THE NINTH CONFIGURATION
*** out of *****

Genres
Comedy
Drama
Horror
Sci Fi
Thriller

1980
Written and directed by
William Peter Blatty
Cast
Stacy Keach ....  Col. Vincent Kane
Scott Wilson ....  Capt. Billy Cutshaw
Jason Miller ....  Lt. Frankie Reno
Ed Flanders ....  Col. Richard Fell
Neville Brand ....  Maj. Marvin Groper
George DiCenzo ....  Capt. Fairbanks
Moses Gunn ....  Maj. Nammack
Robert Loggia ....  Lt. Bennish
Joe Spinell ....  Spinell
Alejandro Rey ....  Lt. Gomez
Tom Atkins ....  Sgt. Krebs

Writer/Director William Peter Blatty has said that he considers The Ninth Configuration to be the true sequel to his classic horror The Exorcist, although in many ways this statement does not do justice to this wonderful story. As with his earlier novel, Blatty wrestles with the themes of spirituality and psychology, however The Ninth Configuration approaches these topics with a greater depth and maturity that translate brilliantly in the film adaptation. This does have the somewhat trivial drawback, however, of making this film quite difficult to categorise. At its core it is a psychological drama, while at times it seems to be a thriller verging on horror whose mood is always broken by moments of unbridled hilarity.

Colonel Vincent Kane (Stacey Keach) is a psychiatrist who is assigned to a remote castle which is being used as a mental hospital for insane Vietnam War veterans. The Gothic Estate also houses a special case, Captain Billy Cutshaw (Scott Wilson), an astronaut who lost his mind just before take off. As Kane attempts to diagnose and treat the men, his personal demons begin to show themselves and he struggles to maintain his grip on sanity. This is made ever more difficult by a supporting cast who could have been lifted straight from the ward in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (If they had all done a short stint in Apocalypse Now).

The Ninth Configuration is an excellent film. Both Keach and Wilson give outstanding performances. Keach’s exquisite portrayal of inner anguish stands in quiet counterpoint to Wilson’s classic raving lunatic. This opposing dynamic is echoed throughout the film. From the opening sequence where the rain enshrouded castle, which wouldn’t look out of place in a vampire flick, is shown to us against the musical backdrop of a late seventies pop ballad. Even the brooding interior shots of the shadowy mansion seem constantly underpinned by patients who believe that Shakespeare could be adapted for dogs, or that a black Superman could save Julius Caesar.

At times, however, the spiritual theme does seem to become a little forced. There are many lingering close-ups on demonic gargoyles and crucifixes that really attempt to ram the point home. The antics of some of the mental patients also come close to undercutting the tension between Kane and Cutshaw. That said, this film is a brilliant look into the human mind and the nature of torment, both natural and supernatural. This is Blatty at his best, both as a writer and a director. I strongly urge you to watch this with your friends, and then stay up discussing it to well into the morning.

Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.

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