I Bury the Living

I Bury the Living is a unique blend of horror, mystery, and psychological thriller which was released in 1958. This exceptional movie capitalizes on the elements of suspense and intrigue to deliver a riveting narrative. Starring Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, and Peggy Maurer in pivotal roles, the film is directed by Albert Band, who magnificently captures the chilling ambiance of this uncanny tale.

Richard Boone plays the role of Robert Kraft, a businessman appointed as the new chairman of a mausoleum. Robert, an otherwise practical man, is thrust into an unsettling sequence of events that instigate a creeping sense of terror and apprehension. The plot thickens when Robert realizes that whenever he marks a plot on the cemetery map with a black pin, signifying it as sold, the person assigned to that plot meets an untimely and inexplicable death.

Boone’s performance is commendable, seeped with a palpable tension that increases as the story unfolds. His ardent portrayal of a man grappling with an eerie supernatural force is one of the film's notable highlights. He is ably supported by Theodore Bikel and Peggy Maurer, who complement the intensity of his character. Bikel plays Lieutenant Clayborne, a police officer who begins investigating the strange transactions. Maurer is Ann Craig, Robert’s girlfriend, who despite adding a hint of romance, mainly serves as the moral sounding board and grounding character for Robert in the hard times spurring from these uncanny occurrences.

What starts as a straightforward task as the chairman of a graveyard soon transcends into a spiraling nightmare for Robert. The once-rational man, who always prided himself on his pragmatism, is encased in horror and disbelief, questioning his very sanity. The aspect that the ordinary task of pinning cemetery maps translates into a bizarre game of life and death creates an escalating sense of terror that is difficult to ignore.

The black-and-white cinematography of the film further accentuates its eeriness and suspenseful atmosphere. The stark contrast between the two colors belongs to the main plot device, the cemetery map with its black and white pins. In addition, the use of ominous music throughout the film augments the pervading sense of dread and fear, making the cinematic experience remarkably chilling.

I Bury the Living lands firmly in the realm of psychological horror, playing with the audience's anticipation and fear. The horror elements employed in the film are not your conventional horror tropes; instead, they rely on the audience's own imaginations and the fear of the unknown, which further adds to its appeal. It's a gripping tale that explores the dramatic intensity of how the mind reacts when faced with inexplicable incidents.

Notably, the film, despite being a horror movie, also ventures into studies of guilt, fear, powerlessness, and the human struggle to make sense of events that lie outside the realm of logic. The narrative plumbs the depths of the human psyche and how our own minds can often play the greatest tricks on us. These themes are laid bare within the film's protagonist, Robert Kraft, as he wrestles with an unseen force that appears to be controlling both his destiny and those who are assigned a certain place on the map, reflected in his deteriorating mental state.

While I Bury the Living may not rely on jump scares or graphic depictions of horror, it is its subtlety that packs the biggest punch. It's a horror movie for anyone who appreciates slow-burn suspense and psychological terror. The film is a chilling exploration of grief, power, and the terrifying consequences of unexplainable events that defy logic. The psychological tension builds up systematically, leading up to an unforgettable climax that further amplifies the terror and suspense.

In conclusion, I Bury the Living is an intriguing exploration of the supernatural realm, underpinned by an unsettling narrative and excellent performances that add to the film's overall impact. Despite its release over six decades ago, this movie remains compelling viewing for anyone with a predilection for psychological horror and suspense that defies the usual horror genre conventions.