Cursed by a vengeful witch. Chased by a cloud of smoke...or was it the demon? Is that a train you hear, or was it the cry of a merciless supernatural creature? Are those shrieking violins sending shivers up your spine too??
Night of the Demon definitely had it's moments of fright. But is it truly a horror movie according to Carroll? Is the demon a monster?
To a certain degree, the demon is a monster according to Carroll's definition, but it doesn't completely fit. Carroll defines a monster as something that cannot exist according to science, is some biologically impossible combination, and it must be both disgusting and threatening. A demon's existence cannot be proven or disproved. Therefore, is it truly a monster? Another conflicting problem is the fact that the demon isn't necessarily a combination of two impossible things. It is merely a demon. It could be argued that it is a combination of something natural (a creature as the audience clearly sees) and something supernatural (it is only seen by it's victims in the movie). With it's dripping fangs, beady eyes, and huge clawed hands, there is no contesting the fact that it is both disgusting and threatening. So whether or not this creature of utter despair is a true Carroll monster or not will be left up to the viewer.
I do agree however, even if the demon isn't a "monster", that the film did provoke the emotion of fear and adrenaline. When the actual visage of the demon is seen, it is disgusting (and a bit phony). Here is Carroll's art-horror expressed. However it isn't the actual visual demon that is the source of the fear and disgust that is felt by the audience; it is the idea of the demon being real that is the source of any fear. This idea of a threat matches Lovecraft's theory of cosmic fear rather than art-horror. In my opinion, The Night of the Demon invokes more cosmic fear than art-horror.
The plot is a complex discovery plot, but it is not the usual one. The monster is never truly confronted in the tale. In my opinion, the physical demon plays a rather small role. Again, it is the idea of the demon that is truly frightening. One overarching question is whether or not the demon was real. Could it simply be a figment of the imagination drawn out by the power of suggestion? Another irking question was whether or not the curse had anything to do with the runes. Could the demon simply be an imagined monster the result of opening the door to the belief of something evil?
This brings up a possible moral and social theme. Avoid witches! Anyone who believes in evil things is cursed, and bad things happen to dark people! The prosecution of witches has been around since medieval days. The comatose man who is hypnotized is an example of why the arts of the ancient evil witches should be avoided. See what happened to him??
As for me, the most suspenseful scene in this movie was when the main character was breaking into Koswell's house in the dead of night. A hand comes out of the corner of the screen...the cat watches from glowing eyes, the wind whistles through the trees... It is all very ominous, and as the scene progresses, the odds of the good Holdon escaping alive grow slimmer and slimmer. At first, Koswell is expected to be out of town, thus, Holdon is safe. But as soon as that hand suddenly appears on the banister, the moral outcome becomes quite unlikely.
Throughout the entire movie, I noticed how much Tourneur uses the art of sound to create an emotional response in the audience. The music is eerie and dynamic, growing louder as the danger becomes greater, getting softer as suspense grows. Again, the scene when Holdon is breaking into the house is horrifying because as soon as he is in, there is silence. This cease in music leaves the audience unconsciously on the edge of their seats. When Holdon knocks over the chairs, that silence is broken, causing the audience to feel that jolt of fright. It is artful, clever, and rather cruel in my opinion. Music and sound is an excellent way to play into the subconscious of the viewer. Was it the demon's whistling approach you heard on the tracks, or was it the incoming train?
You'll never know.
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