Cry of the Banshee (1970) Plot Summary Explained

Oona curses the Whitman family after Lord Whitman leads an armed posse into the hills, kills several members of her coven during a Black Sabbath gathering, and orders the rest to scatter and never return. This mass slaughter of innocent witches is the direct provocation that motivates her supernatural revenge.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes of Whitman's brutal witch trials and his violent raid establish his pattern of indiscriminate violence against suspected witches.

• oona
• curse
• witches
• coven
• massacre
• revenge

Oona specifically chooses Roderick for possession because he is a loyal servant in the Whitman household whom Maureen Whitman has loved for years. By using someone close to the family, Oona ensures the curse strikes at the heart of the Whitman household, making the betrayal personal and devastating.

Foreshadowing: Roderick's presence as a devoted servant and Maureen's feelings for him are established early, making his transformation into a killer particularly tragic.

• roderick
• possession
• demon
• maureen
• servant
• cursed

Sean rapes Lady Patricia after witnessing her accuse Lord Whitman of murder and call him a monster. This act of sexual violence is presented as a manifestation of the corruption spreading through the Whitman family, Sean's role in helping his father expand the witch hunt has already twisted his moral character, and he acts with impunity against his own stepmother.

Foreshadowing: Lady Patricia's confrontation earlier establishes the growing moral decay, while Sean's eager participation in the witch hunt shows his descent into brutality.

• sean
• lady patricia
• rape
• corruption
• brutality

The curse continues even after Harry and Father Tom kill Oona because the demonic spirit they summoned remains active and bound to Roderick. Killing the coven leader breaks the connection to the source of the curse but does not automatically undo the possession, the demon can still act through Roderick independently.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Roderick continuing his attacks even after Oona's death, demonstrating the curse has taken on its own momentum.

• oona
• coven
• curse
• demon
• killed
• possession continues

The coffin is empty because Roderick was never truly dead, he was possessed by a demonic spirit that animated his body. When the demon temporarily withdraws after being shot by Maureen, Roderick appears lifeless, but the supernatural entity later reanimates him, allowing him to leave the coffin and continue his attack.

Foreshadowing: Maureen's shot only seems to end the immediate threat; the brief moment of safety foreshadows the curse's resilience.

• cemetery
• coffin
• empty
• demon
• roderick
• undead

Roderick kills Bully Boy to take control of the coach and ensure the Whitmans cannot escape the curse. By murdering the driver and taking the reins himself, Roderick traps Lord Whitman and his remaining children in the carriage, removing any possibility of flight and guaranteeing the curse reaches its final conclusion.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene where they plan to escape by coach establishes their attempt to outrun the curse, which the demon clearly will not allow.

• bully boy
• coach driver
• killed
• roderick
• escape
• curse

At the end, Lord Whitman discovers that Roderick has killed the coach driver and is now driving the carriage himself. As the coach accelerates into the darkness toward an unknown destination, Whitman screams the driver's name in terror. The film ends unresolved, with the curse appearing to claim Whitman and his remaining children as the coach disappears into a void.

Foreshadowing: The earlier cemetery scene with the empty coffin establishes that Roderick cannot be killed by conventional means, making this final confrontation inescapable.

• ending
• coach
• roderick
• whitman
• escape
• unresolved fate

Roderick does not choose to attack his family, he is involuntarily possessed by a demonic spirit summoned by Oona. The demon uses Roderick's body as its instrument, forcing him to murder the very people he once served. His actions are not those of a willing traitor but of a puppet controlled by supernatural forces beyond his control.

Foreshadowing: The possession occurs immediately after Oona summons the demonic spirit, linking the supernatural event directly to Roderick's transformation.

• roderick
• servant
• possessed
• demon
• unwilling
• murder family

Maureen shoots the demon in the head while it possesses Roderick during an attack on her. The shot appears to kill the demon temporarily, causing Roderick to collapse and giving the family a moment of hope. However, this only temporarily defeats the curse, the demon later reanimates Roderick and continues its vengeance.

Foreshadowing: The attack scene builds tension as Maureen faces the possessed Roderick, and her desperate act provides a brief respite before the curse resumes.

• maureen
• shoot
• demon
• roderick
• head
• curse broken

The curse is inescapable because it operates through supernatural means that normal defenses cannot counter. Even after killing Oona and her coven, shooting the demon, and attempting to flee by coach, the Whitmans cannot escape, the demonic spirit simply reanimates,杀死s their driver, and pursues them. The film's theme emphasizes that crimes against the innocent invite divine or supernatural punishment that follows its victims relentlessly.

Foreshadowing: The escalating nature of the curse, from the initial killings to Roderick's possession to the final coach ride, demonstrates its relentless progression.

• curse
• inescapable
• supernatural
• revenge
• whitman family
• fate

Whitman expands his witch hunt not out of justice but as a political power grab. After Sean rapes Lady Patricia and the household is scandalized, Whitman uses the witch hunts as a distraction and a tool to consolidate power. He weaponizes fear of sorcery to redirect attention from his family's corruption and strengthen his authority over the region.

Foreshadowing: Lady Patricia's accusation that Whitman is a murderer already hints at his use of witch hunting for personal gain, not moral righteousness.

• whitman
• witch hunt
• expand
• power
• sean
• abuse authority