Twisted Nerve
| Twisted Nerve | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Roy Boulting |
| Written by | Roy Boulting, Leo Marks, adapted from screenstory by Roger Marshall |
| Produced by | John Boulting, George W. George, Frank Granat |
| Starring | Hywel Bennett, Hayley Mills, Billie Whitelaw, Frank Finlay |
| Music by | Bernard Herrmann |
| Distributed by | British Lion Films National General Pictures |
Release date | February 26, 1969 |
Running time | 118 min. |
| Language | English |
Twisted Nerve is a 1968 British psychological thriller film about a disturbed young man, Martin, who pretends, under the name of Georgie, to be mentally retarded in order to be near Susan, a girl he has become infatuated with, killing those who get in his way.
Plot
The film opens with Martin playing catch with his young mentally challenged brother Pete at a special school in London. Martin is the only thread to Pete's family life; his father died years before and his mother has a new life with a new husband. Martin expresses concern for his brother's well-being to the school's physician, who is comfortable with Pete's progress.
After the title sequence, Martin is shown in a toy store, gazing at Susan, who purchases a toy. As she leaves, Martin follows. Two undercover store detectives ask them to return to the manager's office. The detectives assert that Martin and Susan were working together to allow Martin to steal a toy. Susan assures them she has never met Martin. The manager asks Susan for her address, and Martin appears to make a mental note when she offers it. When questioned by the manager, Martin turns soft, presents himself as mentally challenged, and calls himself "Georgie." Sympathetic to him, Susan pays for the toy. Sure that this was a misunderstanding, the manager lets them leave.
Martin returns home to his parents arguing in the parlor over his lack of interest in life. There is allusion to some perverse behavior he has exhibited, though this is not elaborated upon. He shuts himself in his room. While secluded, Martin stares in the mirror, bare chested, examining his frame. He seems disappointed at his appearance, eventually punching and cracking the mirror in frustration. The camera reveals a stack of body building magazines on Martin's dresser.
The next day, Martin goes to Susan's house and waits for her to return. She arrives with a young Indian man named Shashee. He drops Susan off, who thanks him, and she goes to the library, where she keeps an after-school job. There, Martin approaches Susan who immediately recognizes him as 'Georgie.' He tells her that he followed her and pays her back for the toy. Before he leaves, Martin, as Georgie, gets Susan to lend him a book about animals.
Martin has a heated conversation with his stepfather, who insists he travel to Australia. Martin refuses, then sets in motion a plan to leave home, pretend to go to France, and then go on to live with Susan. Martin leaves his family and shows up late at Susan's mother's house, where she rents rooms. Presenting himself as Georgie, he gains sympathy both from Susan and her mother and they let him stay.
The plot unravels with Martin's duplicitous nature clashing against his desires to win Susan's heart. He wants her to accept him as a lover, but cannot reveal that he is in fact Martin, as he is worried she will shun him. Meanwhile, Martin uses his new found identity to his advantage to seek out revenge on his stepfather, who believes he is in France. This series of decisions leads Martin down the path of self-destruction.
Soundtrack
The movie soundtrack was composed by Bernard Herrmann and the movie theme can also be heard in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill when a menacing Elle Driver whistles it in the hospital scene. The theme can also be heard in Quentin Tarantino's movie Death Proof as Rosario Dawson's character's ringtone.
The theme can also be heard in several episodes of American Horror Story, a horror-drama television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, which premiered on FX on October 5, 2011. The character of Tate (played by Evan Peters) has many similarities to Martin.
The theme can be also heard in the Malayalam movie Chaappa Kurish as a ringtone of Fahad Fazil s character's iPhone.
Controversy
The film is notorious for its use of Down's syndrome, then referred to as mongolism, as a catalyst for Martin's actions. The film opens with a disclaimer to discount the connection between the disorder and antisocial behavior.
