasingly unhinged and disturbing.
And yes, the calls are coming from inside the house. This movie beat
When A Stranger Calls to the punch.
It's also of note that the police in
this film are portrayed as quite competent, barring one who doesn't
know what “fellatio” is. Comparing this to the Saw films
in which Jigsaw is able to casually dispatch police officers with the
same ease as any other victim, you get the distinctive feeling that
if this killer was in a direct confrontation with the police, then
his murder spree would be brought to an abrupt halt. In the end, he
is only able to get away with it due to his own dumb luck and the
police suspecting an angry boyfriend (Keir Dullea) is behind the
entire mess. Actually, this is a fairly realistic plot-point, since
quite a few serial killers were able to continue operating for long
periods of time because they had no connection to their victims.
The movie is quite terrifying in its
novelty, even as it’s dated. The killer is not some polished
Hannibal Lector, nor some tormented soul. The fact that we never get
a good look at him is likely a factor in his failure to attain iconic
status like so many other slashers. Likewise, he is not superhuman.
He's not romanticized in any way. And the events are portrayed in
fairly realistic fashion. I could not imagine anyone cheering at any
of the deaths.
The movie is worth watching, if nothing
else, for its apparent resistance to cliches that had not yet been
invented at its time of production. That is not to deny that the
film is disturbing, it most definitely is. I find it truly shameful
that the remake seems to be better known than the original.
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