The Strange One

It must be admitted that while the events are happening they are often very compelling - and this in spite of the clumsy shape of the narrative.

It’s a stagebound adaptation with only a few scenes outside of the barracks but the intense and dynamic performances carry the film and become a showcase for the work of the Actors Studio in the fifties.

...an absolutely disastrous opening stretch...

Fascinating in the way that a killer cobra is fascinating, this is a nasty story about life in a Southern military academy... The central role of a cadet who is a monstrous sadist is skillfully played by Ben Gazzara.