La meurtrière diabolique

"Strait-Jacket" tells this story: Lucy Habin (Joan Crawford) surprises her husband with another woman. She falls into madness and kills them both, and her daughter sees everything. After spending 20 years in an asylum, she's is considered recovered and released. She leaves the asylum and goes to live with her daughter. Very simply told this is just the introduction of the film. The rest you can guess but maybe you'll guess wrong. I said maybe.

This is an interesting film. It is deceivingly naive but those able to go beyond the story will make their own discoveries. For one thing: "Strait-Jacket" was filmed in 1963 when society was more conservative - social rules and divisions were much more rigid then. There were mainly two choices (especially in small towns and rural areas) - either adapt to society and its straight-jacket or else be an outcast. Why am writing this? Because this is one of my readings of the film.

Anyway "Strait-Jacket" is a good thriller (not so much for the scares but rather for the atmosphere). Well, it hasn't the sophistication of some film noirs of the 40s and 50s but its charm resides in its simplicity not deprived of sense of humor. Joan Crawfords acting is of course superb and the supporting cast does also a good job. The story is interesting and will keep your attention till the end.

I've seen 2 other Castle films ("The Tingler" and "House on Haunted Hill") - both of them funny and entertaining, but I think that "Strait-Jacket" is the best one - it is not so amateurish and goes deeper than the other ones, but still preserves the light touch characteristic of William Castle. There are surprises in store. Go for it!