Rojo sangre

Rojo Sangre (2004)

*** (out of 4)

Spanish horror film written and acted by the legendary Paul Naschy. In the film, which is semi-autobiographical, Naschy plays a horror legend who finds himself becoming a has been due to how the business is ran these days. He gets a break working in a club where he's paid to perform as various real-life serial killers but one day he starts to take the job too serious and begins to murder off the "new and cool" people of television. This film started out so well, unlike any other Naschy film but the director really blew things in the second half. The second half of the film is incredibly bad but I still enjoyed this for the terrific start. The opening hour is a brutal attack on current fame and current Hollywood, which rings all too true. Seeing the legend Naschy having to beg for work hits home quite strongly and Naschy's performance has never been better. His screenplay for this opening stuff dealing with a forgotten great is also the best he's ever done. The second half of the film really falls apart due to the director trying to be too stylish and there's an incredibly stupid twist in the story that doesn't work at all.

This is the only recent Paul Naschy film I have viewed (the credit sequence resolves itself in a succession of snapshots showing him made-up for his earlier pictures); to a large extent, it seems to have been enthusiastically received by fans and I liked it quite a bit myself (albeit with some reservations I will get to later). We have here an intriguing premise with the star (as always penning the script himself) ideally cast as a has-been thespian in search of work but clearly out-of-touch with the times; in fact, he is reduced to accepting "humiliating" odd-jobs such as doorman (under the guise of many a notorious historical figure) to a stag club owned by one Reficul (try reading that backwards) or directing snuff movies and, in the very opening scene, hilariously claims to get his sexual kicks nowadays by stuffing a rat enclosed in a condom through his rectum! Eventually, Naschy snaps and goes on a killing spree, targeting people from the industry who had either snubbed him or whom he believes forsake art for commerce; in this respect, Reficul's gift of a cane concealing a Japanese rapier inside comes in mighty handy! Unfortunately, the plot during the latter stages becomes increasingly muddled: Naschy finds out about his boss' identity (his transsexual assistant, then, is really Beelzebub!), with the latter explaining to him that with the signed contract he had given away his soul; cornered by the Police, he is shot and presumably killed; cut to a "Murillo" awards ceremony with the winner emerging to be a candidate whose seat is presently vacant…but then he turns up, at first with his back to the camera, and ultimately revealed to be an aged Naschy under a different name (apparently, he survived and has had a career renaissance in the interim – his talents vindicated at long last – thanks to the Devil's doing)! Typical of today's horror cinema, we get a flat-ugly look which does the film no favors at all – not to mention flashy technique (believing this is enough to give the whole a semblance of style but actually rendering it somewhat amateurish!) and copious gore (including a particularly repellent dismemberment). A mixed bag, then, but Naschy's weathered features, sensitive performance and knowing critique of the profession – plus a decent score – are enough to redress the balance and make the ride worthwhile for seasoned genre fans.

Paul Naschy is certainly a big contender for Spain's biggest ever horror star; with a great deal of cult films under his belt, most notably his "Homo Lobo" series. However, since the seventies his fame has dwindled somewhat; but on the evidence of this film, his acting and writing talent certainly hasn't! Rojo Sangre is a strange and wayward film that won't appeal to all tastes; but it's certainly an interesting cult film and the fact that it's a semi-autobiographical film for Paul Naschy makes it all the more interesting. The plot focuses on Pablo Thevenet; a down and out actor with nothing but bad luck. His daughter was murdered and his wife left him, and despite once being a big star; he now can't find any sort of acting work. He gets something of a break when he's offered a job as a 'living statue' at a Stag club, and although he finds the role demeaning; he takes it because the money is good and no other offers are coming his way. His hatred for the modern movie business is overwhelming, however, and it's not long before he begins a murderous tirade against all those that have stopped him from getting work.

The thing I liked most about this film is the way that the plot moves. It's never obvious where the film is going and Naschy's script always allows some surprises. The direction is taken up by Christian Molina, and I'm sure the last name will be familiar to Naschy fans as it's his son! Molina's direction is always assured and he manages several stylish moments. The film is perhaps a little too flashy, but everything in the direction bodes well with the way that the story is presented. The film is bolstered courtesy of an excellent performance by Paul Naschy; perhaps even the best of his career. The fact that the role reflects upon his own career aside, you can't fail but be impressed with Naschy here; he absolutely becomes the central character and you can never doubt him for a second. One of the many subplots of the film features the central character slashing up various people while dressed as historical characters and this provides the film with some of its best moments. The gore is actually quite restrained but it's still nice to see. There's not really a defining point to the film and the ending contains more questions than answers but it does at least bring some closure to the plot. Overall, Rojo Sangre is an excellent swan song for Naschy's career and I'm sure that fans of the great Spanish actor's career will appreciate it.

Pablo Thevenet (Paul Naschy) is a once famous actor now humiliatingly reduced to trying (and failing) to get bit parts in third rate films. That is until he makes a Faustian pack. One actually wonders if Paul Naschy was acting: it all feels like it might have been too close to personal experience. That gives the film a particularly edgy feeling.

Bibi Fernandez has real presence as Beelzebub. It would have been good if she'd had more of a role. Visually the film is let down by the nasty modern aesthetic which makes it feel like a TV movie. Also I think the snuff movie sequence felt a bit off-key and didn't feel fit with the tone of the rest of the film.

One of the great Spanish horror actors, Paul Naschy plays the role of Pablo Thevenet as if it is autobiographical, and it may very well be.

He is washed up as an actor. Current directors want only pretty faces and lots of silicone. He lands a job as a doorman that allows him to use his prodigious talents as he was meant to.

It is obvious that Pablo is entering a deal with the devil, but when the devil's assistant looks as good as Bibiana Fernández (Almodovar's Matador & his La Ley del Deseo), who cares? Apparently Pablo had some unpleasant experiences in life besides his downward fall as an actor and he snaps. This is where the horror begins. He is to spill blood copiously to get revenge.

Christian Molina, in his first directorial project has managed to give us a new view of horror in a very stylized way, almost as good as Argento. I am looking forward to seeing his other films.