Requiem For A Vampire

I have to admit to being a huge Jean Rollin fan. His 'horror' films are unlike anything else in the genre and are always a personal journey. Compared to other auteur directors he is a man whose personal visions are imprinted on his work like no other. This does make his films rather cliquey, but if you get 'it', he is most rewarding. Requiem.... is a curious one in that his trademark highly stylish visuals are mostly absent, but regardless of this it is a most hypnotic movie that takes you in from the first frame and leaves you thoroughly satisfied as the last frame dissolves into its final disappearing circle.

The film opens during a chase where two girls, dressed as clowns, are being chased in their car, driven by an unknown bloke, whilst shooting at their chasers. Bloke killed, they abandon their car and go on the run, eventually ending up at a chateau where live the last vampire. They learn that this vampire is trying to sire some new vampires in order to keep the bloodline going. As they are both virgins (in this film you must be a virgin to made into a vampire, otherwise you are just food) they are given the chance to become vampires, but first they must help lure victims to feed the vampire and his horde of vampire wannabes. One girl fancies it, the other doesn't and they are eventually forced to choose between the love that they share and a new life as a vampire. One is deadset against it and through shared love manages to change the mind of the other girl. The last vampire reckons this is ok as he thinks it is about time the vampires die out anyway. He is an alright dude, like. So at the end the girls are allowed to go free while the vampire, and his nearly chnaged minion, get locked in a mauseleum to end their days.

This isn't one of Rollin's most stylish offerings, and it is a great compliment to the great director that it still retains a power to enthral. Mostly devoid of speech, it is hard to say why this works like it does. But it does. It's a dreamy, surreal slice of Rollin whimsy that works on every level.