Directed by Herk Harvey [Other horror films: N/A]
From a modern-day perspective, Carnival of Souls may seem a bit pedestrian, as the ending seems quite easy to predict. Truthfully, though I’ve seen this once or twice before, I don’t love it myself, though that has little to do with the finale. I don’t doubt Carnival of Souls is a classic, but certainly tastes may vary.
Oh, and this review will have spoilers in it.
I’m not sure exactly where my hang-ups with this one arise from. The atmosphere and suspense are top-notch, and in fact, it’s probably one of the most atmospheric movies of the 1960’s, an amazing feat given the lower budget nature of this film. The suspense needs no explanation – there are multiple scenes throughout that pack a punch, and all without scare chords, which is a nice change of pace compared to more modern-day movies.
Even so, I can’t say that I’m not occasionally bored during this. The story is engaging enough, especially the abandoned pavilion that Candace Hilligoss’ character has a sinister attraction to, but because Hilligoss’ character is sort of hard to relate to, she doesn’t always make the most interesting protagonist.
There’s also the question of what’s actually happening at some points during the movie. Given the finale, I don’t quite know what’s happening during some scenes, and it’s not easy to expand on without spoiling anything, so warning, HERE THERE BE SPOILERS:
At the end, it’s revealed that the main character died due to the automobile accident at the beginning of the film (which took place in Kansas), and everything after was her soul attempting to move on. In one of the final scenes, we see her body in a car being pulled from the water.
We also see a police officer, minister, and doctor examining the last place she was seen after moving to Utah. She didn’t move to Utah until after she died, so therein lies my confusion. If she died, her physical body still in the car that went underwater, then I’d think everything after wouldn’t be reality as those alive know it. But it seems that her spirit is actually a physical form that moved and interacted, however frigidly and ineffectively, with the people she met in Utah.
All of this could have been solved if they had just removed the scene in Utah, as then the only relevant, real-world scene would be the car, with her body, being dragged up in Kansas. But they do show that she was apparently in Utah, so she apparently has two physical bodies, which is one more than I have, so in a way, that’s impressive. Even if it’s a Limbo situation, I wouldn’t think that would have an impact on the actual reality others live in and perceive.
I know this is a classic, but this point doesn’t seem nit-picky to me; it just seems logical. It doesn’t mean that the movie isn’t atmosphere or possessing of an occasional uneasy, dreamlike quality. It’s just something that bothered me when I first saw this movie, and something that still bothers me today.
Otherwise, though Candace Hilligoss’ character isn’t easy to relate to, the film is decent. It feels like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone, and as I said, it does have some pretty creepy and suspenseful scenes throughout to keep your engagement going.
Though I didn’t understand Candace Hilligoss’ character, I do think she gave a pretty stellar performance, and not only that, but she was about the only cast member who truly mattered. Sidney Berger did well as a pushy, annoying guy, and both Art Ellison and Stan Levitt are calming voices in what otherwise is a howling storm, but when it comes down to it, Hilligoss’ performance pretty much stands far above anyone else’s.
Naturally, Carnival of Souls is a classic, and there’s good reason for that. It’s not a classic that I’ve ever loved, but I have good friends who do indeed see the movie as a masterpiece. It’s decent, but as far as personal enjoyment goes, I don’t even know if this is something I’d give an above-average score. Plenty of things work, but some story elements befuddle me, so while many others may give this one a higher rating, I have to go with what I truly feel, for better or worse.
7/10
Jiggy's Horror Corner 
Although it’s the general consensus, I never interpreted the story as her soul attempting to move on, but rather, the frantic, jumbled thoughts of a dying woman in the last moments of her life. When she’s driving, the first time she sees the Man, she swerves off the road, not unlike the car she was riding in swerved off the bridge into the river. The creepy, leering neighbor in Utah slightly resembles the man who challenged them to the drag race.
There are numerous scenes with Mary involving locked doors or being trapped. When she swerves off the road, she reaches over to the passenger door. When she’s on the lift at the mechanic, not only is she trapped, she reaches over to the door. In the department store changing room, she has difficulty unlocking the door. The locked gates at the bus terminal. Entering the bus and seeing corpse-like people could be her knowledge (as she’s drowning) that she will die in a vehicle.
The moments of silence, no one to help her, her lack of belief in God (I think, it’s been a while since I’ve watched) could represent her despairing last moments as the car fills with water. No one to help, no one to hear, abandoned by God. Her moving, the new job, the pavilion, could be fragments of memories, or desires never realized. Or just the dying brain firing off random images, like in dreams.
At the end, perhaps a portion of her mind realized that once she’s dead, a cop, doctor, and minister would be the ones to tend to her. Too little, too late.
Sorry for the long reply. Obviously, I like this movie and can get a little long-winded.
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I’ve not heard that exact interpretation before, but I like it. Obviously, movies like this can have any number of possible answers, and the one you presented makes sense to me.
It’s something that might become clearer with a few more watches – at the time I wrote this review, I’d only seen this one perhaps three times total, so once I take my time with this one again down the line, I’ll see where my thoughts sort of land.
Definitely appreciate the reply, and hope this finds you well.
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I think I watched it twice before I started catching things and it clicked for me. I have the Criterion edition and watched the slightly longer director’s cut. I don’t know if that makes a difference or not.
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