With visitors like Alan Bates in this wilfully obtuse film, who needs enemies? He can kill with a shout, control your emotions by possessing your clothing and tells weird tales about being with the Aborigines for 18 years. Bates tells the story himself in the grounds of a mental asylum where a cricket match between patients and locals is in progress. So is it just a story or can he really do these things? Does anyone care? Also enmeshed in this Pinteresque (and picturesque) claptrap are Susannah York (who spends much of her time in the nude), John Hurt, Robert Stephens and Tim Curry. Mike Molloy's photography of the Devon countryside and its northerly coastline is most attractive. But even Jerzy Skolimowski's skilful direction can't detract from one's dissatisfaction at the film's multiplicity of loose ends.

©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes