Malpertuis (film)

Plot

Jan (Mathieu Carrière), who is a young seaman, returns to land, and while searching for his childhood home, is mysteriously abducted. He awakens in an isolated old mansion called Malpertuis, where he find himself among various relatives, including his sister Nancy (Susan Hampshire), as well as a strange taxidermist and a resident madman called Lampernisse. The mansion turns out to be a labyrinth of corridors, staircases, and secret chambers, belonging to his family.

His bedridden occultist uncle Cassavius (Orson Welles) is about to divide the estate to his heirs, but, as it turns out, only if they commit themselves never to leave the premisses. They find themselves trapped in a mystery where they enact gods from Greek mythology, which Cassavius believes them to be, while anyone who tries to escape is found horribly murdered. The plot remains obscure to the end, as Jan tries to unravel the mystery and seems to spiral into a dreamlike madness.

Cast

Versions

The English language version of the film that premiered at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, had been edited off the original 1971 one by the American distributor. Its English title is The Legend of Doom House, and it was subsequently further edited by other distributors. The Royal Belgian Film Archive together with director Harry Kümel worked to restore the uncut original Flemish version of the film, which was released in 1973 as "the director's cut". This version is 20 minutes longer, containing some of the best scenes of the film that had been edited off. Although this version is more complete, the original voice of Orson Welles is missing from it.