The Keep (1983)

Director: Michael Mann

Starring: Scott Glenn, Ian McKellen, Alberta Watson

Nazis are forced to turn to a Jewish historian for help in battling the ancient demon they have inadvertently freed from its prison.

During the Second World War, a military unit arrives at a Keep in a small village, where they are to set up camp. They hope to take control of a Pass in the mountains. The unit is under command of Captain Woermann (Jürgen Prochnow). On arrival in the small village, it is clear they are not welcome.

The huge Keep is being looked after by a caretaker and his two sons, as his family has been doing for generations. There are 108 nickel crosses throughout the mysterious Keep. But when two soldiers on guard discover some of the crosses are made of silver, and valuable, they remove one, revealing a hidden chamber. In the process, they set free a demon.

When Major Erich Kaempffer (Gabriel Byrne) hears of the death of some of the soldiers, he executes some of the villagers, believing they were responsible for their deaths. But Woermann knows they’re dealing with something far more sinister and dangerous and calls for Jewish Professor Dr. Theodore Cuza (Ian McKellen) the only man who knows the secrets of the Keep. Dr Cuza is accompanied by his daughter, Eva (Alberta Watson). And their fight for survival is about to begin…

‘The Keep’ is atmospheric, and visually well made for its time, with a beautiful score by Tangerine Dream. Until the halfway mark I thought I discovered another 80’s horror treasure. However, around the halfway mark – as the eeriness diminishes and a romance interest develops – the film becomes much slower paced. The demon also becomes less scary. Its such a pity, because the first half was excellent.

Scott Glenn stars as Glaeken, a character who seemingly knows the demon and tries to destroy it, but I didn’t fully understand this character. The film also becomes very weird towards the end.

At the box office, ‘The Keep’ only managed to earn back $4.2 million of its $6 million budget.

Would I watch it again? I don’t think so.