With the recent explosion in popularity of the European horror film (thanks primarily to DVD), mainstream American audiences are discovering what Euro-horror fans like yours truly have known all along: that Europe has made some incredible horror films that shame just about anything ever made in this country.

Directors from Italy (such as Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and Lucio Fulci) seem to have benefited the most from the Euro-horror DVD boom, with almost all of each director’s filmography now available here in the US (often uncut as well). Unfortunately, though, there was more to the Euro-horror scene than just the Italians—and filmmakers like Jess Franco, Paul Naschy, and Jose Larraz haven’t received quite the same amount of attention from American fans. Of all the relatively undiscovered directors of the fantastique, perhaps none is more worthy of discussion than France’s Jean Rollin.

Rollin began his film career in 1968, with the release of his debut film, Rape of the Vampire (aka La viole du vampire)—a masterpiece of surrealist cinema that is finally being widely released here in America thanks to Image Entertainment.

Rape of the Vampire is a mesmerizing and confounding film. At times incredibly beautiful, and often impossible to make sense of, it’s a fine example of fantastique cinema from Europe. From the 1960s through to the mid 1970s, European genre cinema went through a period where filmmakers pushed the envelope of what was acceptable in terms of onscreen sex and violence. Fantasy cinema continually tested the boundaries of European morality by inserting sex and gore into numerous films, each a little more daring than the last. This burgeoning cinematic movement reached a fever pitch by the middle of the 1970s, when horror, sex, and gore became almost synonymous—and then the whole craze died, thanks primarily to the arrival of the hardcore porn film.

However, for those ten or so years, European genre cinema was one of the most exciting and daring cinematic scenes on the planet. Filmmakers weaved together surreal tales filled with the most dream-like and non-linear narratives imaginable, sprinkled in copious amounts of sex and violence, and released it to a public who couldn’t get enough of it. It was during this time that Rape of the Vampire debuted—to harsh criticism from the film establishment, but to huge box-office receipts as everyone clamored to see what all the fuss was about. If you’re interested in a more detailed account of this period of European film history, I highly recommend giving Cathal Tohill and Pete Tombs book Immoral Tales: European Sex and Horror Movies 1956-1984 a look. It’s filled with tons of information.

Originally shot as a thirty-minute short film, then expanded to an hour and a half later (when Rollin acquired more money from producer Sam Selsky), Rape of the Vampire plays almost like a serial (and was, in fact, subtitled A Melodrama in Two Parts). The first thirty minutes is comprised of the footage Rollin originally shot. Here, three young Parisians head out into the countryside—where they learn that four vampire sisters have been confined to a crumbling chateau. The three main characters don’t believe that the women are really vampires, and set out to cure their psychosis.

Rollin keeps the film ambiguous—never letting us know if the women really are vampires, or are just women who’ve been duped by a local landowner. However, at the thirty-minute mark, everyone winds up dead and a vampire queen emerges from the sea.

Since everyone’s dead, Rollin simply resurrects them for the film’s second and third acts. Here, the film becomes something different, and far more surreal overall. I’d be lying if I told you I understood any of it, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that it’s still hauntingly beautiful in parts anyway.

Perhaps that’s where the cinema of the fantastique is most like dreams—when experienced, they can be very powerful, frightening, and erotic. Yet, when re-examined with a clinical eye in the light of day, they often lose their power. The same could be said for Rape of the Vampire--examined with a critical and analytical eye, it seems to be a disjointed mess. But when experiencing it, and finding yourself wrapped up in Rollins’ world, it’s an altogether different experience.

The cast and crew of the production were comprised primarily with friends of Rollin—and the director estimates that roughly 50% of the film was improvised on the spot. If that’s the case, then Rape of the Vampire becomes an even more impressive film since it works as well as it does with so little planning.

Still, the highlight of the film is Rollin’s direction. Rollin has a gift for capturing intriguing visuals and getting the camera into the oddest places for the coolest shots. Rape of the Vampire is no exception in this regard. Rollin captures beautiful shots of the sea, of the crumbling chateau, of vampires dancing on the beach, and more. Visually, the film is stunning—and because of that, it’s worth checking out despite the fact that it’s not the most cohesive narrative out there.

Image has just released Rape of the Vampire on DVD. While the film doesn’t feature much in the way of extras, the presentation is quite nice. The film is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio which maintains the integrity of the filmmaker’s scene compositions. The print itself looks good, although there are some visible scratches and other marks in spots—but, with a film this old (and when there probably aren’t many good copies floating around to begin with) this is forgivable. Image has once again done Euro-horror fans a favor by bringing another under-seen and under appreciated film to DVD.

Ultimately, Rape of the Vampire is a beautifully confounding film. While the narrative is sometimes hard to follow, there’s no denying that Rollin is a gifted director with a keen eye for interesting visuals. It’s unfortunate that this film would typecast him as a horror filmmaker and a marginal director on the French film scene, because there’s no doubt that he could have made some incredible films if he’d only been given a real budget.

At any rate, if you’re a fan of Euro-horror, or if you’re just looking for a surreal and atmospheric film, then Rape of the Vampire belongs on your ‘to see’ list.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV