Carmilla

Excellent film that uses the framework of a gothic novel to tell a different and much more ambiguous tale (Who is the monster?).

This is a film much more interested in female intelligence and desire and the crushing of female intelligence and desire than it is in lurid Jess Franco-esque titillation or squelchy Roberto Rodriguez-esque gore.

The ambiguity of whether there is anything supernatural going on or even if there is anything homoerotic going on is pitched very well and brings up other aspects of life such as the propensity for a witch-hunt. Jessica Raine is excellent in her supporting role.

Reminds me of 'Lady Macbeth' in all the best ways. Emily Harris is another director to watch.

I have seen and own the Hammer trilogy that is famous for being one of the first to adapt the story, and I would call them tame by 1980 standards, but yet still interesting to view. I would say the same for this adaption. Being 60, I grew up in the era of plot driven stories that at drama and so do not believe that every movie is non stop action as it has been since 2000. It is not a porn flick either, it is an attempt to understand the author point of view. There are other adaptions from this time period that I have not seen. I found a new Blu Ray and paid less than $30 for it and will add to my library of fine films and movies as well as B movies that I love.

I LOVE vampire movies, i've seen as many as i can get my grubby little hands on, and i really loved this one. This one has a very beautiful ambiguity that i really really love. At lot of these other reviews seemed to hate that, but in this adaptation you don't know of carmilla really a vampire, you just know something isn't right with her, and i loved that. It's still visually very beautifully gothic, but if you want candelabras and fangs on necks this isn't necessarily a traditional vampire flick.

In the original novel, lara doesn't reciprocate carmillas advances but this one is this very strange, romantic love story between the two of them that i think works much better than original antagonist carmilla.

There is a bit of gore in this one, it's mildly graphic, but i think it works really well especially in the context of the whole movie.

So the name Carmilla seems to be loaded. Or the character, but you associate the name with ... well you know what I mean. That being said, I am copletely free of that baggage, so I can't really relate if that is problematic for some. I can say that I liked the movie and the drama it build.

The oppressed, the not being able to express ones feeling(s). And the horror elements of it. Even if there were a few too many dream/nightmare sequences in it for my taste. But that is me - you may feel differently.

Good acting, good cinematography and overall very well made. The "old" setting, the sexual and occasional explicit violence is something you have to be able to dig ... go with the flow sort of. If you can the movie is quite rewarding.

This would have made a beautiful short film, worthy of a higher rating, for acting, cinematography and concept; the actresses are as fetching as the scenery and it's a period piece - what's not to like. stretched too thin, repetitive scenes that drag on forever, and the pretty sand castle collapses as one falls asleep mid-scene. a central tenet of the plot is not well enough executed for suspension of disbelief, even for a die-hard fantasy/sci-fi fanatic like myself, who usually finds escapism preferable to hyper realism and has no patience for the 'suspension of disbelief' crowd. I haven't read the book, but it seems doubtful that this crucial detail wasn't more convincing on the written page, or that so little happened over such a long time. put a gel sleeping ice pack on your eyes, put Enya on in the background, burn some lavender incense and take a nap instead.