Worth Reviving – “The Ninth Configuration”
Review by Ray Schillaci
Armed with the high concept of proving the existence of God, set in a secret military base in a castle somewhere in the great northwest with a group of once respected military officers who have just been declared insane, the author of “The Exorcist” introduces us to a mystery thriller laced with odd ball humor that stays with one long after it’s over. Back in 1980, William Peter Blatty presented his directing debut to an unappreciated audience who was gorging on high adventure in space (“The Empire Strikes Back”) and a band of ribald comedies (“Airplane!”, “The Blues Brothers”, “Caddyshack”). Blatty was also saddled with his previous tale of exorcism that was still fresh in everyone’s minds, and it did not help that Warner Brothers would market the hell out of that fact.
“The Ninth Configuration” suffered the fate of being too high-minded for its time. But for those deep thinkers who were open to its philosophical and metaphysical musings and its search for a higher being, the pay off was a remarkable experience. Loaded with an excellent cast (Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Ed Flanders, Neville Brand, to name just a few) and a unique visual flair, writer/director Blatty has our attention at every turn. The visions he conjures up are jaw-dropping, from the moon dwarfing a rocket launch to Jesus’ crucified appearance before a fully garbed astronaut during a moon walk.
Captain Billy Cutshaw (Scott Wilson, “The Walking Dead”, “Monster”) suffers a nervous breakdown aborting his rocket launch. Soon after, he is immediately transported to a private installation where he finds himself the leader of a band of men who have all mysteriously suffered a similar malady with their own brand of craziness. Once you witness Scott Wilson’s performance in this film, you, along with so many others, will cry foul that he was not nominated for an Oscar for his role as the tormented astronaut.
He is joined by other mentally unbalanced, but fun characters like Lt. Frankie Miller (Jason Miller, “The Exorcist”), conducting Hamlet for dogs, and Major Nammack (Moses Gunn, “Shaft”, “Heartbreak Ridge”), insisting he’s Superman. Blatty also puts himself on the screen as Lt. Fromme, a crazy who has the tendency to insist with deadpan humor that he’s the camp medic and consistently steals the clothes of the actual camp medic. They are all joined by a virtual who’s-who of cult and character actors: Joe Spinell (“Maniac”), Robert Loggia (“Scarface”, “Independence Day”), Tom Atkins (“The Fog”, “Escape From New York”) to name just a few.
Enter the new psychiatrist, Colonel Vincent Kane (Stacy Keach, “Mike Hammer”, “The Bourne Legacy”), who has his own demons he is secretly dealing with. Kane is fascinated with the men and holds a keen interest in the astronaut who is in dire need of a resurgence in faith. Although, the testing of one’s faith and the existence of God is present, it is never heavy-handed. The subject is handled more like the grand mystery it is. The search for the elusive enigma has us glued to the screen through the entertaining and fascinating dialogue between all of these wonderful characters, not to mention the surprise when the mystery unravels before us.
Then there is the setting, the castle itself. Blatty has turned it into an engrossing character with all of its gargoyles, statues portraying different incarnations of death, and hauntingly majestic pillars and arches. It is both dark, magnificent and eventually peaceful.
There have been two versions of Blatty’s movie, and having seen both, I would highly recommend his cut over the studio’s. Blatty’s version is a bit more personal and fun. There is also the sad fact that the DVD has been out of print and currently unavailable for many years, and the copy was in desperate need of an upgrade. It came with black bars not only on top and bottom, but on side to side as well. I would not recommend purchasing it in the condition presented. BUT one can rejoice, Hens Tooth Video has announced a Blu-ray release date with the director’s cut on November 4th. Set aside that date and pre-order this worth reviving pick.
Directed by: William Peter Blatty
Release Date: February 29, 1980
Run Time: 118 Minutes (re-issue – 99 Minutes)
Rated: R
Country: USA
Distributor: Warner Brothers
