Rapture was released December 13, 2011, and is therefore one week away from becoming the first Twilight Time title to reach the three year exclusivity limit without selling out. It should have sold out long ago. Since it has never had a low quantity alert, I suspect there are sadly plenty of copies left.
Rapture is still my favorite release from TT, and probably the best blind buy I have ever made. I want to repost my thoughts on the film that I wrote three years ago. I rewatched it yesterday, so it is on my mind. This is the kind of film that will stick with you long after the disc leaves your player. If anything, I feel even more strongly about it with each viewing.
Rapture is an astonishing film. Except for occasional visits to network TV over the years, it has been relegated to vault status since its release in 1965. That is a shame, because the film is a real gem and deserves to be seen. It is emotionally compelling, amazingly well acted, and is a showcase of absolutely beautiful music and cinematography. I have never seen rocky beaches and coastlines look so stunning in black and white.
The story and cinematography give
Rapture a strong neo-gothic atmosphere as brooding and ominous as the storm-shrouded Breton coast where the film takes place. The plot evolves around a widowed father, a former big city judge now living on the coast of Brittany in a large old house with his teenage daughter and their housekeeper. There is tension in this idyllic setting, for backstory reasons that I will not reveal. A series of events are set in motion with the jarring arrival of an escaped prisoner (played by a young Dean Stockwell) into their isolated lives, most particularly for the teenage daughter, an emotionally fragile girl named Agnes (played by Patricia Gozzi,
Sundays and Cybele).
The story of the impact of the prisoner's arrival and the electrifying effect it has on Agnes is handled deftly, a balancing act that teeters on the edge of becoming a horror film one moment and a heartfelt awakening the next. We are held in suspense because we never quite know what is going to happen. Agnes is emotionally vulnerable and isolated in the world around her, and confused by a sudden awareness of her budding sexuality. She is like a living version of the childhood doll she still cherishes, easily broken if treated carelessly. The viewer's uncertainty of whether she is mentally disturbed or merely emotionally immature due to being ill-used by callous adults, makes
Rapture both a dark fairy tale and a gently uplifting coming of age story. There is redemption and sacrifice like in many great films, and scenes that are truly memorable for their tender and moving portrayal of a girl's loneliness and despair. And yet, in its heart of darkness, there is a love of life in
Rapture that beats joyously loud. The actors are all superb, especially Patricia Gozzi, who shows a range of ability rarely seen in a young star. This is an unforgettable film that will stay with you after watching it. I can see why the director John Guillermin considers this to be his finest work.
I don't know quite what to compare it to, it is a unique film. I think if someone likes Hitchcock and Bergman, they will like
Rapture. It also reminded me of elements of early Polanski. The PQ is a glorious, a rich and beautiful black and white Cinemascope feast for the eyes. Audio is also good, with a haunting score by Georges Delerue that compliments the film perfectly. Very highly recommended.
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