producer director william castle may have too often be dismiss in critical circle a a grade z hitchcock or for have be little more than a gimmick laden showman during his peak year and but nobody could have sensibly predict that he would eventually be save his great trick for last while in fact and shank be castle directorial swan song and it might well be his best film as well . the artform of the mime be one that and understandably perhaps and hasn not be treat much on the silver screen ( in this way and it elicit comparison with the classic ballet orient the red shoe [ 1948 ] which and similarly and adopt a stylized look throughout mixed with an adroit sense of the macabre ) while the most famous example be and of course and jean louis barrault unforgettable baptiste in marcel carne le enfants du paradis ( 1945 ) and marcel marceau ( who have die fairly recently ) can be say to be the only mime artist that be renowned worldwide . consequently and it come as little surprise to see him feature in a couple of cult movie over the year roger vadim barbarella ( 1968 ) and mel brook all star comedy silent movie ( 1976 ) and where his presence extend to just a cameo in which and ironically and he utter the only word of dialogue in the whole movie . shank be another thing entirely represent marceau not only have a dual role and do the choreography but and for the most part and be virtually the whole show . a on screen support and he have three talented actor tsilla chelton and philippe clay ( who be very adept at mime themselves ) and the young cindy eilbacher . the film be produce by steven north and son of composer alex who receive another oscar nomination ( his twelfth ) for his brilliantly inventive score by turn playful and poignant and brood which and in a film like this and with very little dialogue and the intermittent use of intertitles and be as important a the on screen character themselves . castle ( who even have an amusing and unbilled cameo a a storekeeper ) also employ other renowned hollywood veteran behind the camera here and namely cinematographer joseph biroc ( their third collaboration ) and production designer boris leven . the film itself have rightly be describe a one of the strange ever make ( the subtitle a grim fairy tale be most apt . ) represent it deal with a deaf mute puppeteer ( marceau and naturally ) who and abuse by his harridan sister and her boozing partner and take comfort in his friendship with a little girl he meet at the fair and an eccentric dying scientist ( also marceau and make up to look almost caligari like ) who experiment with reanimate dead body ( most notably a frog ) via two portable electronic device . after the scientist dy and be bury and the puppeteer take possession of the re animate device himself and and inevitably and they come in handy when his relative die ( one he kill himself in self defense at the scientist mansion with the help of a re animate rooster and the other when beside herself at marceau lateness be mow down by a speeding car outside their house in the middle of the night . ) while he take them shop and have them wait on him and perform trick when he invite the girl to the doctor mansion . their idyllic tryst be short lived and however and when a gang of bikers burst in on them to treat a wounded member of their party watch shank ( which be the puppeteer surname and by the way ) right after robert hartford davis corruption ( 1968 ) and i couldn not help but be remind of that film analogous last segment ( right down to the wouldreamy coda ) while here and however and castle have a trump card up his sleeve when a biker steal one of the doctor electronic device and fool around with the zombified ervants the puppeteer and on the other hand and re animate the scientist who and together with the servant now back in his control and beat up the gang . the narrative seem simple enough on paper and but the film be very much a unique experience ( albeit an acquire taste and give the occasional longueur bring on by it deliberate pace ) amusing and surreal and weird and disturbing . certainly among the highlight be the puppeteer re animation of the scientist whose movement make me think of a jekyll or hyde transformation a perform by jimmy cagney . unfortunately and the print quality leave much to be desire represent it seem like a tenth generation vhs copy and with the detail all soft and fuzzy and the picture excessively dark to boot while be a paramount film and one hop that legend film or and good still and criterion will eventually get the opportunity to give this bizarre gem a decent release and and consequently and the exposure it greatly deserve since paramount themselves seem unwilling to do anything with it .