Review #13: The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water (1973) - Short film

This is just a one-minute and 30 second public service announcement (or, in the UK, a public information film) from the early 1970's. That said, it was a very impressive view, and I'd recommend watching it when possible. Believe me, there are good reasons.

Source: YouTube
Length: 1 minute
Number of Ratings from IMDb: 97
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Director: Jeff Grant [The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water]

There is no title screen for this film, but then again, as it is literally a public service announcement, they didn't really need one.

The meaning behind this PSA is simple - it is to warn kids against playing near deep water without parental supervision. If that is simply all it is, why am I hyping it up? It is narrated by none other than the late great Donald Pleasence.

The film starts out in Pleasence's chilling voice stating "I am the spirit of dark and lonely water." We then see the said spirit, a Grim Reaper-type phantasm.

Already, if I were a kid watching this, goosebumps would form on my arms. It's effective from this point on.

He explains that people would expect to find him in swampy, desolate areas, yet "no one would expect to find me here."

A child using a long stick to get to a soccer ball - if you see who is joining the group of kids in the background, you might be able to tell where this is going.

You guessed it - the young boy falls in, and becomes a victim of the Spirit, who watches the procession.

We then cut to an example of an "unwary" victim.

I can't tell what the boy is reaching for, but as the Spirit puts it,

"This branch is weak. Rotten. It will never take his weight."

He then falls in to his death.

Gleefully, the Spirit watches him drown.

In the third and final segment, we see how the Spirit can be defeated.

A boy foolishly went swimming despite a "No Swimming" sign, and is drowning, when two of his peers notice the screaming.

Meanwhile, the Spirit witness the struggling boy.

When they see him in the water, they suggest using a big stick to get him out, causing the Spirit to state that "sensible children - I have no power over them."

The Spirit, in a way, melts, leaving behind his robe. One of the children throws it into the water, and Pleasence's voice rings out again one final time, stating forcefully:

The Spirit: I'll be back [echoes and fades]

I could not imagine a more effective advertisement to warn children of the dangers of deep water. Pleasence's menacing and, how else can you say it, creepy voice, along with the Grim Reaper-type character leads me to believe that any child who watched this would not be caught dead ten feet from dangerous-looking waters.

I know it's only a public information film. I know that it's only a minute and a half. I also know that I've not seen something this scary in the past week. This is an awesome look into 1970's United Kingdom, and very well-worth the watch.

My rating: 9/10

IMDb Page 

Wikipedia Page

- Michael