Night Tide Review
Feeling somewhat like a Val_Lewton film, Night Tide is an imperfect but haunting venture that lingers in the mind for days after viewing, like a dream that won't quite let you go. Director Curtis_Harrington is playing with genres, mixing romance and thriller and flirting with horror, and the end result doesn't quite come together as he might desire -- probably because Night Tide was created for the low budget exploitation market, and so there are certain contrivances that are foisted upon it. But Harrington directs the film with such skill, taking careful advantage of the opportunities when he can get beneath the surfaces of the genres and hint at psychological depths, that most will forgive Tide for its flaws. Some may also find the film a tad slow, but the pacing is necessary to create the ethereal moodiness that Harrington is trying for and so often succeeds in capturing. Credit must also be given to David_Raksin's excellent score, a definite plus. Fans of Dennis_Hopper may be very surprised by his performance here; unlike in many of his later "psychotic" performances, Hopper's work here reveals how gentle and tender he can be. It's a totally believable performance, and essential to the film's effectiveness. There's also strong work from Linda_Lawson and Gavin_Muir, and Harrington is also fortunate to have Vilis_Lapenieks on hand to provide very atmospheric camerawork. Craig Butler, Rovi
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