I found out about this film after discovering its soundtrack. I am avid fan of Ennio Morricone and I love most of all the crystalline voice of Edda Dell'Orso. So when I stumbled upon the soundtrack, which is not done by Morricone, but features Dell'Orso, I was spellbound. The theme songs, especially Incontro la contessa, are voluptuous, sensual but also melancholic. It evokes a celebration of beauty ,and more importantly of female beauty. It has a very siren-call dreamlike quality to it. It feels remote and somewhat mournful but remains powerful.
Anyway, I listened to the whole soundtrack album over and over. I spent a week listening to it and trying to imagine what kind of movie this was, given the musical tone and the album's artwork. Until I was able to watch the actual movie. Obviously, the power of imagination is always greater than anything real, but I was pleasantly surprised with this film.
The musical score is certainly the best aspect of it, and unfortunately it is at the same time overused and underutilized. It seems that the music is used in a very conservative way and not to emphasise characters or emotional moments. It is just there so there is not an awkward moment of silence.
The acting is not very good. It is not necessary bad, but I feel that they did not really know what they were supposed to do, or how to react. The countess stood out but the males gave performances that were kind of bland and uninspired.
The cinematography and art style was a bit flat as well. Despite being filmed in a real castle and lots of outdoor shots, there is no flair to any of it. The film has the cinematic style of a cheap erotic film, to the point were on a few occasions you think that is what the movie is merging into. Thankfully it never does. At least not in the Italian version as far as I understand.
Yet, despite of this, I believe this film is good. Because it really embraces that dreamlike ethereal quality that is so strong in the music. It is dreamlike yet it explores themes such as desire and conjugality. The movie does not say it out loud, but it is my interpretation that it is actually a hidden Dracula story. Where there is no neck bite and no blood and he does not transform into a bat. Instead, the Count uses sex to get his victims and transforms into a young woman. The movie is an example of (maybe involuntary) minimalism where less is more. And as such it is good. As such it is an astute retelling of the Dracula mythos.
Objectively it is not well made, but subjectively it works. Of course, by the middle of the movie, you get it and the plot does not necessarily surprise you anymore. However, because it is devoid of style and flair it allows to focus on the atmosphere of the film, which is much more interesting and spicy than the images could ever let appear. Also, did I mention the music is dope?
