This is one of the more under-rated and compelling films among Hammer offerings: solid and enjoyable genre storytelling done in the typically colourful, atmospheric Hammer style. Of course, any film of this sort that stars both Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing is automatically worthy of some interest. It's also fun to see any film featuring the Gorgon character from Greek mythology. As directed by Hammer stalwart Terence Fisher, this doesn't really work as a mystery but all of the expected trappings do make this easy enough to watch. Perhaps the greatest asset to the tale is the overwhelming sense of tragedy to all of it.
The setting is the European village of Vandorf in the early 20th century. The Gorgon Megaera has supposedly taken up residence in a nearby castle, and people periodically turn up dead, turned to stone as we are told was the fate of any person who looked a Gorgon in the face. Headstrong Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) learns of the bad ends that befell his brother and father, and determines to solve the mystery; he is eventually joined by his colleague Professor Karl Meister (Lee). They believe that the cagey Dr. Namaroff (Cushing) holds the key to all of it.
It's a treat to see the usually heroic Cushing play a much more dubious character than usual, and to see the often villainous Sir Christopher in a good guy part. They don't share any screen time until 71 minutes into the film, but the resulting scene is riveting as they square off. The other performances are all excellent: Pasco as Paul, who falls in love with Carla (Barbara Shelly), the gorgeous assistant to Namaroff, Michael Goodliffe as Pauls' father, Patrick Troughton as the officious Inspector Kanof, and Jack Watson as thuggish orderly Ratoff. Prudence Hyman dons the makeup as the monstrous form of the Gorgon, whose visage may come as a disappointment to some viewers.
Technically well made overall, with a great score by frequent Hammer composer James Bernard, "The Gorgon" does have protagonists worth rooting for, and a fairly formidable monster.
Seven out of 10.
The setting is the European village of Vandorf in the early 20th century. The Gorgon Megaera has supposedly taken up residence in a nearby castle, and people periodically turn up dead, turned to stone as we are told was the fate of any person who looked a Gorgon in the face. Headstrong Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) learns of the bad ends that befell his brother and father, and determines to solve the mystery; he is eventually joined by his colleague Professor Karl Meister (Lee). They believe that the cagey Dr. Namaroff (Cushing) holds the key to all of it.
It's a treat to see the usually heroic Cushing play a much more dubious character than usual, and to see the often villainous Sir Christopher in a good guy part. They don't share any screen time until 71 minutes into the film, but the resulting scene is riveting as they square off. The other performances are all excellent: Pasco as Paul, who falls in love with Carla (Barbara Shelly), the gorgeous assistant to Namaroff, Michael Goodliffe as Pauls' father, Patrick Troughton as the officious Inspector Kanof, and Jack Watson as thuggish orderly Ratoff. Prudence Hyman dons the makeup as the monstrous form of the Gorgon, whose visage may come as a disappointment to some viewers.
Technically well made overall, with a great score by frequent Hammer composer James Bernard, "The Gorgon" does have protagonists worth rooting for, and a fairly formidable monster.
Seven out of 10.