"The Devil's Ransom" is a very strange film. Bad, also, but mostly strange, because it pretends to be stylish, atmospheric, and convoluted, whereas - in reality - it's really boring and predictable. The unearthly beautiful Michèle (Marisa Mell) is married to grouchy and mean-looking banker Gilbert (Philippe Leroy). He has an affair, because Michèle totally neglects him, but his mistress and an accomplice then kidnap the couple's young son. While Gilbert stubbornly refuses to steal money from his employer to use for ransom, the accomplice - a photographer - becomes obsessed with Michèle and forces her to pose as a nude model for him.
The plot, and especially the interactions between the four lead characters, made me think of this film as a demented variant of the famous "Stockholm Syndrome". The story is set in the Swedish capital, for starters, and the relation between kidnappers and victims becomes increasingly intimate and uncomfortable, to say the least. Sadly, though, the inexperienced director Piero Sciumè does nothing with the massive cult potential. Everyone with the slightest bit of logical sense, and/or basic insight in thriller cinema, will be able to foretell the supposedly "shocking" plot twists at the end. In fact, they are so obvious I even assumed they were part of the build-up. Even more regrettable is how incredibly boring the film is. Especially during the first half hour, absolutely nothing significant happens (except that you can gaze at Mell).
And yet, I'm convinced that - in the hands of a capable director - something much better could have come from this. Gilbert's job, for instance, requires that he transfers large sums of cash all over Europe with a briefcase handcuffed to his arm. Surely, exciting things can be done with that?
