The Terror

"Fear" (orig. "The Terror" is an American horror film released in 1963. The film is also known under the names "Castle of Horror", "Lady of Shadows" and "Ghost". The tape is in the public domain in the USA.

According to a widespread version, director Roger Corman shot this picture in a few days immediately after the filming of the movie "The Raven", in the same scenery and partially with the same actors.

1806. Andre Duvalier, a young lieutenant in Napoleon's army, accidentally finds himself away from his squad. On the shore, he meets a mysterious young woman, from whom he asks the way to Koldon, where he hopes to join his regiment. But the woman does not pay attention to him and disappears into the raging sea. Andre tries to follow her, but he is attacked by a bird of prey. In search of a stranger, Andre finds himself in the castle of Baron von Leppe. The baron assures that there are no women in the castle, although Andre has just seen his stranger looking out of one of the castle windows. Unexpectedly, the lieutenant recognizes her in the portrait of the baroness, who died 20 years ago.

The ghost of the murdered wife has been to the old baron for more than two years. Soon other people in the castle and its surroundings begin to see him. The young baroness died more than 20 years ago, and the appearance of the ghost corresponds to her age at the time of death.

The ghost is quite material and interacts with people and surrounding objects. This is a woman, warm to the touch and freezing at night. She has long conversations with other characters, in which she is fully aware of herself as a ghost and expresses a desire to retire.

In the course of the film, it turns out that the ghost was summoned "from the sea" by a local old woman, having concluded a contract with the dark forces. She hypnotizes the girl, suppressing her will and controlling her actions, planning with her help to take revenge on the baron for the murdered son. The ghost believes that he is controlled by the "dead" and that he will be able to leave and find peace only when the sea floods the crypt. She appears to her ex-husband and persuades him to commit suicide by flooding the crypt and dying in the depths of the sea. After the death of the baron, the girl turns into a rapidly decomposing corpse.

The old witch enters into a contract with the "dark forces" and summons the ghost of the dead girl from the sea, planning to take revenge on the baron for the murdered son with her help. The old woman hypnotizes the girl, suppressing her will and controlling her actions. The ghost believes that he is controlled by the "dead" and that he will be able to leave and find peace only when the sea floods the crypt. She appears to the baron (the ex-husband responsible for her death) and persuades him to commit suicide by flooding the crypt and dying in the depths of the sea. After the death of the baron, the girl turns into a rapidly decomposing corpse.

The witch also controls the behavior of the bird of prey and forces it to attack people who may interfere with its plans.