Delphine Seyrig appeared in Luis Buñuel’s The Milky Way (La Voie Lactée) in 1968. My review of that film is part of my Luis Buñuel Project, and can be found here.
Delphine Seyrig appeared in Jacques Demy’s Donkey Skin (Peau d’Âne) in 1970. My review of that film can be found here.
And, of course, she added further variety and splendor in our next film, Daughters Of Darkness (Les Lèvres Rouges) (Belgium/France, 1971), playing the legendary Hungarian lesbian vampire Countess Elizabeth Báthory. Reportedly, Delphine was going to turn it down, but her longtime friend Alain Resnais gleefully talked her into it. It’s directed by the Belgian filmmaker Harry Kümel, who both indulges, and spoofs, how vampirism in films became a code for female homosexuality, which, of course, could only be seen as predatory behavior. (Male homosexual vampires were more prevalent in literature, rarely in film, until American films like Lost Boys (1987) or Interview With The Vampire (1994).
The film is, of course, required viewing for vampire movie aficionados and diehard Delphine fans. The Countess, and her ward and secretary, Ilona (Andrea Rau), are travelling through Belgium, discretely leaving a trail of blood-drained bodies, when they arrive at an out-of-season resort hotel in Ostend. There they find a lovely newlywed couple with which to indulge themselves: Stefan (John Karlen, who became an oft-working character actor, best known as Tyne Daly’s husband on TV’s Cagney And Lacey) and Valerie (Canadian actress Danielle Ouimet). The aging porter / receptionist (Paul Esser) recognizes the Countess from years ago, but, of course, she’s as youthful-looking as ever.
The film is a long, slow seduction of the couple, individually and collectively. The narrative is almost too languid, but Delphine owns the film and makes the longueurs bearable. Director Kümel wrote the script with three others; it’s pretty sloppy in construction and execution, and they run roughshod over classic vampire mythology without the benefit of any actual novel variations. Kümel’s all about the style and visuals, and the film looks great, but, for aspiring Eurotrash horror, the violence, gore and nudity seem like unmotivated afterthoughts. (One wag on the internet complained about Ilona the vampire’s tan lines, and, I suppose, rightly so.)
Tony Scott’s The Hunger (1983) is far superior and competitively stylish. Those looking for a dose of more b-grade vampire trash should look to José Ramón Larraz’ Vampyres (1974) or Hammer Studio’s The Vampire Lovers (1970) and/or it’s companion piece, Lust For A Vampire (1971). Delphine is worth the time and the price of admission here, but, otherwise, keep your expectations low.
Delphine Seyrig appeared in Luis Buñuel’s The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie (Le Charme Discret De La Bourgeoisie) in 1972. My review of that film is part of my Luis Buñuel Project, and can be found here.
Periscope In The Bathtub 