La visita del vicio

Fantastic, sublime piocture, concerninmg two mysterious folk of Gypsy origin. The soundtrack which is not credited, is one of the all time best. At first was not sure of the soft focus but as you watch, it kind of seduces you into the powerful, erotic events that unfold. I have only seen the cut version (alas) but please ignore the terrible reviews to this one. Even if you don't like this type of material, the music alone is a haunting masterpiece. The cover poster (pictured), is original/incredible. An uncut, remastered version would be very most welcomed.

There appear to be several versions of this flick about. Within a minute and a half of the bemusingly cinematic opening the title was displayed as 'VICE MAKES A VISIT'. If only. The film is worth a few stars because quite clearly someone attempted to make a movie here and it wasn't necessary to turn it off after a few minutes because it was either home movie standard footage or the actors were like fish out of water. Well, the male lead was awful in every scene, but it must be suspected he was told to be some sort of brooding latino by the director. Anyway the nudity is not worth the watch, and the rest of this contrived nonsense obviously isn't either. However there are two scenes containing very good flamenco guitar playing, and the sulky would-be-rapist idiot riding around naked on a horse is laughably worth a watch. If you're lucky enough to catch the English dubbed version the accents are a real treat. Reviews suggesting the director or anything about this tripe is noteworthy are mysterious, as the film is basically tripe.

I've picked up the DVD because I liked the weird cover. It wasn't quite worth it but it wasn't that bad either. The best thing about this "Spanish Emmanuelle" (that's what the producers expected from director Larraz) is the dream sequence in which a woman is placed inside some model of a horse. Well, you have to see it. It leaves everything to the imagination of the viewer and depending on how sleazy your mind actually is, the scene comes across as very naughty. Otherwise, it's harmless softcore stuff with a rather weak ending.

My rating: 4/10

Here's another sumptuous-looking, highly atmospheric and sensuous fantasy from Spanish art-exploitation director Larraz, who was responsible for Vampyres, the finest of modern vampire movies. The scenes are bathed in soft-focus greens and ochres, emphasising the dreamlike pastoral setting and highlighting the players' striking emerald and almond eyes. The three main characters are gorgeous in unique ways, the Spanish guitar score is a perfect complement to the mood, there is one memorable surrealistic image, and the story is absorbing and quite unpredictable. Only the rather arbitrary ending is a let-down. A perfect example of the heights reached by 70s Euro-fantasy, with psychological and cultural subtexts intensifying the conventions of the erotic and horror genres.

Lorna is a young painter living by herself in the countryside. A couple friend on their way to London leave Triana (a shy black-eyed gypsy girl) with her. Triana has terrible nightmares in which a naked man on a horse pursues her. And these nightmares show to be grounded on reality when the horseman materializes in real life. Triana and Lorna become more and more attached to each other... and the horseman breaks into their lives. Triana feels repulsion for him and Lorna feels curiosity. A fortune teller had told Triana that a horseman would appear in her life and that when she gave in to him, a tragedy would occur. Bizarre love triangle!

The story is stylishly told. Creative cameras show the countryside, the house and the high grasses surrounding it, the dream sequences, the wind moving the clothes on the clothes line, the river, the small animals hopping around, and to crown it all, beautiful erotic scenes. All this is punctuated by a beautiful soundtrack of Spanish guitars.

Classic Spanish pictures of naked women, a flamenco dance that will be a prelude for things to come, a gypsy party.... "La visita del vicio" (The coming of sin), like the countryside and people it portrays, is dreamy, erotic and atmospheric.