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The Grapes of Death, right? Who would want to miss such a film? It is even best said in French Les Raisons de La Mort.
While it sounds foolish, it works perfectly for the movie that features an outbreak of madness surrounded by wine causing people to go insane in the French countryside.
In his erotic vampire films like Shiver of the Vampire and Requiem For a Vampire, French horror expert Jean Rollin is mostly known to be an erotic horror specialist. He best depicts erotic and surrealism together, although he did step into more commercial territory, he is better known for movies like Zombie Lake. He was thrown into that with no thought at all when Jess Franco left at the last minute.
To offset that, The Grapes of Death is far better and more complete since it truly has Rollin’s signature style.
As with many of Rollin’s films, we are introduced to two ladies. In contrast to the lesbian vampire films, there is phenomenal verisimilitude here. Our protagonist, Francois, gets out of bed and begins to say something about having a shower, but in actuality, she does not. With Rollin’s works, this is what you consider a plot twist.
Set on a train, the opening sequence is possibly the best claim for Rollin’s status as a horror master. The suspense is well crafted, and accompanied by an almost Argento-esque tracking shot going through the length of the train’s cabin that reveals all the booths are empty before a creepy-looking man enters.
Rollin captivates with great tension aided by a syntax that is wild and primitive, yet somehow strangely effective.
The sequence peaks in the murder of Francois’ friend, prior to her hopping off the train and embarking on an episodic narrative strangely reminiscent of Night of the Living Dead and the Living Dead at the Manchester morgue. Indeed, it even shares ecological themes with the latter film.
The photography is stunning, especially the part where Francois flees across the desolated yet strangely beautiful French countryside, particularly a ghostly image of her running across a bridge that is filled with fog and a later segment among huge rocks stark against the landscape.
Francois encounters different increasingly captivating characters, with the exception of a few who wish her harm. The afflicted villagers are the most grotesque, as they have insatiable blood lust and two weeping sores on their faces. Rollin’s greatest idea is that the infected retain their memories and identities, so they will frequently plead with Francois to aid them or simply put them out of their misery.
Rollin never had a forte, in fact, it seemed as if he completely ignored everything and focused on the more sexual aspects of dread and horror. Here violence is neatly wrapped and foregrounded. Special Fx, while low-budget, particularly the Blu-ray version I watched, surprisingly held up. Foreheads dripping with pus is always a great gag to gross people out and on top of that, there is a well-staged decapitation for additional cover. This is made even better by the fact that the killer spends the rest of the film wandering around holding the severed head, like some kind of trophy.
Rollin insists on getting his money’s worth with the effects, dwelling on them a little too long. This is particularly true for the film’s first kill, a topless woman impaled through the chest with a pitchfork.
Fans of Rollin will be delighted to hear that his longtime muse, Brigitte Lahaie, makes an appearance in the movie. She is seen walking through the fields in an almost transparent nightdress, holding a flaming torch. She is accompanied by a couple of handsome dogs.
It is the right mix of commerce and art, although Lahaie’s departure from the movie causes the pacing to drag a little too much. Francois comes across a few farmers, and together they move into a building and sit tight, waiting for a rescue that seems to never arrive.
In the end, the pacing is far too relaxed for a movie that didn’t have much energy to give in the first place. In comparison to the rest of Rollin’s films, though, this one feels like a Michael Bay movie.
It’s certain that not every person would enjoy it, but that’s not necessarily bad. I don’t hear people mention Rollin as often as they once did. There was a real spike in his fame in the 90s largely due to the amazing work by Redemption Films in bringing his movies to the UK video market, but it feels as though he’s fading back to obscurity now while contemporaries like Argento, Bava and Franco have turned into sorts of celebrities. This is unfortunate because Rollin was a true auteur with a great deal of talent and warrants better recognition than he has attianed.
The Grapes of Death is not totally representative of his work, but it is an intriguing starting point for someone seeking to explore his work. It has some of the heart which makes some of his best stories enjoyable while offering unique flair.
I’d also recommend Shiver of the Vampires and The Iron Rose as well as Lips of Blood, Fascination, and Night of the Hunted.
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