when search and look up movie on the imdb i will often come across movie and think to myself that this one should be a little bit higher and or that one should be a little bit lower generally speak i be pretty comfortable with the rating that i see . every now and then though i find a rating that just absolutely mystifies me . do the people who vote watch the same movie that i do . the number be an extreme from where i think the film actually belong . for me and val lewton isle of the dead be one of those film . it currently have a rating of 6 . 4 and when i saw that i be stun to say the very least . i first saw this movie on late night bbc ( i be live in england at the time ) a couple of year ago . it have stay with me ever since . i love old movie and horror movie be one of the kind of film that i actively seek out and watch . isle of the dead have a lot of competition if it want to have any lasting impact with me . it leave a great impression and be the reason that year later i have seek out the rest of val lewton work . isle of the dead remains my favourite and i truly hope that people will give it another look . let me start with the setting . when i originally watch it i think it be so fresh and original to set a horror film during the balkan war in 1912. i can not think of any other film that have do that before or since . you get a very morbid open scene that reveal a great deal about karloff character . he doesn not instruct a sub ordinate to commit suicide and but he publicly humiliate them and push a revolver towards them after make it quite clear that their military career be over . he have an extreme sense of duty and justice and obligation . fail and in his eye and and you will pay a deep price . he also very protective in his nature especially of the men who he command . he be modern in his approach . reason and logic be his weapon but superstition and a sense of obligation be his foundation . this be the man who will be trap and quarantine on an island with a group of traveller and stranger while a plague and or something more sinister and slowly kill each of them off . the movie be extremely claustrophobic and very well do . they can see the mainland but can not go to it . they be trap in their own room alone or in the house with the other quarantees . the doctor will try to save them . science and reason and logic the general core will protect them . but when that core begin to fail and he be influence by superstition and folklore and hysteria . and act accordingly . it be a terrific part for karloff and the general be a great character study . the psychological depth be wonderful . there must be a rational explanation for the death . they try and and fail and to fight plague like symptom by use plague preventative technique . he be so wedded to find rational solution that when confront with their failure and paradoxically and he decide that the rational solution must be supernatural agent at work . willing suspension of disbelief and seem to be an unfamiliar concept for some of the film naysayer . the film be unbelievable because people from different country appear to be able to converse without difficulty in one language . it be in greece and the only non greek character be a british diplomat and his wife ( may we presume that be a diplomat to greece and knowledge of how to speak it might be advantageous . ) an american reporter cover the war and a greek general ( since he doesn not have an interpreter and might he not have some knowledge of the language . ) and an ex pat archaeologist who have be there for over a decade ( he probably have no opportunity to pick up any of the language then and eh . ) and a travelling student who be eager to return home ( that classical education of greek likely be of no use to him ) . people do not like the costume either karloff wig be such a distraction that it make the film unenjoyable for them . i really have no way of respond to what seem like an infinitesimally small and nit picky criticism . the core of the story be whether or not a a horror film and a character study it successfully build tension and depth from begin to end . do consequence of action have meaning . the tension be high from the opening scene and the stake only get high through the film until the final bloody conclusion . the scare be fantastic particularly one in the shadow and who come out of them . there be a tremendous scene with a coffin that be the very height of anxiety and despair and cinematic tension . be that scene predictable . of course it be . that what make it eventual occurrence so intense . it be a huge pay off that be advertise with great skill and execution . this be one of the best film that mark robson ever direct and i think he graduate to a list director largely because of it . isle of the dead be under watch and under rat and and a gem of cinema intense in it own beauty . it might be my favourite horror film of the 1940 through 50 .