A chamber film based on the novel by James Purdy, an American writer of the middle of the last century.
Garnet Mantrose returns from the war as a hero and a cripple. He lives on a remote farm where he is shunned by locals, not wanting to see a body covered in scars and burns. His only assistant is a black, fast-paced guy Quintus. One day a young wanderer appears on his property; screaming in horror at the first meeting with Garnet - a standard reaction to his depressing appearance - the guy soon asks for a farm worker and introduces himself to Daventry. Garnet needs a second assistant to carry letters from his youthful pre-war love. Unable to appear before the girl, the hero watches her window from the forest at night. From the letters that Garnet dictates Daventry, it is clear that she seems to him the last link connecting him with the world of the living.
Over time, this plot becomes entangled in a strange love triangle, which is the result of mixed feelings and despair of the protagonist. Accustomed to contempt, he, without realizing it, seeks intimacy, and an alien in his house is ready to give it. But mysterious, almost mystical forces rob the hero of his hopes. He tries to fill the void in the half-dead body with love, but this brings only great pain.
The picture loses to the novel: a couple of important scenes are missing; the ending is changed, pretends to be a happy ending and causes bewilderment. It is a beautiful, but rather intrusive music.
The film is mainly interesting as an attempt to film the classic of southern Gothic, undeservedly silenced. Pardi's novel is rich in events and deserves a two-hour timeline. Unfortunately, the film only exists in poor quality. Better read the novel.