Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s blog post, I am discussing three of the French Vampire films of Jean Rollin, all of which are currently available on Shudder! I have wanted to check out these films for a long time, and I am delighted that I finally could when they were added to Shudder. As always with this sort of post, I will look at each film in its own small sections below. Without further ado, let’s look at some French Vampire films!
The Nude Vampire (1970) French Title: La Vampire Nue
~This is the earliest film of the three, as you can see by the date. It is a very interesting interpretation of Vampires that is a little bit sci-fi with experiments being done on a female Vampire by men who want to gain her immortality without becoming Vampires themselves. However, the film turns into something much more fantasy-based as the son of one of the researchers becomes obsessed with finding out more about this Vampire woman and why she seemingly cannot die. I will note that this film is very surrealistic and is a bit of a fever dream with tons of psychedelic visuals (which I am learning is a favorite visual style of this director). This more surrealistic nature makes the film a bit harder to follow for some people, or at least I have seen this stated in reviews of this film. The film is avant-garde in the best ways, but I can understand why people may have a hard time following the plot. However, if you like a good trippy and psychedelic film, this is a fun watch! There is also a lingering question in the film over whether the Vampires were truly Vampires at all, as they claim to be mutants, which leaves off on an interesting note.
The Shiver of the Vampires (1971) French Title: Le Frisson des vampires
~Now, this is the first film of the three that I watched, and I was quite blown away by the sets (or rather real locations, as they filmed at the Semptmonts Castle in Aisne, France). The costumes were likewise exactly what I wanted from a Gothic 70s Vampire film. Essentially, you have a bunch of people in late 60s and early 70s fashions exploring a gorgeous old castle with Vampires running around! This film is also very erotic, as all of these films are, and I love that about them, as Vampires are inherently sexual. That is why I find films that do not depict Vampires as sexual to feel very puritanical, as I think of sexuality and Vampirism to be intrinsically linked. The actual story is quite simple, aligning with much classic Gothic Romance storytelling. A young, newly married couple arrives at a castle, owned by the bride’s cousins, on their honeymoon. Of course, they are told the cousins are dead when they arrive in town, but that is not the whole story. The bride is quite easily seduced by the Vampires, wholly giving herself into the passion, not caring about them drinking blood. I have to give it to this film for not shying away from showing taboos that are often explored in Gothic literature, as we have several on full display here!
Lips of Blood (1975) French Title: Levres de sang
~This is my most recent watch of the three films I am discussing in this post, and I have to say that I think this may be my favorite of the three! As much as I adore the classic elements and sensuality of The Shiver of the Vampires, I like the characters and storyline of this film better. Lips of Blood gives us the story of a man who has been obsessed and in love with the memory of a young woman he met when he was twelve. There is a lot of investigating that goes on after he sees a photograph of the ruins of a castle that re-ignites the memories he has of the young woman. I have to note that once again, the filming locations are stunning, with the ruins being filmed at Château-Gaillard, Les Andelys, Eure, France, and the cemetery gate scenes filmed at Cimetière de Montmarte in Paris. The costumes are lovely here also, but much more focused on the timeless and Gothic feeling energy rather than clothing of the times, which fits the story better. Now, as the protagonist, named Frederic, begins to delve into the mysteries of his past, many prevent him from finding out the truth, but he does not give up his pursuit. He is also aided by Jennifer, the young woman he is in love with, as she haunts him during his exploration! This leads to him discovering a tomb of Vampire women, complete with a Bat in a coffin, and accidentally freeing them. So, he continues on his journey, now with four Vampires on the loose. Eventually, he does discover the castle ruins and learns the truth about Jennifer. I absolutely adore this film for just how much tragic romance and a real love story are at the backbone of the narrative. I also give it bonus points for having a story that is well fleshed out, instead of relying solely on trippy visuals or Gothic tropes. I can see how the director grew as his films went on, which is really nice to see!
~I hope you have enjoyed this post about three of Jean Rollin’s Vampire films. Have you seen any of these films? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a production still from Lips of Blood. I found the picture on https://kinolorber.com/film/lipsofblood?srsltid=AfmBOop72HwHcSNxh9RUu0BbU2TxhTNnBnqjkJVHbl3iVpZxbva4LObt.
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