A rapist/murderer lurks in the woods outside a girls’ school near London
“Assault” (1971) was renamed “In the Devil’s Garden” for its American release. It fits because the only eyewitness in the movie says that the killer looks like the devil. Yet producers also wanted to take advantage of satan’s popularity in cinema in 1973-1974 when it finally made it to America.
Lesley-Anne Down appears as the main student and was only 16 years-old during shooting. She hadn’t yet blossomed into the jaw-dropping beauty of “The Great Train Robbery” eight years later, but it’s interesting seeing her when she was so young. Elsewhere, Suzy Kendall plays the art teacher, the story’s heroine, and is quite attractive with the quintessential early 70’s look.
As for the masculine cast, there’s a pesky reporter reminiscent of the soon-to-come Kolchak. Meanwhile three main suspects rise to the fore, but I had a hard time distinguishing between them.
At the end of the day, this is a British murder mystery comparable to a giallo and I found the commentary on male lust psychologically interesting. For instance, the headmistress’ husband regularly leers at the girls at the school and even “cops a feel” when he can, which naturally doesn’t help his marriage. It’s frustrating for the wife, needless to say. Then there’s the contrast between fantasizing about alluring lasses versus actually raping & killing them. As the detective points out, he can’t book men for their dubious thoughts, only their criminal actions.
You have to roll with the questionable elements in order to appreciate the flick. For instance, why would the killer be skulking in the titular “garden” waiting for prey when he knew the area was taboo by that point, although a clueless girl indeed walks through. Not to mention, the teacher & several of her students drive through at the very moment a crime is committed (or, more accurately, just committed). Why Sure!
It runs 1 hours, 31 minutes, and was shot in Buckinghamshire, which is just northwest of London, and more specifically: Heatherden Hall, Pinewood Studios; Windsor’s End; Black Park Country Park; and London Road, Beaconsfield.
GRADE: B-
2025-04-20
