Magic (1978)

Magic (1978)                                                   3.5/5

Directed by Richard Attenborough

Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret

In this 70’s horror, magician Corky Withers (Anthony Hopkins) creates a popular stage act by including a foul-mouthed ventriloquist dummy called Fats. However, when his manager Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith) scores him a potential TV pilot, Corky is scared into hiding, going back to his hometown where he finds his high school crush Peggy (Ann-Margret). As his passions for her reignite, tension also mounts due to Corky’s strange relationship with Fats.

The plot is eerie, walking the fine line between psychological and paranormal. As is common for older films (especially, it seems, for the horror genre) the pace is much slower than a modern audience might expect. Some scenes seem unnecessary, while others simply take too long to build tension. Given the time in which it was made, however, these issues are forgivable, especially given the successfully creepy feeling that the entire story achieves.

Thematically, there is an interesting dynamic set up which compares the troubled relationship of Peggy and her husband Duke with the strange relation between Corky and his dummy Fats. The comparison that the film makes is interesting, with a fair amount of depth. Other themes are touched on briefly (Corky’s upbringing is shown in a few vague flashbacks, and Greene makes an interesting statement about the nature of the camera’s objective sight towards the beginning), but seem to be left aside in favour of the time spent in Peggy’s company.

Visually, there are a few intriguing techniques. Most cinematographic flourishes are used to emphasize the relationship of Corky and Fats. One particular scene is a spectacular use of tense stillness, as Corky and Greene sit across from one another in silence. As the camera circles around Corky, it rests behind Fats, replacing Corky’s face with that of Fats. Attenborough makes a few attempts at eye-catching visuals such as this, but for the most part the cinematography is just simply unobtrusive, successfully telling the story without much interruption. One exception is a particularly awkward-looking sex scene, complete with absurdly cliché romance music. The camera focuses on single shots for an extended period as the actors embrace, but in a way that does not come across as particularly erotic nor romantic.

The performances are incredibly uneven, but are at the very least functional. The majority of scenes involve explosive highs which drown out any real subtlety in the acting. At any given time, a character seems to be either getting angry, yelling, or crying. There are a few shining moments, but for the most part the film is highly overacted and altogether melodramatic. These performances work however, in that such explosive personalities build a sense of eerie tension that helps to further the horror aspect of the film. Some of the better moments include the aforementioned silent moment between Corky and Greene (in which Burgess Meredith delivers one of the best performances in the film, incorporating adequate tension with spectacular subtlety), as well as a scene towards the end when Corky argues with Fats in which Anthony Hopkins delivers a spectacular version of a man gone completely insane.

Overall, Magic is an eerie film which walks the line between psychological and paranormal horror. It has a number of issues, including a lengthiness typical of older horror films as well as uneven and altogether melodramatic performances, but it is sure to produce the desired uneasy feeling in its audience, especially for those who share this reviewer’s particular distaste for ventriloquist dummies.

This review was requested by Daniel Turres.

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