The Boston Strangler
Based On A True Story
One by one, the victims fell, each death more gruesome than the last. The actual murders that rocked Boston in the '60s are the gripping subject matter of this unforgettable police thriller. Henry Fonda stars as the investigating police detective. Tony Curtis delivers a stunning performance as the psychopath Fonda must conquer. Filmed in a documentary style that makes the horrifying events all the more real, The Boston Strangler is one of the most powerful films in its genre.
Member Reviews
Ahead of its time - RobBC
Controversial for 1968, the film doesn’t shy away from the more troubling aspects of the case; DeSalvo’s sexual aberrations are alluded to (Curtis’ facial expressions during the assaults speak volumes) and his victims are portrayed with a blunt realism that deepens the sense of tragedy while keeping the grislier details tastefully off camera. Some homophobic slurs do prove troublesome, even when you consider the time and place in which the story unfolds, and it’s difficult to assess whether a detective's overly respectful approach to a gay suspect constitutes genuine sympathy or condescension. What won me over in the end however was the film’s highly innovative camerawork. Fleischer’s frequent use of multiple frames and overlapping dialogue is brilliant; the separate frames sometimes appearing as pieces of a puzzle while at other times forming a mosaic of fear and suspicion as we see images of women locking doors and peering nervously over their shoulders. Furthermore, Bottomly’s tense interrogations of an increasingly psychotic DeSalvo are beautifully enhanced when the killer’s disjointed memories suddenly become interactive with both men moving in and out of reality. Despite some glaring factual omissions, DeSalvo was definitely not the innocuous family man portrayed here, this still remains a highly polished and riveting piece of pseudo-fiction.Don't believe the hype! - ToxorAxiom
Movies based on the true stories of serial killers rarely get the mood right, and this one is no exception. It struggles with its tasteless topic against the confines of this clean-cut, dated Hollywood picture. Even though the period of these murders really was the 60s, the split-screen technique (which employs even more than two shots within the screen at a time) is hokey at best, and nauseating at worst.
All the actors you'll recognize are playing roles you've seen dozens of times before in much better movies, which is a waste when you consider the talent involved. But with a script like this turkey, you'd be hard-pressed for encouragement to get into character. You're better off reading a book about the subject instead; that way you'd be able to use your imagination, something this stale pictures does not. Unzip it.Boston Strangler - Sick_Boy
An interesting take on cinematography. Moving a way form the crane shot and static tripod shots, 'the boston strangler' sucks in its viewers with point of view shots that pull the viewe in much like Hitchock's works have. The only draw back to this is when the film nose dives halfway through. The fancy suspensful editing that was at its hayday when this was shot, ceases to exist for the latter half of this acclaimed picture. I wouldn't like to see so much a re-make of this film, but a re-edited directors cut might be much more captivating. Perhaps the audiences of the 60s aren't as jaded and shaped by the jump cut/montage sequences that newer audiences have grown acustomed to as time saving devices. Beautifully shot with a cryptic sobering social comentary on issues that plauge the mentaly ill both in today and in the past, a must see for up and coming social workers, still relevant today.
Member Reviews
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Ahead of its time - RobBC
Controversial for 1968, the film doesn’t shy away from the more troubling aspects of the case; DeSalvo’s sexual aberrations are alluded to (Curtis’ facial expressions during the assaults speak volumes) and his victims are portrayed with a blunt realism that ...Don't believe the hype! - ToxorAxiom
Movies based on the true stories of serial killers rarely get the mood right, and this one is no exception. It struggles with its tasteless topic against the confines of this clean-cut, dated Hollywood picture. Even though the period of these murders really ...Boston Strangler - Sick_Boy
An interesting take on cinematography. Moving a way form the crane shot and static tripod shots, 'the boston strangler' sucks in its viewers with point of view shots that pull the viewe in much like Hitchock's works have. The only draw back to this is when ...