An appreciation by Bob Ignizio
French director Jean Rollin is best
known for making erotic vampire movies brimming with haunting, often
surreal visuals and oozing with atmosphere, but which don't offer
much much in the way of story. LIPS OF BLOOD is a rare
exception in that there is a coherent plot centered around the
character of Frederic (Jean-Loup Philippe), a young man who has
little memory of his childhood. He can only recall something about
staying the night at a castle with a pretty red haired girl (Annie
Briand), a memory Frederic’s mother (Nathalie Perrey) has convinced
him is only a dream. Then Frederic sees an advertisement that uses
the castle from his “dream”, and realizes the place really
exists. To learn the truth about his past, Frederic must embark on a
dangerous quest that will leave him a changed man.
This being a Jean Rollin film, it
should come as no surprise that Frederic’s quest involves sexy
female vampires in various states of undress, strangely beautiful
imagery like a coffin used as a boat, and an underlying theme of the
youth/counter culture (represented by the vampires) being persecuted
by the ignorant forces of authority. The thematic and visual
elements still rule the day, but with a more traditional narrative
structure than most of Rollin’s films this is a more accessible
movie than works like THE NUDE VAMPIRE or REQUIEM FOR A
VAMPIRE. As such, it makes a good entry point for those
unfamiliar with Rollin’s work, as well as being a high point in the
director’s career.
I need to get into Jearn Rolling at some point, this sounds great, I love films that are heavy on the imagery and style.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think Rollin would be up your alley. He's got a few clunkers, but for the most part he's pretty consistent.
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