A vampire that doesn't exist, Notre Dame that isn't Notre Dame, but a crime thriller with the first hints of giallo and lots of fantasy elements. One of the (re)births of gothic horror. In addition to the further glory of being one of the first horror-esque European films of the post-war period, it also marked the start of Mario Bava's career. He switched from the camera to the director's chair during filming and you can already recognise his signature style. Great play of light and shadow, painted sets, a generally artistic but not artificial atmosphere. The story gradually progresses from evil to diabolical in an exciting and tragic way, even if the resolution is somewhat over-imaginable. But what genre are we talking about? Perhaps not a cinematic highlight, not a genre cult film, not an undiscovered gem, but nevertheless a small milestone in the horror genre and a historically important film that doesn't take you to other spheres, but certainly doesn't make you regret its short running time.
Review of Lust of the Vampire
