The movie Berserk! (1967), starring Joan Crawford, starts off well, as Gaspar the Great, the high wire act of the Rivers Circus, is unexpectedly hung when his wire snaps and wraps around his neck in front of the audience. The atmosphere of the circus is meticulously recreated, from the elephants to the acts to the labor gang, and soon we feel as part of the family, understanding Rivers (Crawford) to be the dictatorial parent, and the others as anything from lovers to enemies.
Then a new high wire act moves in, starring the Great Hawkins, not only into the circus, but into Rivers’ arms – but it’s an icy (and rather unbelievable) embrace, as Rivers is old enough to be the new act’s mother. But audiences flock to the circus, the circus in which the macabre accident occurred, as they often do, and Rivers is pleased.
Then another death, and another, and the police become an avid part of the audience. For a while the movie remains intriguing, even if we are wrestling with the supposed affair between Rivers and Hawkins, as there’s little else hitting a false note. But as we approach the end, a new character arrives: Rivers’ teenage daughter, unmentioned, rebellious about being sent off to school, and unexpected. Could we have yet another victim, just to needle Rivers about enjoying the receipts generated by the deaths of her employees?
No.
The daughter is the bloody KILLER.
So the audience is treated entirely unfairly. No attempt is made to explain how the murders were accomplished. The motivation? To get her mother out of the circus culture.
It’s like someone put a knife into the center of the painting of Mona Lisa and ripped it right out. OK, maybe not old Mona, but some rather good painting – because it’s a glaring, painful flaw in what was otherwise an enjoyable murder mystery.
See it if you adore Joan Crawford (who’s frankly rather scary) then see this, otherwise you’ll just be disappointed.
