Daughters of Darkness (1971)

- Les lèvres rouges
Horror as Art, 9 April 2005

A newlywed couple arrive at an ocean front motel to begin their honeymoon. As it's the off-season, they are the only guests. That is until a mysterious Hungarian Countess and her equally mysterious companion arrive and take rooms just next door. It soon becomes apparent that the Countess has designs on the young bride that could lead to her death. Is the Countess responsible for a string of deaths in the area of similar young women who have been drained of their blood?

If a horror movie could be considered art, Daughters of Darkness would certainly qualify. Almost every scene is like a painting - surreal, lovely, and haunting at the same time. Even the people, especially the mesmerizing Delphine Seyrig as the Countess, look and seem like they've just stepped out of a painting. Seldom do you see a character like the one played by Seyrig that seems so at home in her surroundings. She is amazing to watch.

The movie is very slow moving. I could see many fans of modern cinema being put off by the pace. Don't expect any of the modern MTV style editing or explosions every five minutes. This movie takes its sweet time moving the plot along. But for those who stick with it, you'll be rewarded by one of the most intriguing vampire films ever produced. The slow pace and isolated locations only add to what is surely one of the most atmospheric films I've seen.

While watching the movie, I couldn't help but be reminded of George Romero's Martin. Like Martin, there is a certain ambiguity to the vampires in Daughters of Darkness. There's no doubt they drink blood, but does this make them vampires? They are certainly not the fanged, super-humans as portrayed in most Hollywood films. Like Martin, they need external assistance to get the blood that they need (or at least think they need).

8/10