IMDb >
The Keep (1983)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Keep (1983) More at IMDbPro »
| Videos |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
16 December 1983 (USA) moreTagline:
THEY WERE ALL DRAWN TO THE KEEP. The soldiers who brought death. The father and daughter fighting for life. The people who have always feared it. And the one man who knows its secret... THE KEEP Tonight, they will all face the evil.Plot:
Nazis guard a citadel that harbors a dangerous force that starts wreaking havoc and death upon them, forcing an uneasy alliance with a Jewish professional who can stop it. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
1 nomination moreNewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Top Ten Underrated Films (Of All Time) (From FilmShaft.com. 2 September 2009, 11:15 AM, PDT)
The Keep heads for the big screen in London
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 9 July 2009, 12:37 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Uneven Art House Horror more (134 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Scott Glenn | ... | Glaeken Trismegestus | |
| Alberta Watson | ... | Eva Cuza | |
| Jürgen Prochnow | ... | Captain Klaus Woermann | |
| Robert Prosky | ... | Father Mihail Fonescu | |
| Gabriel Byrne | ... | Major Kaempffer | |
| Ian McKellen | ... | Dr. Theodore Cuza | |
| William Morgan Sheppard | ... | Alexandru (as Morgan Sheppard) | |
| Royston Tickner | ... | Tomescu | |
| Phillip Joseph | ... | Sergeant Oster | |
| Michael Carter | ... | Molasar | |
| John Vine | ... | Lutz | |
| Jona Jones | ... | Otto | |
| Wolf Kahler | ... | S.S. Adjutant | |
| Rosalie Crutchley | ... | Josefia | |
| Frederick Warder | ... | Border Guard #1 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
96 minCountry:
UKLanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Rankcolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreSound Mix:
DolbyCertification:
Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 | Brazil:14 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:RFun Stuff
Goofs:
Continuity: The arm that Glaeken reaches out with to kiss Eva for the first time. moreQuotes:
Major Kaempffer: What are you? Where do you come from?Molasar: Where am I from? I am... from You.
more
Soundtrack:
Walking In The Air moreFAQ
Did you know that there was an original ending that followed the book more closely?more
more (134 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Keep (1983) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Stardust | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | The Mist | It | Donnie Darko |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |


Some people mention movies like LORD OF THE RINGS and BLACK HAWK DOWN as being extremely poor stories saved by their technical truimphs and watching THE KEEP I can understand where they`re coming from . This is a visually striking atmospheric movie with a rather confused and under developed script
All the best aspects of THE KEEP are mainly to do with what`s on screen . Alex Thomson`s cinematography is awesome , check out the scene of the fishing boat sailing into the rising sun , or the full moon shining out from behind the clouds or that fantastic scene where Lutz looks into the cavern as the camera pans back for almost a full minute . Michael Mann brings an unspeakably doomladen atmosphere to the movie and manages a quite remarkable image featuring the initial appearance of Molasar . Considering the budget is only 6 million dollars the special effects are quite good for this scene featuring an image of smoke , light and a haunting soundtrack . Mind you this one of the very few instances where Tangerine Dreams synth soundtrack is successful , elsewhere in the movie it`s very inappropiate . The acting too is a mixed bag . Most of the cast are merely okay while Gabriel Byrne plays just about the most blood chilling and convincing Nazi I`ve ever seen in a movie , but Scott Glen is wooden and Ian McKellen gives an awful performance as Dr Cuza , a Jewish intellectual who seems to have all the speech patterns and mannerisms of a Hollywood producer . Having said that it is interesting to see McKellen play someone who goes through a character arc similar to the one Frodo goes through in THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Michael Mann`s treatment of the screenplay is far less successful than his directing . A gestapo death squad battle against a monster , er so who are we supposed to root for ? During the war even some hardened Waffen SS men despised these murder squads and this is echoed by the character interaction between Captain Woermann and Major Kaempffer . However it turns out Woermann has profoundly anti fascist ideals in a conversation with Dr Cuza which means he stops being a character and becomes a cliche . Was everyone in Germany at this time either a Nazi or an anti Nazi with no in between ? I just wish Mann had blurred the lines a little . It should also be pointed out that Woermann`s first words of dialogue actually do sound like they come from a Nazi stormtrooper which indicates Mann has written inconsistently for the character . Another serious error with the screenplay is that it`s never really explained who Glaeken and Molasar are . Some people have described Molasar as a Golem , but he`s not . A Golem is basically a clay statue from Jewish folklore not as is Molasar an ethereal being of great power . Of course it could be that because Molasar needs Cuza`s help he appears to Cuza as a Golem but once again this seems to confused a lot of people due to the script , and I`m puzzled as to how Glaeken fits into all this . When adapting a screenplay everything should be made clear on screen to everybody , not just to people who have read the source novel
I gave THE KEEP seven out of ten mainly due to the technical achievements ( Remember this only cost $6 million ) but a word of warning only watch this if it`s in a widescreen letterbox format . I saw this on Sky movies the other night and a poor quality scanned version was used which meant the visual impact was totally absent