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The Ninth Configuration [1981] | ![The Ninth Configuration [1981]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41V076G9N1L._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: William Peter Blatty
Actors: Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, Neville Brand
Studio: Blue Dolphin Film and Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £7.11
You Save: £2.88 (29%)
New (10) Used (1) from £7.11
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 21894
Format: Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region: 0
Discs: 1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 115 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5028157204770
ASIN: B00005BJFE
Theatrical Release Date: August 8, 1980
Release Date: August 18, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: IN STOCK. USUALLY DISPATCHED SAME OR NEXT WORKING DAY (MON - FRI). PLEASE ALLOW 3 - 6 DAYS FOR DELIVERY. BRAND NEW AND FULLY GUARANTEED BY A WELL ESTABLISHED TRUSTED LTD COMPANY. EMAIL DISPATCH CONFIRMATIONS SENT. TRACK PROGRESS 24/7
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
The lunatics are running the asylum in The Ninth Configuration--but are they really lunatics? Is Colonel Kane (Stacy Keach) really a noted psychiatrist assigned to supervise patients in an experimental government clinic or is he really "Killer" Kane, a decorated US Marine who committed atrocities in Vietnam before going insane? These are just some of the puzzles that will eventually be solved in this giddy and often brilliant drama created by William Peter Blatty, who wrote The Exorcist before going on to direct this adaptation of his own novel, Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane. A satirical study of war's traumatic aftermath, the film uses battle psychosis as the springboard for a delirious and scathingly intelligent human tragedy, laced with some of the wittiest dialogue you're ever likely to hear. The film boasts a veritable menagerie of crazy characters, all brought vividly to life by a stellar supporting cast. One patient is preparing a production of Shakespeare with an all-dog cast. Another is convinced he's Superman and the resident doctor can't seem to find his trousers. But there's a method to this madness and it takes a barroom brawl--one of the most memorable in film history--to provide the harsh slap of reality to Blatty's elaborate group therapy scheme. When the true purpose of The Ninth Configuration is revealed, the film (and particularly the fine performances of Keach and Wilson) offers a depth of compassionate sanity that may well take you completely by surprise. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews:
A true lost classic... July 19, 2008
R. A. Tasker (Huddersfield, UK)
Directed in 1980 by William Peter Blatty, "The Ninth Configuration" still remains one of the true lost classic films... A mix of comedy, drama and an exploration of faith set around a military hospital for the insane, this film works both the brain cells and the funny bone!
Yes i'm leaving this review vauge as this really is a movie that the viewer must make their own mind up about!
Dvd wise the widescreen transfer could be a little better but a decent set of extras and audio com make up for that...
A film to be watched by everyone. The most powerful movie I've seen in ages. February 18, 2008
JJ DEBONO (Northumberland, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I will not write much about this film because I don't think I would be able to express myself sufficiently about how powerful and touching it is. The plot has been described before so I will not indulge in it, but I will say that the imagery, and the amount of communication conveyed through one single facial expression, delivered by the magnificent cast is astounding. After I watched it I was speechless for hours, and I thought I was relatively desensitized. I guess I got the same treatment Cutshaw did. In fact this is a film i would describe as therapeutic. To whoever has the opportunity to see this film, I say "sit down, pay attention and enjoy".
"The truth of the matter is Custer called Sitting Bull a 'Spic'." July 26, 2007
The Big Onion (london)
For the first three-quarters of this film, it's a surrealist comedy about a bunch of Vietnam crazies, with some truly bizarre ideas and some absolutely excellent performances from Stacey Keach, Scott Wilson and a particularly stern Neville Brand as Major Groper, the 'Straight Man' lost in the asylum.
Then, just as you're settling into the madness, there's a shift from screwy comedy to a totally different fable of sacrifice and redemption, in which Killer Kane can bring death to redeem rather than just to destroy.
In truth, this sea-change is one of the reasons why it has become a forgotten gem, as it's so difficult to categorise, and for many the change in tone sits uncomfortably with the whimsy, slapstick and throwaway one-liners of earlier in the film. I, however, feel that there is a dark undercurrent all the way through, and the final confrontation between Kane and the Hell's Angels is a reflection of the madness within the asylum to that within society.
And the end - well, it just fills me with hope and belief in humanity every time I watch it.
Do watch this film - it should not remain a forgotten gem!
 Real Life? Or Military Madness? October 26, 2003
Gary M. Gibson (Scotland)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I think you have to persevere with this movie. But if you do, you will find haunting connections to your own private demons. Its clever with lots of Mash type jokes hidden within its script. As it evolves, it becomes clear that curing this one person will take Biblical sacrifice.
I felt the maker of this movie had a strong message. I cannot tell you what it was except it has a piece of us all within it. If you are the open minded type you will not be disappointed. I found this movie remarkably enjoyable with lots of thought required at its end. Surely a sign of " message received"
But understood? Thats up to the individual.
Forgotton gem April 18, 2001
Colin Mcwilliams (Sydney Australia)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I came across this movie when at college many years ago and was wowed by its story and a particularly memorable scene which takes place in a cafe when the main protagonist, played by Stacy Keach (and us the viewers) get a startling revelation about his forgotten past . The movie is essentially a gothic mystery set in a castle which houses psychiatrically disturbed service men, traumatised by there experiences of war. Into this insanity and into the psyche of the characters comes a new doctor Colonel Kane. Can he help these tormented casualties of war ? What can he bring of himself to offer a measure of salvation? This is the mystery which keeps you guessing throughout this gothic tale of the human condition and the need for salvation or personal redemption. Stacy Keach is better than you'll ever see him or imagine him able to be and is supported superbly by a supporting cast with Scott Wilson providing the catalyst for revealing the heart of darkness at the core of the story. Don't hesitate I've waited patiently for this film to come out on DVD and wasn't disappointed on watching it again. Buy it now
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