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Highly Overrated But Still Good

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

"Unman, Wittering and Zigo" is a thoroughly peculiar and strangely uncanny gem from the early 70's Brit-movie industry; an era where lots of long-lost forgotten movie classics are still waiting to be re- discovered by cult fanatics. The film lacks explicit bloodshed or exciting actions stunts, but it thrives on ominous atmosphere, a solid and complex screenplay and impeccable acting performances. David Hemmings, perhaps the most shamefully underrated actor/director to come out of Great Britain, stars as a young and still ambitious teacher who enrolls in a strictly catholic male boarding school in the remote British countryside. He takes over class Lower 5-B since their previous teacher died in a most unfortunate accident when he fell off a cliff. When trying to bring some order and discipline amongst the rebellious young men and threatening to give them Saturday afternoon detention, one of his pupils suddenly states: "our previous teacher also wanted to that … and that's why we killed him, Sir". From that moment onwards, the students are provide more and accurate proof that they, in fact, did kill their previous teacher and scare Mr. Ebony into believing that the same might overcome him or his lovely wife Sylvia. Obviously no one believes him – not even his wife – and the pupils continue to push further their blackmail and menacing. "Unman, Wittering and Zigo" (the title refers to the last three names on the alphabetic list that Mr. Ebony runs through to see who's present in class) is a slow-brooding chiller with an immense claustrophobic power. By this I mean that director John MacKenzie manages to make it so obvious that nobody in John Ebony's immediate surrounding even suspects the pupils of anything, whereas he finds himself trapped in a isolated situation of fear from which he cannot escape. To everyone else, the pupils of class Lower 5-B are sophisticated and well-mannered young men and only their teacher knows that they're actually deeply disturbed and nihilistic psychopaths. There are a handful of truly powerful and perturbing sequences, including near the end with John's wife trapped in the school's gym, as well as a terrific use of the contemporary British life-styles and the remote setting. Unfortunately, the film also contains a few defaults, like a largely unsatisfying climax and some dead-end plot lines, but overall I would definitely say this is a gem well worth seeking out and treasuring.

John Mackenzie, the director of this film, passed away last month. He is probably best remembered for the sublime 1980 gangster drama 'The Long Good Friday' with Bob Hoskins. 'Unman, Wittering & Zigo' ( 1971 ) is not as well known, but just as gripping. I first saw it on B.B.C.-2 one Sunday night sometime around the late '70's, and it frightened the life out of me. I was due back at school the next day, and it was pretty rough, with a minority in my class thinking they had the God-given right to do as little work as possible and laugh at those wishing to get good grades. I was fearful they might start copying the boys in this movie.Adapted by Simon Raven from a radio play by Giles Cooper, the story begins with the death of a teacher - Mr.Pelham - who falls from a cliff. The coroners' verdict is accidental death. A replacement arrives at Chantry boarding school for boys - the idealistic 'John Ebony' ( David Hemmings ). He finds class Lower Five B to be arrogant, insufferable, yet quick-witted. One of their number, Wittering ( Colin Barrie ), is forever being picked on. They claim to have murdered Pelham, and will do the same to him unless he co-operates. The boys have devised what they call a 'modus operandi' - in return for his life, he must fake exam results and pass bets to the bookie. When Ebony tries to tell the headmaster ( Douglas Wilmer ), he realises he has no proof of what the boys are doing, and hands in his notice. Under the terms of his contract, he must stay until the end of term, so he decides to try and discover who the gang's ringleader is. The 'modus operandi' ends. Enraged, Lower Five B punish him by tormenting his attractive wife Silvia ( Carolyn Seymour )...Strongly reminiscent of Lindsay Anderson's 'If...' ( 1968 ), this darkly comic film has not been on television in years nor available on D.V.D. or Blu-Ray. It deserves to be better known. The cabal of Lower Five B are thoroughly evil, basically Malcolm McDowell's 'A Clockwork Orange' gang in blazers. Ebony is so terrified of them he even has a weird nightmare in which he is stripped naked in a forest and carried aloft. But the scene which disturbs the most is Silvia trapped by a gym, and the boys calmly announcing their intention to gang-bang her.The cast are good, particularly Hemmings - who also produced - and Seymour. Amongst the boys are Michael Kitchen, Tom Owen ( son of Bill ), Michael Cashman, and James Wardroper. Other familiar faces are Tony Haygarth, Barbara Lott, Donald Gee, and Hamilton Dyce.The revelation at the end may strike some as contrived, but I have noticed that teenage gangs often tend to be led by the unlikeliest candidates, so maybe its not so contrived after all.'Zigo', incidentally, does not appear even though his name is in the title. We are told he is in Jamaica recuperating from an illness. Being amongst this lot would make anyone sick. In an amusing touch, he is listed in the closing credits as 'Zigo...Absent'!

I have been scratching my head for years trying to remember the name of this brilliant film and now I have found it. It definitely deserves another outing, I saw it years ago, it scared me witless then but I would love to see it again.It reminded my of my days at boarding school although thankfully not quite so gruesome.The pace of the terror is kept up throughout the film and I have kept an eye out for it hoping that one day it will be shown again.It has not happened yet but maybe one day someone will dig it out of the vaults dust it off and give it another showing. It is an extremely well made film.Very well worth watching and I give it my own rating of 100 out 10 !!! It has been made the way "terror films" ought to be made, in the style of "Hammer Films" and "House Of Horror".Incidentally Roy Skeggs, who produced the "Hammer House of Horror" films in the 1980's later went on to buy the remains of the original defunct production company.

Brooks?"Blackboard Jungle" in which Glenn Ford's wife is assaulted by the young guys.Anderson?"If" with its strict school and religion and sport as vectors of alienation.Vigo? (Check the name;it cannot be a coincidence;besides Zigo is always away during the whole movie)"Zero de conduite" the granddaddy of all these students rebellions.With such references,the miracle is that "Unman,Wittering and Zigo" is a thoroughly original movie,what we usually call a sleeper.Extremely suspenseful,frightening without any special effect,it sustains interest till its last pictures.David Hemmings gives a good performance of this nice teacher ,literally under his students'thumb.What is really fascinating is the way they subdue him,the very polite way they speak;the story is implausible,but its implacable logic makes our blood run cold."We have killed your predecessor" they say to a first bemused teacher "It's a perfect crime".Hemmings 's character is completely lonely in his chic school where nobody wants to believe him ,not even his wife."We took you in hand" his students keep on repeating him.SPOILERS:Once again,the punching bag subject comes to the fore;it makes sense that such a character should be the instigator of the crime .Being an outcast is ,to some,unbearable,and out of despair,he'd do anything to become part of the group.But what's bred in the bone comes out in the flesh:during the terrifying scene at the gym,this boy is once again humiliated .Although ,they treated their pal like a dog,they have lost their strange leader and they become children again,crying children in the last sequence."Unman ,Wittering and Zigo" is a disturbing movie;to the art teacher who tells him he ultimately solves the mystery,Hemmings answers :"but what can explain their behavior?"And as they carry their dead companion,the students walk hostilely towards the headmaster and his old fossils:the true rebellion has only begun.