John Gilling was a filmmaker of no small renown, and having him involved in a production is a fair get. It's to the credit of all involved that this film also boasts excellent production values up to the standards of the time, with superb art direction, costume design, and stunts and effects. One will also observe that like no few other contemporary examples, the picture leans considerably on mystery, and mounting investigation, with only sparing visualization for the preponderance of the length of violence, death, or the dark dealings portended in the lore revealed through dialogue. The premise is certainly sufficient to catch one's attention, too.
Unfortunately, I'm not so sure that the strength of the viewing experience bears out the expectations one may have on any particular basis. Even recognizing the deliberate, measured dispensation of the story and the genre elements, the pacing feels dull to the point of dampening one's enthusiasm and trying our patience. Plot development is rather slow, and one will note that this was the last project that Gilling took on in his life, at that several years after his most recent previous work. I don't say this to altogether reflect on and impugn the man's skills as director; then again, there are definitely moments when his direction comes off as especially weak. There are no few moments, for example, when a scene relies rather oddly on hard gazes shared between Adolfo Marsillach as del Rio, Eduardo Fajardo as Enrique, and possibly other actors/characters, and the moment is so flimsily drawn out as to sap any possible tension from the intensity of the players' expressions. While we viewers are treated to bits and pieces of violence and horror notions as the length draws on, 'Cross of the devil' saves the vast preponderance for the last act. The wait is worth it to some degree, yet I can't help but feel disappointed; like a more famous Spanish flick involving the Knights Templar, 'Tombs of the blind dead,' the actual experience of watching doesn't live up to its reputation, or what we assume.
I also think the writing is troubled. We're basically presented with three major plot points: the murder of Justine, and Alfred's interest in learning more about it; the tale of Beatriz and Inigo, a legend passed down through the years; and the legend of the Knights Templar and the titular location. The writers do make connections between these ideas, but the threads are weak and less than fully convincing; moreover, as they present, each plot point in and of itself is less than entirely cohesive. Note, for example, how the weapon that is offered up as a crucial MacGuffin in the last act has only just been introduced for the first time; as an audience we can only take it on faith. Even the last ten minutes or so serve up only a very meager resolution to the tale; the glove fits, but barely, and it has holes that our fingers easily poke through. I've heard it said that modern viewers are too obsessed with plot, and that in the face of story ideas that disagree or don't form a cogent whole we forget how to just have fun nevertheless. I understand that sentiment, but there comes a point when the frailty of a screenplay reduces the support structure for the movie that's built upon it. I rather think 'Cross of the devil' works best only if we can accept the logic of Movie Magic that holds its storytelling together.
It's still enjoyable, by all means, and I'm glad I took the time to watch. I name-dropped 'Tombs of the blind dead' in fleeting reference and truthfully, I think this is a superior feature. That doesn't make it a great one though: good, yes; specifically admirable, no. I appreciate all the hard work that went into it, and I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. More than anything else, however, I believe this 1975 title needed more pep in its step to make its ideas count, and above all it needed more time to gestate so that the writers could patch the rough spots in the details of the plot. 'Cross of the devil' is a suitably good time if you come across it, but all told, you shouldn't go out of your way for it, and temper your expectations.
