Le masque du démon

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.

Be sure and watch the uncut version with the title "The Mask of Satan," not the censored "Black Sunday" copy, to get the full effect of this living dead masterpiece of Italian cinema. More a movie of the undead than a vampire flick, it reminds the horror aficionado of a Val Lewton film from the 1940's, especially "The Leopard Man," not that "The Mask of Satan" is about leopards, but the mood and atmosphere are similar.

The film is about a woman of darkness and her mate who were executed for witchcraft two centuries before the Napoleonic period of European history. The most gruesome feature of the execution involved nailing a mask of Satan to their faces by means of a giant sledgehammer before they were entombed. By accident two hundred years later a doctor and his assistant while journeying through the region by coach on a dark stormy night filled with eerie devilish sounds, the doctor removes the mask from Princess Asa Vajda supposed corpse. Now Princess Vajda and her fiendish companion become free to seek their revenge. Their evil is released on the world and must be stopped.

This is undoubtedly director Mario Bava best film. The marvelous camera work draws the viewer into the maelstrom of darkness and evil through innovative movements and angles. The shadowy settings where the actors are posed in ominous fashion are unforgettable. One obvious inspiration for Bava was the contemporary British Hammer horror film popular in America, especially with the drive-in crowd. The arrival of Katia Vajda with what appear to be the dogs of Hell, standing like a silhouette of damnation, reminds one of a Caspar David Friedrich painting from the German Romantic art movement of the Napoleonic era. One wonders if the director of "The Omen," Richard Donner, patterned his creepy scene in the cemetery with the Rottweilers after this scene in "The Mask of Satan."

This movie remains a must see for horror fans, somewhat of a lost treasure.

BARBARA STEELE became an icon of horror films (the way Christopher Lee did when he played Dracula), when she played the role of a vampire witch princess burned at the stake in the 17th century who returns two hundred years later with a vengeance. Not that the story itself is all that original, but when done as stylishly as it is here, with the perfect B&W atmosphere and chiller mood, it's a winner.

There's no let-up in suspense from the gripping opening scene where the mask of Satan is nailed onto the face of the poor victimized woman, even though the unfolding of the story is rather slow. The graveyard scene of an undead man rising from the earth is masterfully photographed. The mood becomes more and more intense as several key characters emerge as vampires.

As a young doctor who figures importantly in the plot, JOHN RICHARDSON is a rather wooden actor and makes a cardboard hero, but in a film that relies on its effect for brilliant camera-work and Gothic touches, it's not much of a flaw. Barbara Steele's impassive mask-like beauty is suitable in the eerie dual role she plays with wide-eyed conviction.

The moody camera-work captures the spirit of Gothic horror in every shadowy scene. While the story itself is less than inspired, it does fulfill the promise of a good cobweb chiller right up until the rather predictable ending.

Well worth watching for fans of this genre.

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!!!!!