I remember "The Black Hole" from my childhood very fondly,so when the Anniversary edition came out..I rushed to buy it. The nostalgia came rushing back in floods,however as an adult i noticed the flaws. Strong characters that were not developed further,a promising dark plot that did not go dark enough and a morality tale that could have had such possibilites. I recently re read the novelization by ALan Dean Foster and he was able to fill in many of the holes that Disney left open. I still enjoy the film but wish someone could remake this tale now.As far as the performances go, Anthony Perkins as Alex Durant,the leader of the expedition has a quite calm about him..his performance is one of the films best..balancing his quest for science and his boy like worship of Hans Reinhardt.Perkins was always perfecty at playing sympathetically, a flawed doomed character. Maximillian Schell as the deluded genius Hans Reinhardt plays the role close to the cuff...never overacting but adding just enough adreniline to fine tune his mad scientist and mark him as an unbalanced danger. The usually fine Erenest borgnine is miscast here...but to be fair the reporter role is the character that is most need of a rewrite. an ivestigativer reporter would never be such a coward. Bland performances are delivered by the wooden Robert Forester and Joseph Bottoms..and Yvette Mimuex's Kate Macrae was the most in need of some better writing to develop her sub plot concerning her father's disapearance.John Barry's score sets the mood with its creepy and driving tempos and the site of death droid Maximillan is still enough to send a chill up one's spine.
Overall the film is a Noble and facinating failure...but it holds a place in my heart.
Overall the film is a Noble and facinating failure...but it holds a place in my heart.