Outlandish, stagy drama excellently performed by a phenomenal trio. Dealing with a neurosurgeon named Laurence (efficiently performed by Anthony Perkins) who extremely dedicated to his work neglects his cheating wife Frances (Jill Ireland). As the frustrated, philandering woman accordingly takes a lover, Paul Damien, a French journalist (Henri Garcin). When he realizes what is going on, Laurence has only one thing in mind: vendetta, and a diabolical idea comes to him. Then he takes a patient, an allegedly killer (Charles Bronson, a cast against type at his 49 years) into his tool for revenge by implanting murderous suggestions into psychopathic amnesia victim, making him believe that Frances is his wife, and after that, instructs him to commit grisly acts. No Memory, No Name, No Conscience! Bronson's Back! This Time He's the Bad Guy. No memory, no name, no mind: This man will act out someone else's insanity and revenge.
This is an offbeat and intelligent drama-suspense with good performances and plenty of plot twists, though some moments resulting to be slow-moving. Based on a short story written by Jacques Robert with adaptation & dialogue from Lorenzo Ventavoli and director Nicolas Gessner himself. Casting is really magnificent with a sensational trio of main actors. Anthony Perkins is very nice as the evil brain surgeon Dr. Laurence Jeffries, a cunning neurosurgeon who implants murderous suggestions, and Jill Ireland is fine as his cheating wife. But is Charles Bronson who steals the show as an amnesiac patient who's used as an instrument of revenge by conditioning him to believe that the adulterous wife is his own and to take the appropriate action. This is an unusual Bronson film, as he casts against type, and he was about 50 years old when he showed up in this picture. It belongs to his period when he played two-fisted characters. As Charles Bronson was at his best period, but it was one of the last movies during Charles Bronson's European phase, combining the American ¨Michael Winner's Death Wish¨series that became him a big star in the US and while playing some 70s westerns; his westerns made during the 1970s include ¨Chino¨ by John Sturges (1973), ¨Red sun¨ (1971) by Terence Young, ¨Chato the Apache¨ by Michael Winner (1972), ¨From noon till three¨ by Francis D Gilroy (1976), ¨Nevada Express¨ by Tom Gries (1975) and ¨The White Buffalo¨ by J. L. Thompson (1977). The star is partnered by attractive Jill Ireland, his then wife, in fact she previously married David McCallum and often accompanied to Bronson in his films.
The movie displays an atmospheric cinematography by cameraman Pierre Lhomme and appropriate soundtrack by French composer Georges Garvarentz. This uneven motion picture was professionally directed by Nicolas Gessner. He's an acceptable director who has made a few films. As he has shot ¨The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane¨ (1976) his best movie starred by Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen and he directed to Ben Gazzara in ¨Quicker than the eye¨ and to Charles Bronson in this ¨Someone behind the door¨. The film will appeal to Charles Bronson and Anthony Perkins fans. Rating: 6/10. Acceptable and passable.
