Vincent Price is perhaps the one horror icon to have played the most in Poe's world of horror. Having contributed at least nine films based on Poe's work, it was the role in the film THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER that arguably solidified Price's status as a horror icon. Horror Maestro Roger Corman with a screenplay from the severely underrated Richard Matheson together with one of Price's best performances created a masterpiece and made horror cinema history. This team of filmmakers would collaborate many times, always achieving grand results, but never quite to the level of Usher in my opinion.
Dark, ethereal, atmospheric, and terrifying. If you only watch one Vincent Price film in your life, this is the one.
THE PLOT
Philip arrives at his fiancee's mansion along a remote region of the New England countryside. There before him he sees a decrepit gothic structure, the surrounding area dead or decaying as if some unnatural malignancy afflicted the land. When Philip enters the mansion he finds the house and its residents similarly affected. His fiancee Madeline is morose and melancholic instead of the jovial woman he remembered. And her brother, Roderick, is even stranger, convinced that he and his sister, the house, and the land upon which it sits are cursed. As the weekend progresses the situation worsens. Tragedy strikes. And Philip begins to believe that maybe there really is a curse, a curse he is caught in the middle of.
WHAT I LIKED
The Atmosphere. One could say that this film is an example of how best to use atmosphere. From the onset with the hero Philip riding upon Usher House we see an arid wasteland surrounding the property. A large gothic structure fills the screen amidst what appears to be a decaying boggy landscape. The house looms on screen like a poisonous edifice infecting everything around it... and within it. The interiors of the house are just as creepy and gangrenous as the exteriors. The atmosphere is pushed further by the basement, which is in fact the family mausoleum.
The Performances. Vincent Price reveals himself like never before, completely clean shaven, hair bleached white, subdued and mentally disturbed. He plays a character with heightened sensitivity to light, touch, sight, taste, and sound. He doesn't play a villain for a change but his character is yet deeply disturbed and acutely aware of the curse upon his family. Myrna Fahey plays Madeline Usher and delivers just as good a performance. She's plays the role with a doomed sense of finality, already consigned to her cursed fate, yet still channels a ray of hope through it all. All the actors play their parts well... all four of them. Yes, there are only four actor total in this film! And while being a melodrama, the actors play their parts with restraint and realism.
Strong In All Aspects. I will admit that this movie doesn't offer much in the way of spectacle. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of it is the compelling story of Poe's and Richard Matheson's screenplay adaptation. The strength of the narrative coupled with the amazing performances, sets, costumes, and cinematography all add up to a film greater than it should be. Like the classic films of the golden age of Hollywood, House of Usher stands as one of the tightest, well-made horror films out there.
NITPICKS
There really isn't anything to nitpick about this film. It's a true classic and one of those films that came together in an incredible way, relaunching Vincent Price into stardom and starting a whole new era of horror for Roger Corman. Price and Corman's Poe series wouldn't have happened had it not been for this film. I will say that it is a film you may have to be in the mood for. If your desire is for SAW or THE EXORCIST then this film probably won't sate that appetite. But this film is required viewing for students and lovers of horror in all the genre's aspects. And it's one of the finest adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's work.
THE VERDICT
The Fall of the House of Usher marks a seminal horror film of the genre. Classy, dignified, and elegant in it's grotesquery, the filmmakers do so much with so little, a true testament to there abilities. Four actors in total, all of them potent, Vincent Price delivers one of his best performances, both unique in his appearance and compelling in his subtleties. Rich in atmosphere, evocative of story, and a terribly wonderful climax, this film comes together brilliantly in all aspects. And it stands as one of the genre's true classics.
Overall Ranking: 10 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10
For more lessons in classic horror check out these other films below
and check out the film below for a modern horror experience that channels much of the same energies as House of Usher
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