Les Étrangleurs de Bombay

THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is included on a DVD of another Hammer film, THE TERROR OF THE TONGS. Both films are very similar, though STRANGLERS is definitely the better of the two despite the absence of big name actors. This is because the film did a great job of making the sets look like India and using actors that might be Indian--whereas in TERROR, English actors almost exclusively played Chinese parts (making the film look really cheesy).

Amazingly, THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY is based on a true story, though I am pretty sure the names and a few details were fictionalized. In the nineteenth century, a bizarre cult dedicated to Kali (the goddess of death and destruction) was ultimately destroyed by the British in India. This cult not only adored Kali, but was dedicated to murder and robbery--and it was apparently a pretty serious threat.

The film gets very high marks for its script and direction. The film is exciting, well-paced and engaging. Despite having little of the cache of many other Hammer films (no Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing) and being in black and white, it's as solid and exciting a drama as you can find from this studio.