Requiem for a Vampire (4 Stars)

This is Jean Rollin's fourth film, made in 1971. He's on a roll; four films, and they're all about vampires. Admittedly, his type of vampire is unlike any vampires shown in American or British films, but they're still vampires.

As any fan of Jean Rollin will tell you, the cinematography of his films is more important than the plot. He wants to paint luscious scenes. The pace often slows down so that the camera can pan across a gorgeous field, or a sunset. Enjoy the imagery.

You'll find recurring elements in Rollin's films. They almost all have cemeteries and castles. He's obsessed with vampires, clowns and lesbians; I can't say in what order. "Requiem for a vampire" begins with two clowns, Marie and Michelle, taking part in a car chase. They wander into a castle, where we see that they're lesbians. Later in the film they become vampires. The perfect mix for a Rollin film.

As usual, things aren't all explained. When asked why they're dressed as clowns, the girls say they were performing at a party. But they don't explain why they were being chased. Did they rob somebody? It's not important.

Jean Rollin says this is his best film. I disagree, because I find the BDSM scenes where the women are whipped distasteful.

A beautiful girl sitting on a grave. This is the sort of beautiful image that you'll find in Rollin's films. The actress is Marie-Pierre Castel, who has an identical twin sister Catherine who appears some of Rollin's other films. Supposedly, he always wanted them to appear together, but Catherine had to skip this film because she was pregnant.