The Devil's Hand

The Devil's Hand is a darker movie than most of what comes out of the black and white era. This one forgoes the teenscreem and cheap thrills to follow devilish practices not unlike something along the lines of Ninth Gate (though without the Indiana Jones flavor).

A man who seems to be happy and on the verge of getting married is having dreams of a girl he's never met. He's lured by a witch to join her cult in order to have her as his lover. This isn't about a struggle between good and evil or a man acting against his own will, this is about a man that turns his back on the life he had in order to partake in the pleasures the cult can provide him (primarily a way into the witch's bed).

The movie walks a fine line between the star being unlikable and retaining enough decency to still connect with the viewer who typically wants to see good triumph over evil. I think this is one reason I like the movie; it walks this line effectively. While I was thinking what an idiot this guy is to give himself over to a cult like this, I was waiting to see what would happen with and to him.

I doubt this is anything like what a real cult ritual would be, but there is a sense of realism to it rather than hokey chills that often play for laughs these days. Sure the wheel of knives isn't high-tech, but it has an arcane quality to it that fits well.

The acting is decent. It's not going to blow anyone away, but I've certainly seen much, much worse. The surf guitar music used in the credits and at one point during the movie doesn't fit the mood or style of the movie at all. Maybe witches like peppy surf tunes, I don't know, but the music choices could have set a more somber mood.

MORALITY:

There is no sex or nudity, just sexual innuendo. We don't see the star and the witch hit the sheets, but it's clear what they want to do with each other.

There is very little violence, and what we do see is brief.

There is no strong language.

Mostly you're just going to see the darkness of a cult that includes human sacrifice as a part of their rituals.

SPIRITUALITY:

We are dealing with dark forces here – sinful temptation in the extreme brought about by a woman who is doing the Devil's work a bit like an evil missionary. Would deviant pleasures lure you from a life of innocence and morality? The cult adds an element of cinematic horror, but that choice is one we can see being made in real life. Plenty have cast aside the idea of sin to indulge themselves without guilt, some are even celebrated as glamorous. Just because they don't participate in occult rituals like the people in the movie doesn't mean they are any less drawn away from God by their choices.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

While I don't suggest putting much effort into finding this movie, I do think it's worth checking out if you come across it. It's interesting, and just the fact that I was pulled into it enough to want to grab the guy by the collar and knock some sense into him says something about how well it's done.

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