Manos- Hands of Fate

     It's a moot point going on about how this movie has achieved pop icon status. Nearly everyone into B-movies has watched this at least once. So it might surprise some how come I hadn't watched this until some days ago. What is more bizarre is that I only got to watch this as this flick is now in the public domain; I wouldn't be able to do so otherwise. I almost gave up on reviewing this altogether.

Before delving into the plot, a word of warning about this movie seems lordly at this point. The movie was made under a very tight budget by someone without a lot of directing experience. This alone should set off warning klaxons in many viewers' heads. However, there is more to this. The movie has a grainy look that remains with it to its very end and the sound was apparently not mixed very well. Furthermore, the director also rushed through edits during the post-production stage. This becomes easy to notice after a few seconds into the movie, where a long driving scene takes place without nothing else at all happening. The ensuing shots show a car coming out on to a single carriageway, turning inland through a sequence of sparse shrubs lining the curb line. 10 or 20 kilometres further on, they drove across the hills for what appeared to be hours, into a landscaped of unadorned simplicity. According to info found on wikipedia.org, there was an intended purpose behind the disjointed driving scene:

The entire nine-minute opening sequence, which consisted of the main characters driving around looking for their hotel with minimal dialogue or effect on the plot, was the result of such neglect: Warren had likely intended to include opening credits over these shots, but either forgot to add them or did not have the post-production budget to do so.

Is this the excitement of donning the Torgo garb or taking care of the place?

While it's easy to deride a movie for its forgetfulness to make amends on its original cut, the concept also strikes me as interesting as it could engender a host of unpredictable moments in the film, contributing to a far more rewarding experience. In fact, I became outright hooked up on mercurial aspects of film after my none too pleasant experience watching The Twilight Series. I want to get over it as quickly as possible, even if it means watching Manos: The Hands of Fate all the way through.

The family on an outing eventually found their way to a mysterious shack and are promptly "greeted" by Torgo. This is, for many, the movie's high point. Torgo was supposedly screened as a satyr, but came off more like a martyr. The brooding figure is more sinister-looking than his ominous master and their deity: Manos himself. It also bears mentioning that Torgo has a hard to tell personality. It's not clear from the beginning what his intentions were. It is eventually revealed late on, but in such an unconvincing light that the viewer has to wonder what prompted his motivations.

Plotwise, the scene is there to introduce the gloomy caretaker to the audience and the travelling family. They insist on asking him which is the way to Valley Lodge, to which he dryly replies there is no such place. Understandably, the wife is uneasy about Torgo's disposition. She suggests Mike - her hunsband- they should depart the premises willy nilly. Mike eventually drives home the point that "they" would rather stay and leave in the morning. Torgo grudgingly lets them stay, all the while remarking that "the Master would not approve". He says that like 15 times. Then, all of a sudden, the scenery acquires a stronger daylight hue, although it was supposed to be getting darker, and then Torgo starts his famous "Torgo gait". Relying on information found on wikipedia (hurrah to the internet) reveals that the character of Torgo wore metal riggings under his trousers to give him a goat-like look. This is coherent with his overall looks, including the beard, battered apparel and even the way he moves his eyes. John Reynolds, the man behind such an astounding character, actually was the one put his soul into this movie. The remainder of the characters are a sad-looking bunch in comparison. Oh, and there is even a custom tune set to go along with the Torgo gait, aptly titled the Torgo suite.

The Manos staff is mightier than the sword!

What transpires next is not easy to describe. As stated earlier, the movie doesn't follow a pattern for events to unfold within a coherent whole. All that we know is that the family's pet dog dies, slain by some unseen beast. Possibly the master's faithful doberman. The master does appear later on, has a stare-off with Torgo and urges all of his six wives to chase after the suspecting guests. Torgo wants one of the wives for himself and he already took his pick: Mike's wife. The master will have none of this, but at this point his authority is seriously called into question as he fails to break up a catfight that embroils all of his consorts. For some intangible reason, he lets it goo on for what seems to be 20 minutes (movie time). The movie's flaws also become apparent at this point. The sound is barely audible and the acting does not help matters. In another section of the mess that is the plot, Mike's mind constantly switches states between wanting to leave through the desert on foot and trying to start the car. He can't settle on either idea and so he just beckons his family to go back to the Master's dreaded abode and bide their time until dawn breaks so they decide on a better course of action. As the head of a family, one would expect more from him.

The movie ends where it started, with the family on their way to valley lodge with the action-packed dwelling still prominent from the background. Only this time, Mike is the new Torgo. I will go out on a limb and say this is not exactly the greatest movie ever. In fact, it is far from it. On the other hand, it is impossible to imagine how it could have been otherwise. There is little room for improvement to be made because the concept behind the movie demanded just that: a simple movie with a creepy pattern, which was neither supposed to be easily spotted nor overlooked by careful lookers. It was just supposed to be something that would get stuck with the viewer and not leave, but haunt him for years to come. Except that, any attempt at making a haunting impression was upstaged by the movie's incredible production, which is more likely to etch a permanent mark into b-movie fans.

Watch the entire movie here.