The Ceremony

Fascinating and obscure
Very uneven sometimes amateurish production but full of creativity, wonderful lighting, sharp performances and atmosphere. A must for a Laurence Harvey fan. His only directorial effort. Good score as well

not the usual american supernatural fare
No hysteria or built from the usual cookie-cutter formula in American cinema with all to do with horror or supernatural. All the more surprising since revolves around a college student.
His room-mate had been up to mischief putting a curse on a fellow student using black magic and has unleashed an occult prence in the apartment in the process. The room-mate finds the books and candles, gets a professor to translate the Latin. From then on it turns into A VERY SPOOKY MOVIE as a presence gradually makes itself known.
I was watching this on a sunny afternoon but this would be one frightening film to watch in the dead of night, alone, worse ,in an old house......
one * less for not being as freaked out as he should be.

Childish emotional feel + some great one liners.
Great example of the 1960's Childish-Aesthetic: Actors and story feel a bit stupid, unexplained, and oversimplified so it bores like a children's level story intellectually that is played with adults.

Yet the childish presentation alternates with some great one liner truths. The Tangiers' leader wants some credibility for Tangiers by having real law enforcement that the world believes they don't have. And near the end a priest forces the criminal to understand that there is some good in men with a brilliant statement about God and the criminal's brother, a type of statement which is rarely seen in a film.

Sara Miles satisfies as mentally tormented beauty girlfriend wanted by two men. Always sad when she leaves the screen.

1960's anti-establishment ending, on an emotional level, somehow blames the authorities for the criminals stealing and ruining of his own family; this is the ending "twist" to satisfy the non-sense sensibilities of the day - Ug!

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