After watching the excellent Occupation 1943 French Horror Le loup des Malveneur (also reviewed),I got in the mood to see a "new" Horror from France's leading auteur of the genre: Jean Rollin. Reading in a number of places this being credited as his "return" work, I got set to meet Rollin's orphans.
View on the film:
Returning to Horror for the first time since the outstanding The Living Dead Girl (1982), writer/directing auteur Jean Rollin proves he has lost none of the magic in hauntingly stilted wide shots against real crumbling churches,with Rollin closely working with cinematographer Norbert Marfaing-Sintes to give the white gown-wearing orphans a ghostly floating appearance.
Continuing with the visual theme from Dead Girl of modern items/setting being fitted into a classical Gothic tale, Rollin uses in a highly stylish fashion a circus ring and modern books to capture the passage of time Louise and Henriette have lived, all in a richly atmospheric blue light which brings light to the orphans vision, and a macabre mood across the screen.
Adapting his own novel, Rollin brings a clarity from taking on his own, earlier creation. Allowing the orphans to only gain their sights when away from the Catholic orphanage, Rollin displays an impressive subtle quality in the deconstruction of blind faith/beliefs.
Making the duo rebellious vampire teenagers, Rollin sharply contrasts the free-spirited "fun" they have killing,smoking and being able to see, round the side streets outside, with the façade of the belief that the Catholic orphanage staff hold that the two are blind from evil.
Continuing to build on a major theme in Living Dead Girl, Rollin has the orphans feel completely isolated from everyone else in the world, with the duo revealing in poetic, fairy tale dialogue their inability to clearly remember their past lives.
Joined by the welcomed sight of the in a dream state Tina Aumont and Brigitte Lahaie,Alexandra Pic and Isabelle Teboul give outstanding debut performances as Henriette and Louise, whose blood-stained smiles are balanced by a delicate, sisterly bond Pic and Teboul give the two orphan vampires.
View on the film:
Returning to Horror for the first time since the outstanding The Living Dead Girl (1982), writer/directing auteur Jean Rollin proves he has lost none of the magic in hauntingly stilted wide shots against real crumbling churches,with Rollin closely working with cinematographer Norbert Marfaing-Sintes to give the white gown-wearing orphans a ghostly floating appearance.
Continuing with the visual theme from Dead Girl of modern items/setting being fitted into a classical Gothic tale, Rollin uses in a highly stylish fashion a circus ring and modern books to capture the passage of time Louise and Henriette have lived, all in a richly atmospheric blue light which brings light to the orphans vision, and a macabre mood across the screen.
Adapting his own novel, Rollin brings a clarity from taking on his own, earlier creation. Allowing the orphans to only gain their sights when away from the Catholic orphanage, Rollin displays an impressive subtle quality in the deconstruction of blind faith/beliefs.
Making the duo rebellious vampire teenagers, Rollin sharply contrasts the free-spirited "fun" they have killing,smoking and being able to see, round the side streets outside, with the façade of the belief that the Catholic orphanage staff hold that the two are blind from evil.
Continuing to build on a major theme in Living Dead Girl, Rollin has the orphans feel completely isolated from everyone else in the world, with the duo revealing in poetic, fairy tale dialogue their inability to clearly remember their past lives.
Joined by the welcomed sight of the in a dream state Tina Aumont and Brigitte Lahaie,Alexandra Pic and Isabelle Teboul give outstanding debut performances as Henriette and Louise, whose blood-stained smiles are balanced by a delicate, sisterly bond Pic and Teboul give the two orphan vampires.