cinema history class (the man and the monster)

Session: Music, Madmen and Monsters, Week 2
Movie: The Man and the Monster (1958)
Directed by Rafael Baledon

As always, there may be spoilers here. And the trailer may be NSFW and/or NSFL

Plot:
A pianist makes a deal with the devil. But years later, he is trapped by it. Hilarity ensues.

Reaction:

A big part of the class discussion after this movie was about similarities between this movie and so many others. There's some obvious Jeckyll/Hyde thing going on that's so obvious I need not belabor it. But I also noticed some imagery that reminded me of Psycho. In addition, the dynamics between Samuel and his mother also reminded me of Norman and his mother in Psycho. In fairness, this movie predates the Hitchcock classic and the 1959 book on which it was based. So it's hard to accuse  Baledon of ripping off Hitchcock.

That said, Sean had some more-interesting comparisons to mention. Most notably, he said that it reminded him of guitarist Robert Johnson who, according to legend, sold his soul to the devil.

From a personal standpoint, I found Samuel's character particularly interesting. As a musician of limited skill, I sometimes fantasize about being suddenly granted the skill of a virtuoso, and performing live to adoring fans. But when I think about these fantasies, I also, think about how it would feel if the skill weren't really mine, but were somehow placed in my arms and hands which had a mind of their own. How, I wonder, would it feel if my hands were playing like Jimi Hendrix or Albert Lee, but they were doping so under the guidance of a force that came from outside of me. Would I enjoy the moment in the sun? Or would it feel the same as watching someone else perform?

At any rate, this was a hidden gem of a film. I didn't rate it a 10, though I think it might be a 10 within the realm of Mexican horror films.

Ratings:

Me: 9
Christina: 7.2
Ethan: 8
Sean: 2 out of 4