As part of the landmark season at the Garden Cinema, Visions in Ruins: British Cinema 1970-1980, Video Bazaar is proud to present Jerzy Skolimowski’s legendary and mystifying piece of Folkloric esoterica, The Shout, starring John Hurt and Alan Bates. This screening will also feature a pre-recorded video introduction from Paul Duane, director of All You Need is Death.
Released in 1978, and adapted from a short story by Robert Graves, The Shout is a deeply unsettling exploration of power, madness, and mysticism. Crossley (Bates), a mysterious drifter, intrudes upon the quiet rural life of Anthony Fielding (Hurt), an experimental composer who lives on the North Devon coast. Claiming mastery of an ancient Aboriginal 'death shout', Crossley begins to exert a sinister influence on Anthony and his wife, Rachel (Susannah York).
Emerging at a time of national upheaval and cultural experimentation, The Shout is a haunting film that evokes arcane knowledge and non-Western philosophies. Crossley’s invocation of Aboriginal shamanic practices reflects this fascination while raising unsettling questions about cultural exploitation and control. Set against the bleak Devon countryside, the film also taps into the eerie isolation of rural Britain, underscoring a growing disconnection from the modern world, and creating a timeless, otherworldly atmosphere.
With its ethereal cinematography and an experimental score crafted by Tony Banks of Genesis, The Shout is as much an auditory experience as a visual one. The rich layers of ambiguity and surrealism establish it as one of the most unique cinematic experiences in British film history, with every metaphor unravelling a new secret.
This screening is presented by the cult film collective, Video Bazaar, who are proud to show this rarely screened film, and are dedicated to bringing the weird and the obscure to London audiences at The Garden Cinema.
