I Watch Films: Assault

 

Assault (1971)

Tessa is attacked and raped in the commons, an area of woodland that backs onto the school (and is a shortcut to the town). Afterwards she is left unresponsive, unable to talk, barely reacting despite the best efforts of Dr Lomax. With little to go on, the police are unable to find anything out. Some weeks later art teacher Julie West is taking some girls home in her car when she realises Susan is missing. Learning she’s taken a shortcut across the commons to meet her boyfriend she drives down the muddy lane and gets stuck. While trying to free the car she spots someone, lit up in the red rear lights, looking monstrous; going to investigate she finds Susan’s body; she’s been raped and killed.

Police Chief Superintendant Velyan covers all the ground again, uncovering a number of dubious characters. Dr Lomax himself, and Bartell the head of the hospital. A reporter who is always on the scene and pushing himself into everyone’s business. Mr Sanford, the husband of the school headmistress, who feels insignificant compared to his wife and is obviously a sweaty perv when surrounded by teen girls.

Unable to progress the case Julie West cooks up a plan, to tell the local paper that she’s going to try and paint the person she saw, the attacker. This obviously goes wrong, although eventually Julie does accidentally cause the attacker to reveal himself in a convoluted series of events that don’t make a great deal of sense.

The film tries to keep the horror of the attacks, though it’s rather exploitative. The woods of the commons are used to fairly good effect, in particular the hum and menacing loom of the electricity pylon.

Watch This: Twisty thriller uncovering darkness under a seemingly pleasant community
Don’t Watch This: Unpleasantly violent, often silly