d_m_s OK, so this was better than I thought it was going to be when it first started. I initially balked at the appearance of the film as the white balance was all off (the snow looked blue or yellow rather than white) and it was a poor quality image overall. This initially put me off as I felt I was watching some kind of shoddily put together film. I don't know where this film is supposed to be set as the 3 main characters are Swedish yet the police are English and in English attire. The location is covered in deep snow and does not look like England. It was all a bit jarring and initially off-putting. Also at first it seemed to be a rather generic opening and I thought I would get nothing more than a dull slasher-type film. However, after about 15 minutes or so I started to get intrigued by the storyline. It also helped that Trevor Howard was in the film, as I enjoy watching his performances. I also enjoyed Per Oscarsson's surreal performance. In fact he was the best character in the film because of it. I couldn't really tell if he was a really bad actor or supposed to be acting that way but it was interesting to watch and his scenes were the most interesting. Max Von Sydow on the other hand was really dull and brought no life to his character. Overall, a jarring and unusual film. I enjoyed watching it and it created a very good atmosphere – at points I felt cold watching it. But I still only gave it a 6 because Von Sydow's character was the focus of the film and him and his scenes were a bit boring.

GManfred Underrated crime picture that is very deliberate and very effective. Set in rural Sweden, "The Night Visitor" is a cat-and-mouse movie which holds your interest throughout, even though it is slow to get underway. Salem (Max Von Sydow) is framed for murder and is sent to an insane asylum, where he manages to escape periodically to exact his revenge on his antagonists. The detective assigned to the case (Trevor Howard) has his work cut out for him - how can he prove that it is Salem himself, incarcerated in an escape-proof asylum, who is responsible for the grisly murders taking place?Director Benedek goes to great pains to create the appropriate mood to show us how Salem goes about his deadly business. It is fascinating to watch his painstaking escapes and returns to prison, leaving no stone unturned to cover his traces. Be aware the murders are pretty gruesome, making you feel that maybe he wasn't framed after all.You will love the surprise ending of this nearly-unknown blood-and-gore indy picture, made when nobody was looking and which quickly dropped out of sight. It's tough to find, but do yourself a favor if you like this genre.

NEIL-213 This film grabs you from start to finish.The clever way that Max Von Sydow,s character Salem executes his plan is engrossing.All the acting in this film is brilliant,but special credit has to go to Trevor Howard,s performance playing an ageing world weary inspector perfectly.It says a lot for the power of this film that although i have not been able to see it for over 10 years due to no dvd or video being available in the UK, it would still be in my top 20 movies ever.The plot was so good that i thought the ending would have to let it down,but instead turns out to be one of the best bits.A forgotten masterpiece that far too few people have seen if the number of people that have voted for it is anything to go by.

cine-11 I wasn't expecting much when I saw this movie some years ago, but was I pleasantly surprised. This is a highly underrated suspense movie that is one of my favorites. It grabs you from the very opening ("why is that man jogging through the snowy countryside in his underwear?") and delivers a clever plot that deals with a series of murders with a Columboesque twist - you're shown who's doing them at the beginning, yet you're also shown that it's physically impossible for him to be committing them. The story then involves why he's doing them, the cat and mouse interaction between him and the police inspector investigating the cases, and the amazing way he accomplishes the seemingly impossible. Does he get away with it? You'll have to see for yourself. This one won't disappoint mystery fans.