Living Dead Girl (4 Stars)

Imagine the following scenario. Two young girls, Catherine and Helene, pledge their eternal love for one another. They vow that they will never leave one another. If Catherine dies first Helene promises to follow her; if Helene dies first, Catherine promises to follow her.

That's an easy promise to make in the naivety of youth. As it turns out, Catherine dies at the age of 20. We aren't told how it happens. All we know is that Helene breaks her promise and carries on with her life.

Nevertheless, the love that the two girls have for one another is stronger than death. After two years Catherine rises up from the dead and returns to her home, a castle which still has stood empty since her death. She's changed. She has an insatiable thirst for blood, so she kills everyone she meets.

Is she a vampire? The word "vampire" is never used in the film. She has little in common with traditional vampires, but the Jean Rollin has made more vampire films than any other director, so we can assume that's what he intends. Catherine walks in the daylight and also eats human flesh. She kills her victims not by biting them, but by tearing their flesh open with her sharp fingernails. She spends most of her time in the castle completely naked, either walking from room to room or playing the piano.

Helene returns to the castle and the childhood love is rekindled. She promises to remain by Catherine's side, however much she's changed. Helene lures people from the village into the castle to keep Catherine well fed. Catherine begins to have a bad conscience and tries to stop killing people, but Helene encourages her to carry on killing. Which one of the two women is the bigger monster?

The first time I saw this film I was shocked by the gore and the ripped flesh. This is untypical for Jean Rollin's films. Usually his vampire films are very clean, we just see small trickles of blood. Watching it again, I can appreciate it for what it is. The scenes are beautiful and moving, and the actresses themselves are just as beautiful.

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