(Disclaimer: With most foreign language
films, I try to watch them once in the native language to see the
performances as intended, and once dubbed into English in order to
better follow the plot. However, I found out that this film was
changed substantially between the original version and the dub. So,
because the original list makes it clear they’re addressing the
dub, I’m going with that. And I’ll be crediting the actors
physically portraying the role, not the voices.)
I really don’t get how this film got
its reputation as a classic. I suppose the blurry imagery might be
the result of me watching a low-quality copy. But even beyond that,
it seems quite generic. Asa Vadja (Barbara Steele), a Witch killed
in Moldavia in the 1600s with her servant and lover Javuto (Arturo
Dominici), returns from the grave. She also doubles as a Vampire,
and the words “Witch” and “Vampire” are used fairly
interchangeably throughout the film. Combining the two might have
been interesting, but only if we were given a clear explanation for
the rules. Instead, the only really interesting subversion is that
Vampires are now killed by crosses being plunged through one of their
eyes, rather than with wooden stakes through their hearts. Did Asa
choose to worship Satan as a Vampire, or was she bitten and turned
into a Witch? I haven’t a clue, although she apparently has no
problem converting others via her bite.
Beyond that, the movie often comes
across as goofy, but not goofy enough to actually be funny. Asa is
awoken when two traveling doctors, Thomas (Andrea Checchi) and Andre
(John Richardson) wander into her tomb. They break the cross over
her coffin and the window that was put there to allow her to see it
(...because the Power of Christ cannot move through opaque surfaces,
apparently), and for God knows what reason, remove her mask Thomas
cuts himself and the blood drips into her mouth, awakening her and
Javuto. So basically, this was a slap-stick routine, only without
the comedy.
We eventually find out that Asa plans
on gaining eternal life by draining the blood of Katia (also played
by Steele), her distant grand-niece. Or maybe she’s draining her
energy. I’m not really sure how the rules for that work either.
But okay, it’s Italian horror, it doesn’t make sense. I suspect
the “Witch” aspect was added to make Asa a more clear villain for
the film, implying that she’d chosen to be evil, rather than being
turned against her will. Pretty much everything that she does fits
more closely with her role as a “Vampire.”
The eventual defeat of Asa is carried
out by Andre, now in love with Katia, while Katia herself is
unconscious. This clearly represents a massive lost opportunity.
The opening scene established that Asa was originally condemned by
her own brother, almost certainly Katia’s ancestor. Her obsession
with Katia should then, logically, have at least some aspect of
revenge. However, instead of showing the two squaring off, Katia is
used as a generic damsel in distress throughout the film, and the
story closes with her being rescued.
The music of this movie comes across as
fairly weak as well, often being misused to kill the mood of a given
scene. For example, when Katia is first bitten and receives
treatment from Andre, the music tells us this is romantic, rather
than frightening. Obviously such a scene can be used to build up
sexual tension, but treating someone’s Vampire bite should not be
dealt with so casually. Furthermore, when the movie does deliver
even minor shocks, it often punctuates it with music that goes
over-the-top, as if director Mario Bava invented the unnecessary
jump-scare decades early.
Of all the Italian films on this list,
this is the one with which I was the least impressed by far. None of
them make a lot of sense, but most of them draw you in with creative
visuals so that you don’t really care about the plot. However,
this movie lacks that level of creativity, instead giving us a
second-rate Dracula. And therefore, this is one of the few
movies on this list that I generally don’t recommend.
No comments:
Post a Comment