There’s something prototypical about a Jean Rollin film, in that it can be classified as what people would think of when it comes to ‘Euro-horror’ (nude women, vampires, castles). And yet, there’s something distinct, which probably helps when you’ve seen a few other 1970s exploitation movies. That there’s something slow and atmospheric, which feels very individual and particular to Rollin’s whole thing.
Fascination (1979) is one of Rollin’s most popular films, and that might be because it has such a strong image that adorns the poster and is the focus of a three minute sequence. Brigitte Lahaie, nude underneath a flowing black robe, brandishing a scythe and moving towards the camera with murderous intent. What dreams are made of, well, a perve’s dreams…
In the French countryside, a haughty thief named Marc (Jean-Marie Lemaire) wearing a red suit, double-crosses a gang of roughians by taking the loot they stole together. As he cradles a chest of gold coins, and a silver pistol, Marc wanders across a castle surrounded by a moat. Escaping the thieves who are out for his blood, Marc barges into the castle and hides out, keeping the occupants prisoner, two maids, Eva (Lahaine) and Elisabeth (Franca Mai). They tell him that more people will be arriving that night, and begin toying with Marc who possibly might be too big for his britches.
If you’ve stumbled across any other Rollin title (The Nude Vampire, The Shiver of the Vampires, Requiem for a Vampire), you might see where this is all going. But in a film like Fascination, it’s less about story, or characters, or themes, than the atmosphere of disrobing, sexuality and encroaching darkness. Rendered in empty castles and misty woods. Sheer robes and blood trickling down one’s face.
It’s a great thing that the majority of Rollin’s back catalogue is on the streaming service Kanopy. Fascination I had to find elsewhere unfortunately. Taking time in between from experiencing Rollin’s films feels wise, as they often construct a similar vibe with different elements, a soft and gauzy goth eroticism. For those who develop a taste for it…
VHS Tracking 