Lost in New York (4 Stars)

This is an eerie short film made by Jean Rollin in 1989. Michèle and Marie are two young girls who live on the coast of France. Marie has a talisman which she calls the Moon Goddess. With it all their wishes can be fulfilled. The girls wish that they could visit New York.

Their wish is fulfilled, but it's not as they expected. They're no longer children, they've become young adults. They're both in New York, but they're separated. They're on opposite sides of Manhattan, one on the West coast, the other on the East coast. They wander through the streets day and night, trying to find one another. There are perils on the way. Marie is attacked by a female mugger, but she manages to overcome and kill her. Michèle meets a vampiress who feeds on women's blood. Michèle survives and continues her search for Marie.

Eventually they find one another, but they only spend a few minutes together. The spell wears off, and Michèle is transported back to France. Only Michèle. Marie doesn't come back. Michèle sits on the beach every day waiting for Marie to return. Finally, after 60 years, Marie returns. The two old women embrace one another and try to rekindle their friendship.

This is a very unusual film, even for Jean Rollin. It shows an unglamorous side of New York. We see the city centre briefly, but mostly we see the streets near the docks, the poor areas where the houses are in disrepair. This is a side of New York that tourists never see.

It's difficult to say what the film is about. The magic of youth and the disillusion of old age? Maybe. I don't know whether Jean Rollin ever gave any interviews about the film. I'd like to know why he made it. Whatever his purpose was, it's intense and haunting.

I bought the film on DVD ten years ago, but it's currently out of print. I hope it will be re-issued. It's an essential film for all of Jean Rollin's fans.