Following a run of classics that he created with Emeric Pressburger, director Michael Powell made his second solo feature with 1960’s Peeping Tom. Now considered a masterpiece that is an ancestor of the slasher subgenre, however, the feeling was much different upon release as the film was so vilified that it damaged Powell’s career. It is fascinating how that same film is getting a 4K restoration from the BFI over 60 years later, with the process aided by legendary director Martin Scorsese – a long-time champion of the film – and renowned editor Thelma Schoonmaker (who was also Powell’s wife.)
On the streets of London, sex worker Dora (Brenda Bruce) is approached by an unseen man. As the pair walk up to a bedroom, what Dora does not realise is that she is being filmed by a camera hidden within the man’s jacket. This is emphasized for viewers as the scene unfolds from the camera’s point-of-view, explicitly capturing Dora’s facial expressions as her initial confusion transforms into horror upon the dread-inducing realization of what is happening. As the camera closes in on her face, the scene then cuts to Mark (Carl Boehm) watching the footage back from a projector in his personal darkroom.
A man who dreams of becoming a film director, Mark works by day as a member of a film-crew while also photographing soft-core porn part-time. By night, his directorial aspirations are put to work as he commits murder with the intention of capturing genuine terror on his victim’s faces. His voyeuristic tendencies inhabit each facet of his life, highlighted by an in-joke as he claims to be a journalist working for the aptly-titled The Observer.
Michael Powell has crafted a vividly shot masterwork that examines fear and trauma in ways that few others can match.
Powell uses the film to observe what lurks underneath a prim and proper image, something that clearly struck a chord with audiences upon release. This is seen when a customer purchases a best-selling paper involving “girls on the cover and no covers on the girls,” only to exit with it hidden within copies of reputable newspapers. A similar tactic is used regarding the lead’s past, as his well-regarded father performed abusive experiments on a young Mark.
Appearing as a ray of hope is Helen (Anna Massey), a love-interest who cares for her blind mother while living downstairs. As she watches one of Mark’s home films, Helen’s interest sees her trying to unpack the increasing strangeness of what she is watching. As the footage continues, it dawns upon her that she is bearing witness to the tragic history of her reserved neighbour. The psychological scars are evident on Boehm’s vulnerable performance, as the recordings of his personal moments leaves him faced with constant reminders of his trauma. He is a man who cannot escape his past, feeling most comfortable when trying to emulate his father by making a documentary about human fear.
There is an understanding about what made Mark the man he is, offering empathy without trying to forgive the murderous path he has taken. His horrific actions are seen throughout with unbearable tension conveyed, be it a pulse-pounding scene shared with Helen’s mother (Maxine Audley), or a skin-crawling sequence on an empty film-set which sees a predator luring his prey into a false sense of security. Right up to the perfectly crafted finale, Michael Powell has crafted a vividly shot masterwork that examines fear and trauma in ways that few others can match.
Peeping Tom 4K is out on Studio Canal Blu-Ray
James’s Archive – Peeping Tom
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