ENDLESS NIGHT (UK/1972/SIDNEY GILLIAT)

Mike is a young chauffeur with a passion for “all things beautiful”. At the start of the film, we see him lose out on a Renoir painting during an auction at Christie’s, an outcome he has had to accept so many times before. While out on a job in Milan, he meets an architect with whom he discusses Gypsy’s Acre, a Victorian mansion back in England which he longs to own. While taking pictures of the house to send back, Mike unexpectedly meets Ellie, an American heiress who catches his eye. Before long, the two are married, and Ellie uses her financial power to have Gypsy’s Acre designed to Mike’s specifications. But in spite of the state-of-the-art renovation, the house is constantly plagued by various interferences, particularly from Ellie’s good friend Greta, and an eccentric local named Mrs. Townsend.

Taken from the Agatha Christie story of the same name, Endless Night does not hold anything remarkable for the casual viewer beyond fancy set design and the presence of Britt Ekland. An interesting premise is set up with the working-class driver suddenly being given power beyond his wildest dreams, but this is quickly lost in obtuse twists and Hitchcockian revelations. The film does possess some charming idiosyncrasies, such as the hovering image of a gigantic eye at the end, but they would perhaps belong in a more psychedelic story. Mention must also be made of the uneven acting, perhaps the biggest factor in claiming this film is ‘forgotten for a reason’.