subscribeNight Tide, Directed by Curtis Harrington. US 1961, 35mm, b/w, 84 min.
by Nancy Cantwell
As I spent more and more time with Night Tide I began to have dejavu and a longing to feast on the films of Frederico Fellini. Curtis Harrington is no poseur. On the contrary, he was an early protégé of Maya Deren and a close friend of Kenneth Anger and Gregory Markopoulos. Night Tide is his psychological feature debut and uses many persuasive devices to deliver a surreal atmosphere that had not yet been seen. Felllini’s 81/2 does not get released for another two years. The Santa Monica pier and canals of Venice are used extensively to provide dislocated and dreamlike locals. There is the pursuit of the illusive “She Siren” that lures our leading lady back to the sea. There are even hipster nightclub entrees that reflect posturing found in La Dolce Vita. But severe budget restrictions along with a heavy hand ultimately lead Harrington down the path of the horror genre. He goes on to work with Hopper again in Queen of Blood and then with Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters in “What’s a Matter with Helen”.
Meanwhile across the seas, Frederico Fellini emerges out of Italian neorealism and turns to embrace the writings of Carl Jung. The resulting string of oneiric film created include 8½ (1963), Juliet of the Spirits (1965), Satyricon (1969), Roma (1972), Amarcord (1973), Casanova (1976), and City of Women (1980). Yum.
