History Film / TheKeep

''The Keep'' is a very strange and confusing - but not entirely bad - film. It is typical of Mann's directorial style. Though it featured an impressive cast and some good special effects, [[ExecutiveMeddling studio-enforced]] editing gutted the film and the untimely death of special effects supervisor Wally Veevers necessitated a completely different ending. ''The Keep'' bombed, and bombed ''hard''. Nevertheless, it has gained a cult following in the ensuing years, thanks mostly to its [[CultSoundtrack soundtrack]] by Music/TangerineDream, but also due to its interpretation of [[EvilIsCool Molasar]], as well as the rare mix of GothicHorror with UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.

In 1941, a group of German soldiers are sent to guard a village near a mountain pass in Romania. Their leader, Captain Klaus Woermann (Prochnow) set up their headquarters in a citadel, the Keep. After accidentally unleashing an [[EldritchAbomination evil being]], named Radu Molasar, reinforcements are sent with an [[EliteMooks SS Einsatzkommando]] led by Major Kaempffer (Byrne) but ultimately, the Germans are forced to seek the help of a Jewish history professor, Theodore Cuza ([=McKellen=]), who unsurprisingly ends up allying himself with the evil entity because he sees it as a means of [[EnemyOfMyEnemy ridding the world of Nazism]]. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger (Glenn), with some connection to the Keep, shows up to interfere with whatever it is Molasar's got cooking, and to fall for Prof. Cuza's hot daughter, Eva (Creator/AlbertaWatson).

In 1941, a group of German soldiers are sent to guard a village near a mountain pass in Romania. Their leader (Prochnow) set up their headquarters in a citadel, the Keep. After accidentally unleashing an [[EldritchAbomination evil being]], named Radu Molasar, reinforcements are sent with an [[EliteMooks SS Einsatzkommando]] led by Major Kaempffer (Byrne) but ultimately, the Germans are forced to seek the help of a Jewish history professor, Theodore Cuza ([=McKellen=]), who unsurprisingly ends up allying himself with the evil entity because he sees it as a means of [[EnemyOfMyEnemy ridding the world of Nazism]]. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger (Glenn), with some connection to the Keep, shows up to interfere with whatever it is Molasar's got cooking, and to fall for Prof. Cuza's hot daughter, Eva (Creator/AlbertaWatson).

* DirtyCoward: Woermann accuses Kaempffer of being this, because while Woermann risked his life fighting enemy armed forces, Kaempffer murdered unarmed civilians. Woermann's perceptions of Kaempffer's character are proven right when Kaempffer [[spoiler: shoots Woermann in the back rather than confronting him directly]] and later when [[spoiler: Kaempffer pleads and begs Molasar for his life]].

''The Keep'' is a 1983 horror film, based on the first novel in ''Literature/TheAdversaryCycle'' by F. Paul Wilson. Starring [[Creator/JurgenProchnow Jürgen Prochnow]] and Creator/ScottGlenn, with early appearances by Creator/IanMcKellen and Creator/GabrielByrne, it was directed by Creator/MichaelMann.

* ActuallyNotAVampire: So an evil being that leaves behind dried-out bodies and is locked in a Romanian fortress-like structure must obviously be a vampire, right? ''Wrong''. What makes it worse is that [[GenreSavvy Molasar is perfectly aware of this perception and deliberately feints various vampiric traits]], either to just mess with people or gain an edge over them. But the moment he no longer needs to pretend, he instantly proves his victims how wrong they were.

* BigBad: Molasar is the embodiement of everything evil. Need to scale him? He's facing against overzelous Nazi Einsatzkommando that kills indiscriminately and impose terror tactics and ''still'' easily comes off as as worse of two evils.

* EvilVersusEvil: Sadistic Einsatzkommando vs. ancient ''embodiement'' of evil. All of which has in the background "regular" Wehrmacht and Iron Guards.

* SealedEvilInACan: Radu Molasar is locked in the titular keep. Various characters note early on that the building can't serve role of a defensive structure, since it appears to be build to contain something ''inside'', not outside.

In 1941, a group of German soldiers are sent to guard a village near a mountain pass in Romania. Their leader (Prochnow) set up their headquarters in a citadel, the Keep. After accidentally unleashing an [[EldritchAbomination evil being]], named Radu Molasar, reinforcements are sent with an [[EliteMooks SS Einsatzkommando]] led by Major Kaempffer (Byrne) but ultimately, the Germans are forced to seek the help of a Jewish history professor, Theodore Cuza ([=McKellen=]), who unsurprisingly ends up allying himself with the evil entity because he sees it as a means of [[EnemyOfMyEnemy ridding the world of Nazism]]. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger (Glenn), with some connection to the Keep, shows up to interfere with whatever it is Molasar's got cooking, and to fall for Prof. Cuza's hot daughter, Eva.