From watching Val Lewton's films, it seems that he was fascinated with dichotomies. For example:<br /><br />"Cat People" explores self-repression vs. uninhibited passion. "Curse of the Cat People" explores reality vs. fantasy. "The 7th Victim" explores the desire to live vs. the desire to die.<br /><br />Lewton's movies are usually very rich in these psychological themes, but "Isle of the Dead" may explore more dichotomies than any of his other pictures. Here are just a few of the themes dealt with:<br /><br />*protection vs. domination *cold-hearted rationalism vs. illogical compassion *science vs. superstition *faith vs. superstition *fighting fate/death vs. accepting fate/death *control vs. helplessness<br /><br />As far as the story is concerned, General Nikolas Pherides (Boris Karloff) and reporter Oliver Davis (Marc Kramer) follow a pleasant and mysterious singing woman's voice to a remote house. Their interaction with the house's occupants generates an eerie, compelling story. I won't give away anything more than to say the plot revolves around the superstition of the Vorvolaka--a Greek "nightmare figure", as the Foreword describes it, that can slowly drain the life from its victim(s) and even cause plagues and epidemics in a community.<br /><br />I don't know how many dozens of Boris Karloff films I've seen, but this is one of my favorites. In "Isle of the Dead" he is never someone we are allowed to identify with, but he still manages to make us understand his every action. His character undergoes several developments, and they all seem perfectly logical and understandable within the context of this twisted character's worldview.<br /><br />Though no one in the film really seems Greek--more American and British, in fact--it doesn't really matter where the film takes place or what culture it's in. This is a secluded world that only exists in the movies, but it's a powerful world that forces us to confront our fears in a very real way.<br /><br />"Isle of the Dead" isn't a monster film or a jolting shock-you-out-of-your-seat jolt-a-minute horror movie, but it's definitely creepy, unsettling, and even scary at times. Is writing is at a much higher calibre than most horror movies, and if you let yourself really get into the story and contemplate the ideas presented, you will find yourself captivated.