Elmer Gantry is a man on a mission, a mission from God, but behind the raging sermons of fire and brimstone there lurks a man whose conscience has long ago deserted him. A hustler par excellence Elmer has no qualms about what he takes and who he may hurt, but when an old flame re-enters his life the carefully constructed world he has created starts to dramatically fall apart. Elmer Gantry is a powerhouse performance from Burt Lancaster who deservedly won an Oscar in a role of awesome intensit find out more...
Set against the background of the English Civil War, this tale of the violent persecution of alleged witches by the eponymous central character is a masterpiece of 60's British cinema. Excellent performances, (especially Vincent Price's), complement evocative use of scenery. One point of interest is the changes in film stock, which makes the film appear redder at the end than at the beginning, a deliberate ploy on behalf of the director who uses the deepening crimson to symbolise the story's find out more...