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And Soon the Darkness (1970 film)

From Alfawiki
EMI Films
Company typeFilm production company
IndustryFilm industry
FounderBryan Forbes (head of production)
Headquarters
United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom, North America
Key people
Bryan Forbes (head of production)
ProductsFilms including And Soon the Darkness

And Soon the Darkness is a 1970 British thriller film helmed by director Robert Fuest and featuring performances by Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice, and Sandor Elès. The narrative centers on two British nurses enjoying a cycling trip through the French countryside; when one vanishes, the other embarks on a search amid a community that arouses suspicion.

This movie was the inaugural release under Bryan Forbes' leadership at EMI Elstree, although Hoffman was produced earlier but premiered later.

Plot

Jane and Cathy, two young nurses from Nottingham, set out on a cycling vacation across rural France. At a dining spot, Cathy observes a solitary man drinking. After departing, they repeatedly cross paths with him riding a scooter. While Cathy opts to rest and sunbathe, Jane continues her journey alone. At a roadside café, Madame Lassal cautions Jane that traveling alone in the area can be perilous.

While sunbathing, Cathy feels watched; her bicycle wheel is sabotaged, and she is confronted by an unseen attacker. Upon returning, Jane discovers Cathy missing with only her camera left behind. The previously encountered man introduces himself as Paul; Jane explains she is searching for Cathy. In the village, Jane uncovers details of an unresolved rape and murder case dating back three years.

Jane convinces an English schoolmistress to drive her toward the local gendarme to report Cathy's disappearance. The schoolmistress reveals that the murder took place in the same woods where Cathy disappeared. Unable to locate the gendarme, Jane returns to Madame Lassal, who again urges her to depart. Paul confesses he formerly worked for the Surete and has privately been investigating the murder. When Jane finds out Paul took Cathy's camera film as evidence, they argue and part ways.

Jane eventually finds the gendarme's home and files a missing person report for Cathy. Alone there, she denies Paul entry when he arrives and flees into the woods after he breaks in. She discovers an abandoned trailer park and finds Cathy's body inside a camper. Paul confronts Jane but she fights back.

At the edge of the trailer park, Jane encounters the gendarme and seeks assistance. He then sexually assaults her, revealing himself as the murderer. Jane resists until an injured Paul intervenes, striking the gendarme with a branch.

Cast

Background

The production team behind The Avengers, including writers Brian Clemens and Terry Nation, producer Albert Fennell, and director Robert Fuest, were responsible for this film. After concluding The Avengers, Clemens and his collaborators sought a new creative direction by crafting a thriller set entirely in daylight to subvert traditional suspense methods. Clemens reportedly completed the script within two days. Robert Fuest was selected for his unique visual style and mastery of color.

Clemens pitched the project to Bryan Forbes, who had recently been appointed head of production at EMI Films, and received approval for funding. This marked Forbes' first approved film at EMI and reflected his approach to back emerging filmmakers. Forbes later described it as "a stylish thriller."

Announced in August 1969, this film was part of Forbes' extensive plan involving fifteen EMI projects with budgets ranging from £5 million to £10 million. The lineup included films such as The Railway Children, The Breaking of Bumbo, Dulcima, Mr. Forbush and the Penguins, and The Go Between. Several of these productions were ultimately not realized.

Casting

Pamela Franklin and Michele Dotrice were cast in the principal roles. Sandor Eles appeared under an agreement with Bryan Forbes' production company.

Filming

The entire production took place in France, with the main location being the village of Prénouvellon, situated approximately outside Orleans. Shooting commenced on 19 August 1969 and wrapped up by October. Clemens was responsible for directing the second unit.

Release

And Soon the Darkness had its UK debut on 5 July 1970, followed by its US release on 5 April 1971.

Home media

In January 2008, the film was made available on DVD in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Kino Lorber released a Blu-ray edition in 2019 and later reissued it on 4K UHD as part of a double feature alongside Sudden Terror on 20 August 2024.

Box office

The movie achieved moderate financial returns in both the UK and North American markets but did not attain significant commercial success. The Guardian reported that Forbes’ initial three films "disappeared without a trace." Alexander Walker observed that these works faced criticism for being "square," while Bernard Delfont referred to And Soon the Darkness, Hoffman, and The Man Who Haunted Himself as "real dodos belly-flopping out of Elstree."

These outcomes represented a disappointing beginning for Forbes’ tenure at EMI, from which the company never fully rebounded. Forbes himself later commented that both this film and Dulcima suffered due to EMI’s cinema and distribution divisions showing little enthusiasm, describing their marketing efforts as "an irresponsible waste of shareholders’ money." He believed that with improved promotional support, their commercial performance might have been more favorable.

Critical response

Derek Malcolm of The Guardian succinctly stated: "I will be charitable and say nothing." The Daily Telegraph questioned Forbes’ commitment to the project, characterizing it as a low-budget production with "very little probable story."

In 1971, Roger Greenspun of The New York Times acknowledged that although the film initially succeeded in creating suspense, it ultimately relied on repetitive techniques and weak character development, which lessened its effectiveness.

According to Halliwell's Film Guide, the film was a "slow, overstretched, often risible suspender," filled with misleading clues and lacking humor but exhibiting some stylistic pretension. Time Out described it as an "[u]nappealing women-in-peril thriller," deeming it "predictable, implausible, and not a little nasty."

On the other hand, it secured seventh place in Cinefantastique’s top ten sci-fi/horror films of the 1970s. Editor Frederick S. Clarke commended it as "a lady-in-distress picture that for suspense tops anything of its kind."

Clemens, who contributed to producing and storyboarding, credited this film with sparking his career in directing. Motivated by his business partner Albert Fennell, he wrote See No Evil for Forbes at EMI; after Forbes departed, Columbia took over production. Clemens subsequently directed Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter.

Critic Alexander Walker contended that the film was executed with the precision typical of television drama but lacked substantial impact. He noted that this title and two other Forbes projects were hurried into production to maintain EMI’s output schedule. Released consecutively amid major events such as World Cup play-offs and a general election, they did not benefit from a West End premiere venue to enhance their market visibility.

Remake

A remake produced in the United States was released in 2010.

Sources

External links

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