Die Stunde, wenn Dracula kommt

BLACK Sunday (Mario Bava - Italy 1960).

Mario Bava's first feature as a director (although he did uncredited directorial work before), this classic and extremely influential piece of Gothic horror really showed his cinematographic talent in creating a haunting and stylishly shot film. "Black Sunday" also catapulted Barbara Steele to horror stardom and would make her into the undisputed horror queen of the sixties. Bava based "Mask of Satan", as the film was originally titled, on the short story "Vij" by the Russian author Gogol, which he adapted into a homage to the early Universal horror pictures he loved so much. Barbara Steele is the beautiful 17th century witch princess Asa, who is a vampire, and her lover Juvato (Arturo Dominici), are put to death by her vengeful brother. He has iron masks with spikes on the inside placed on both their faces and then sledgehammered home (the brutal opening scene). Two hundred years later, blood is accidentally spilled on Asa's face and she rises from the dead along with Juvato to wreak revenge on the descendants of those who executed her - including her look-alike Katia, also played by Barbara Steele.

Beautifully shot in black and white by Bava himself, "Black Sunday" is a perfect showcase of his masterful control of light and shade, of colour and movement (yes, one can play with "shades of colour" in black and white) and playful camera angles, it's a feast for the eye. At heart Bava would always remain the cinematographer he always was and in all his films he took an active role in the design of each image by setting up the lighting, the optical effects, the filters etc. The film abounds in old-fashioned horror atmosphere and in that department, it even manages to top the atmosphere of the Universal horror classics it was based on with gnarled tree branches, fogbound sets, a decaying castle, a dark foreboding crypt and much more.

Of course, Bava's is well known for letting stylistic innovations take precedent over storytelling and most other things involved, like acting. Much of the script was reworked during shooting and even in post-production. Barbara Steele reportedly never even saw a script and got some pages every day of shooting. Variations of the story has been told many times in one way or another and there are more than a few echoes of Murnau's Nosferatu here. Much of the story is too derivative to begin with, and has become too formularised in subsequent years to retain much of its original power, just as the film's capacity to scare or excite audiences has probably worn out a little over the years. It doesn't really matter, because the film was chopped to pieces for over four decades and the habit of Italian filmmakers of post-synchronizing all the voices (even for Italian versions) made anything in that department a pretty dire affair anyway.

What Bava added however was some substantially more explicit violence and gore, laced with sexual connotations. The opening scene in which the mask is sledgehammered to Barbara Steele's face still packs quite a wallop, not to mention the effect it must have had on audiences back then. Still, horror fans can't really afford to miss this quintessential Bava piece, but watch it for the splendid cinematography and Bava's unique ways of visual wizardry.

Camera Obscura --- 7/10

For some unknown reason, here recently I've been in the mood to watch a lot of vintage 1960s-70s Italian horror movies. Hardly any other film comes as highly recommended as Black Sunday and after viewing this incredibly moody effort, I can easily see why. It's by far one of the most beautifully photographed films I've seen of any genre. It's also one of the most atmospheric; a sense of horror and dread hang over every frame, and yet it is a film whose power does not lie entirely in the narrative. It's hidden somewhere, pretty much everywhere... in dark corners, in secret crypts, in fog, in shadows... The shots in this film are brilliantly composed. It is a true triumph for director and cinematographer Mario Bava, who provides such rich, dream-like technical depth that (pardon the cliché) this film truly does transport viewers somewhere else in time.

Even though this movie is best appreciated as an exercise in style and technique, the plot line (witch who is executed and returns centuries later to get revenge on the descendants of her executioners) is also enjoyable. So is Barbara Steele, who is ideally cast in a dual role as both the evil witch and the pure heroine. She's an actress who can switch from innocent and ravishing to hideous and horrific with the flick of an eyelash. No wonder she's considered the queen of horror. She deserves to be.

Straight away I will say that 'The Mask Of Satan' is one of the best looking horror movies I have ever seen. It looks fantastic and the set design is nothing short of superb. Dripping with Gothic atmosphere, the absolute highlight of this movie is the way it looks. The story is nothing new, basically a revenge mission but it is told with great flair. The score is OK but the romantic theme sounds totally out of place whenever it plays.

The acting is mixed though. Barbara Steele looks great but is not always convincing and John Richardson is a bit wooden. The best performance is probably from Andrea Checchi as Dr Kruvajan. On the whole this is a must for horror fans as the look of the movie is so good.

La Maschera Del Demonio/The Mask of Satan(1960) is the film that introduced audiences around the world to the cinema of Mario Bava. After years as Assistent Director and Director of Photography, Bava was rewarded with his first full directorial assignment and the results are impressive. He didn't direct full time until he was in his late 40's. Its interesting to note that two other directors named Lucio Fulci and Terence Fisher didn't get international recognization until their big breaks(Zombie[1979] + Curse of Frankenstein[1957]) when they were in their early to mid 50's. Its about a dead witch who returns from the dead with her lover to terrorize the descendents of their executioners. It was done due to the success of Horror of Dracula(1958).

The opening scene of the execution of Asa is a stunning combination of atmosphere and violent imagery. The Mask of Satan(1960) is based on a short story by Nikolai Gogol. Gogol is a writer that would play together with Edgar Allen Poe as a major influence in Bava's Supernatural tales. Its one of the best horror films of the last fifty years. Asa is resurrected when the blood of a doctor is accidently dropped on her corpse(this is played homage to in Lamberto Bava's Demons 2{1986}). Tim Burton has cited this movie as one of his favorites.

The film was pratically butchered in the states when first released, but has since been released on Home Video in uncut form(longest print in existence). This is an item that many aspiring Horror Filmmakers should watch in order to see how a great horror film should be done. The Mask of Satan(1960) isn't interested in plot and story as much as atmosphere and painting style visuals. Barbara Steele emerges as the first horror queen of the modern era. Barbara Steele has a macabre beauty that bewitches the viewer and gives her presence. Barbara Steele along with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Vincent Price were some of the greatest icons in 1960's-1970's horror films.

Barbara Steele does outstanding work as the witch Asa and her descendent Katia. Mario Bava's direction has the look of a great artist. Bava also contributes to the great cinematography. La Maschera Del Demonio is a well made mixture of the Universal Horror features of the 30's-40's and the violence of Hammer Horror of the 50's-60's. The fact that Mario Bava did this based on the success of Horror of Dracula(1958) must have influenced Terence Fisher to respond by directing Dracula:Prince of Darkness(1965). One theme that is present in The Mask of Satan(1960) is the decay and decline of a once happy and powerful family(more fully explored in Bava's later films of Black Sabbath{1963}, The Whip & the Body{1964}, Lisa and the Devil{1974}, and Shock{1977}).

Whoever said a horror movie can't be beautiful? Thanks to actress Barbara Steele's stunning good looks and director Mario Bava's striking visual sense, that's exactly what BLACK SUNDAY is! The plot deals with a witch and her vampire-like lover who return from the grave to seek revenge on the descendants of those who burned her at the stake over one hundred years before. As is usually the case with Bava, style is way more important than substance, though the plot isn't bad for such a Gothic horror film. Barbara Steele appears in a dual role: a beautiful and pure princess, and the wicked witch who wants to take over her body. Steele is magnificent in both roles, and Bava's direction is as solid as can be. This film is truly a classic of the genre and demands multiple viewings. Horror fans must not miss it!!!!!