The historical context surrounding I Vampiri is undoubtedly more praiseworthy than the actual film, but this collaboration between two of Italy's top directors, Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda, is an excellent slice of Gothic horror. I Vampiri is often credited as being the film that kicked off Italian horror cinema, and it also provided the first directorial credit for Mario Bava; a household name for anyone that loves their cult films. Bava apparently stepped in to shoot this film after it began to overrun its schedule, but it seems obvious that Bava was the main man in charge as his trademarks are all over it. The great director is most famous for his gorgeous cinematography, so it will come as no surprise that the film looks fantastic, and that along with Bava's use of lighting and general ingenuity where special effects are concerned help to mask the low budget and rushed production schedule. The plot follows the discovery of a series of bodies that are found completely drained of blood. The bodies have been drained by a mad scientist, who uses them to keep an aging duchess looking youthful.
The plot takes obvious influence from classic horror stories such as the tale of Elizabeth Bathory, and this is excellently complimented by the thick and foreboding Gothic atmosphere. Despite having the word 'Vampiri' in its title, the film doesn't feature any bloodsucking or shape shifting, and that is most likely the reason why the film was such a commercial failure in its homeland. The fact that the title doesn't really fit is of no concern to me, however, as the plot that does exist more than adequately makes up for it; and while the productions problems are evident in the way that the plot moves sluggishly at times and the characters aren't too interesting, there is always more than enough to keep horror fanatics interested. The standout sequence sees the duchess at the centre of the tale age before our eyes. Bava recycled this technique from earlier films such as Rouben Mamoulian's masterpiece adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and that sequence really shows the director's ingenuity. The central location is an old Gothic castle, and by keeping the action centred on it; Bava creates just the right atmospheric tone for the film. Overall, I can't say that this film completely lives up to it's billing as one of the most important horror films ever; but it's place in history is assured and it's a nice film to boot.
The plot takes obvious influence from classic horror stories such as the tale of Elizabeth Bathory, and this is excellently complimented by the thick and foreboding Gothic atmosphere. Despite having the word 'Vampiri' in its title, the film doesn't feature any bloodsucking or shape shifting, and that is most likely the reason why the film was such a commercial failure in its homeland. The fact that the title doesn't really fit is of no concern to me, however, as the plot that does exist more than adequately makes up for it; and while the productions problems are evident in the way that the plot moves sluggishly at times and the characters aren't too interesting, there is always more than enough to keep horror fanatics interested. The standout sequence sees the duchess at the centre of the tale age before our eyes. Bava recycled this technique from earlier films such as Rouben Mamoulian's masterpiece adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and that sequence really shows the director's ingenuity. The central location is an old Gothic castle, and by keeping the action centred on it; Bava creates just the right atmospheric tone for the film. Overall, I can't say that this film completely lives up to it's billing as one of the most important horror films ever; but it's place in history is assured and it's a nice film to boot.