I just finished watching Madhouse on "ON DEMAND". Most of the stuff they show there is pure *beep* so it was refreshing to see such a badass movie. I've always believed that lower budget movies generally make better horror films--one, because they look more real and less stylized (Dario Argento, anyone?), and second, because their directors are more inclined to take risks and are not confined to the big-budget *beep* stock endings.
My take on it is similar to those in the other postings: We have a man with multiple personality disorder coming back home--the "there's no place like home" line from the boy is apropos here--many years after he was drop kicked out for being too crazy for a mental institution. He kills Clark and adopts his identity to make it seem legit to Franks and the other docs; he befriends the buxom Sara to get information; and he kills everyone in order to complete unfinished business and purge himself of the trauma of his childhood. The ending is rather ambiguous, but I think the idea is that he's adopted yet another personality--Ben no longer needs Clark after Franks is dead--and he's possibly masquerading as a doctor at a new institute.
Some virtues of the movie:
1) The ending is genuinely surprising, unlike Depp's Secret Window and most of the other MP flicks.
2) It's set from the point of view of the afflicted himself, rather than some third party cliche. This is effective because a) it sets up the film as both a first-person narrative and a third-person one, because Clark/Ben can only see himself from the outside and b)it's a good clinical exercise in what life must be like for those afflicted with MP.
3) It hangs together well. It makes sense he'd see the kid. It makes sense the kid says 'there's no place like home'. It makes sense he'd have a connection with the guy in room 44, as that guy is himself. It makes sense that Clark/Ben is the killer given that all the deaths occur almost immediately after he arrives. It makes sense Ben would have a connection with Sara given that she, too, is schizophrenic. If Ben were not, he may have been scared off by her.
4) It's well-balanced. It's both a psychological exploration of a decayed mind and a political statement. As easy as it is to blame Ben/Clark for the murders, it is also true that the madhouse is a complete madhouse. This is what makes the title brilliant--it is a madhouse in that it is a place housed by insane people, and it's a madhouse because it's run so badly. Ben/Clark is right to criticize the handling of the institute and while it's unclear if the patients are in fact being administered placebos, there's no question that this is about the worst run mental institute this side of 1920.
5) Sara has a great body.
Some problems with the movie:
1)Why is Franks reading about hauntings? Or, is this just Clark's hallucination? Totally unclear.
2) Why does Alice (is that her name) also see the little kid? Or, perhaps this plays on the idea that some schizophrenics have a sixth sense about things--great intuition or whatever.
3) Why does nobody suspect Clark when the killings all begin right after he arrives? Also, they all see him snooping around, and yet they are completely unsuspicious.
4) Why does the letter about Clark's death occur so late? I'd think a phone call, or in this age, an email would be a better means of communication.
5) Why does Sara put something in Clark's drink? Is it really just a stress-reliever? And why does Clark respond so dramatically to it? This seems to be the moment when he flies off the handle and turns into Ben for good.
6) What was Clark/Ben doing for the last 27 years? He's obviously totally insane, and it's hard to imagine him living a normal life during that intervening period. It's more likely he would have been committed somewhere else, but this is not explained at all.
7) The ending was very weak. Should have just ended with his killing Sara.
All that aside, great movie. Very thought-provoking.
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Grim-Fandango88
16 years ago
Very good study man, well done, The way I see it, Clark/Ben genuinely thought he was the real Clark, until Sara points it out to him right at the end, after which his other personality takes over. This answers the problem no.5 of the previous post... Sara realised that Clark/Ben was the murderer, so she tries to bump him off. Then she stupidly confronts him about it, letting out his other personality, Ben. Agree on problem
1... Makes no sense??? Unless Franks sees the boy as well... Which doesn't make sense.
2. I agree.
3. Completely agree... He would seem suspicious to me.
4. I think that it's because big companies nowadays make a standard letter, then just change names and stuff as needed. Because it would be too much effort to phone everyone, the institution/universities might not use/have email, and they generally do use letters nowadays for formal stuff. Like job references etc. But then why didn't Franks suspect that Ben/Clark is the killer? Surely he read the letter before it went into his file?
6. Agree, but horrors don't always have to explain absolutely everything...
7. Agreed, it was kinda vague, but I agree with the theory that he may have been transferred, but then again, this can't be, as the institution was keeping the same people and not treating them so they could get government funding.
3 last things:-)
1. Sara does have a great body
2. I'm glad that head nurse died. She was a cow.
3. I really enjoyed the movie! Best part is, it was very unpredictable, and it made you think.
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Druidichalfelf
15 years ago
I don't think Alice ever saw the little kid. I don't remember her saying anything about kids, just a 'ghost'. I think she was just crazy.
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