THE GIANT BEHEMOTH (1959)
There's an inevitable sense of familiarity that sets in after watching a whole series of monster movies. The unsolved mystery, the men in white coats, the inevitable thrashing destruction. Or maybe that's just a description of my own fate after sitting through one to many creature features. However while the formulaic nature of the genre is one thing, the direct rehashes are something else. This is yet another story about new atomic power meeting prehistoric life, resulting in a lot of misery for the urban populace. But there's something to be said for the approach this one takes, even if it's clearly just a Beast from 20,000 Fathoms imitation. For once the monster is probably the least interesting part.
It's a film that raises a lot of questions. Was a marine Palaeosaurus really the best choice of monster? Wasn't radiation poisoning enough of a threat without claiming that the beast is electrified? Was this really made in 1959? The star attraction isn't exactly scary looking as it lumbers around, and the effects budget bringing it to life has apparently dwindled since the earlier days of this particular B-genre. Effects pioneer Willis O'Brien is unfortunately greatly overshadowed by his former assistant Ray Harryhausen in this case. Five years earlier this might have been acceptable, but there are times when it looks like a 1930s successor to King Kong rather than anything from this decade's atomic fear trend.
At least the threat is taken seriously in other ways. The creature's 'electric eel' powers might be absurd but the atomic waves it emanates are depicted with grim detail. While it might be a poor competitor to the other monster movies of the time it's certainly more in line with the arrival of other science fiction horror stories of the time. In fact there are times when the whole thing has more in common with X the Unknown than anything else. Which seems to have been the plan for the plot before the studio demanded a dinosaur. The results speak for themselves as whole families, including livestock, children and pets, meet a grisly end as the Behemoth climbs ashore.
The mood is also emphasized by the procedural nature of the story as well as the cast. Although technically not the lead André Morell is a welcome inclusion as scientist Professor Bickford. He might be being as stoic as ever but he adds to the early Hammer horror vibe. Steve Karnes (Gene Evans) the radiation expert is less memorable but together they make a watchable duo. There's a cold and clinical nature to the story as they investigate the death of a fisherman in Cornwall, which leads them to a strange glowing material from an eerie ship wreck. The overall atmosphere is also a nice distraction from the fact that the sea monster is absent for a good hour into the story.
When the Behemoth eventually shows up it's not exactly a spectacular sight. There's a lot of repeated shots involving a totally static head rising from the water. It might fool someone from a distance in a Loch Ness kind of way, but up close the lack of animation is a big problem. The circular beams of energy that leave charred victims in its wake are interesting, but they're used far too often. It's clearly a substitute for the creature having to behave in a more dynamic fashion. All the chaos involving a London ferry and later in the city streets is fun for a while at least. But elsewhere things like the same car being squashed (shown three times in short succession) are clearly money saving exercises.
Even when the full scale monster is finally shown tearing up the docks there's an obvious lack of personality on display. The kind of snarling menace that brought O'Brien's own Kong island fauna to life is sadly missing. The obligatory eccentric, in this case paleontologist Dr. Sampson, (Jack MacGowran) at least lends the story a random jolt of charisma but he's given only a couple of scenes. Perhaps they should have chosen a more carnivorous species. It might have been more derivative but in the case of this story why not go all the way? They even surmise that the dinosaur is heading for river it was born in, just like Harryhausen's Rhedosaurus.
Clearly there was a debate between the screen writer who wanted a radioactive slime, and the studio suits who wanted a giant lizard. The results, unsurprisingly, are a mixed bag. But there are some interesting moments along the way if you're prepared for a fairly relaxed pace. Earlier monster set pieces would have improved things. So would better use of the characters from the fishing village in act one, who are forgotten about immediately afterwards. It's refreshing to see a lack of forced romantic melodrama, but at the same time it's odd they get sidelined. Maybe it would have been better to keep them around, to lend the story some personal stakes. Some of it works and some of it doesn't, but it's all been done better elsewhere.
3/5
BONUS REVIEW
WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH (1970)
On the subjects of stop motion, Hammer productions, and general déjà vu, this attempt to replicate the success of One Million Years B.C. fares less well. Which is odd when it copies so many of the central beats. There are two tribes of prehistoric humans who come into conflict. There's a lot of characters wandering in the wilderness and coming across various animated creatures. And there's a whole lot of nonsensical tribal language. But it's all much less compelling and it's hard to say exactly why. Perhaps it's because there's too much neanderthal talk and not enough visual storytelling. Or maybe it's because for a story that should be simple there are a lot of odd complications.
The structure itself is an issue. Instead of a brutal hunter tribe and a peaceful farming tribe, this time it's two very similar groups who worship the Sun. One wants to sacrifice blonde women to their god, and the other... doesn't. At first it seems this difference is because of their locations, one living on a barren cliff and the other being by the sea. But it's later revealed that they live pretty close together instead of being an ocean apart. There are a lot of arguments over mating partners and sacrifice victims, and there's a lot of wandering around the desert. The object of this search Sanna (Victoria Vetri) and her new lover Tara (Robin Hawdon) escape and get captured multiple times during various disputes, and the whole thing shambles along at a slow pace.
Perhaps if the main storyline about a solar cataclysm was clearer it would be more compelling. Apparently in this world the Moon hasn't formed yet, leading to tidal waves and destruction in a late third act disaster. But the simplicity of a plot about tribal leadership is lost under so much bickering over whether the Sun is going to rise or not. There's far too much wandering in circles, and too many characters shouting 'akita' and 'necro' at each other over and over again until it just becomes noise. The dinosaurs are still varied and there are some fun moments, but it still feels like an inferior copy of an already silly premise. Sometimes less is more and this is true for attempts at sex appeal and engaging narratives.
2/5
