Trafic, 1971.

Dir. Jacques Tati | Writ. Jacques Tati, Jacques Lagrange & Bert Haanstra | DOP Eduard van der Enden & Marcel Weiss

Daughters of Darkness (Harry Kümel, 1971)

Cast: Delphine Seyrig, John Karlen, Danielle Ouimet, Andrea Rau, Paul Esser, Georges Jamin, Joris Collet, Fons Rademakers. Screenplay: Pierre Drouot, Harry Kümel. Cinematography: Eduard van der Enden. Art direction: Françoise Hardy. Film editing: Denis Bonan, August Verschueren. Music: François de Roubaix. 

Daughters of Darkness is a horror movie loaded with style, featuring Delphine Seyrig in what feels a bit like a camp sendup of her mysterious woman in Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais, 1961). It's about a couple of newlyweds who come under the spell of a woman who claims to be the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, the 17th-century Hungarian serial killer whose story became a staple of vampire lore. Seyrig is a treat as the undead countess, slinking about in a variety of outfits that include a silver-lamé dress which cinematographer Eduard van der Enden films with a star filter to jazz up its dazzle. It's all very creepy and over-the-top, but unfortunately, it also leans heavily on the old trope of queerness as decadence, a too-common feature of films from its era. The husband, Stefan (John Karlen), seems to be the boy toy of a man he calls “Mother,” which causes some tension with Valerie, his new wife (Danielle Ouimet), who keeps insisting that he call his mother to tell her that they're coming for a visit. Stefan turns out to be a bit of a sadist, driving Valerie into the arms of the countess. Karlen seems to have landed the role of Stefan in part because he was already known from another vampire story, the TV series Dark Shadows. Today, he's probably mostly remembered as Harvey, the husband of Tyne Daly's Lacey, on the series Cagney & Lacey. 

Daughters of Darkness (1971)

Trafic (1971)

“The Cyclone 70. A new raincoat... especially made for the sun.”

Director: Jacques Tati

Cinematographers: Eduard van der Enden

- Where do you think you’re going Valerie? - Let me go. You’re hurting me. Will you let me go? - No. Not till you’ve answered me. - I’m going back to Stefan. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? I’ll tell him. - You’ll tell him what? That you understand him now? That you understand his kind of love? - Stefan loves me, whatever you may think. - "Stefan loves me, whatever you may think.” Of course he does. That’s why he dreams of making out of you what every man dreams of making out of every woman. A slave, a thing, an object for pleasure. So you despise me. So I disgust you. Come. I’ll show you what men are really made of. Every man. Yours.

Daughters of Darkness (Les lèvres rouges), Harry Kümel (1971)

Les lèvres rouges (Harry Kümel, 1971).

Blu-ray Review: Daughters of Darkness

The uniquely intoxicating Daughters of Darkness combines the arthouse sensibilities of Nicolas Roeg, the surrealism and eroticism of Jean Rollin, the colorful cinematography of Mario Bava, and the elegant production design of Hammer films. The 1971 English-language Belgian production uses the Elizabeth Báthory mythos as a jumping off point for a risqué yet sophisticated vampire tale.

Newlyweds Stefan (John Karlen, Dark Shadows) and Valerie's (Danielle Ouimet, Valérie) are introduced via a passionate love scene bathed in purple lighting, but their marriage is soon revealed to be off to a rocky start. Stefan is aloof about introducing his new bride to his mother, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg. Their honeymoon brings them to a luxurious seaside hotel in Belgium, where they meet Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory (a magnetic Delphine Seyrig, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) and her secretary, Ilona (Andrea Rau).

Beyond a couple of ancillary characters (whose contributions to the plot often raise more questions than answers), the 100-minute slow-burn explores the relationships between these four characters. Nearly every couple combination between them becomes romantically entangled, with Báthory exploiting their vulnerabilities, but it doesn't come off as fetishized; like every detail of the film, it is elegant and purposeful.

Director Harry Kümel (The Legend of Doom House), who co-wrote the script with Pierre Drouot and Jean Ferry (Quai des Orfèvres), approaches vampirism with ambiguity, furthering the fever dream-like aesthetic he cultivates. The characters are aware of a serial killer that mysteriously leaves victims without a drop of blood left in their bodies on the loose in the area, but the fleeting moments of blood-sucking are photographed stylishly by cinematographer Eduard van der Enden (Trafic).

Daughters of Darkness is coming to 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray combo pack via Blue Underground. It has been newly restored in 4K from the uncut, long-thought-lost original 35mm negative, supervised by Kümel, with Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio. The results are glamorous, with more lush colors and sharper detail than any previous version. The limited edition set includes a CD with the soundtrack composed by François de Roubaix (Le Samouraï), a booklet featuring a new essay on the film by journalist Michael Gingold, reversible artwork, and a lenticular slipcover.

The only new special feature is an audio commentary by Devil’s Advocates: Daughters of Darkness author Kat Ellinger. An expert on the film, Ellinger provides offers an academic perspective and insightful context on the production. Two existing commentaries are also included. The first features Kümel delving into the making of the movie, which he calls his attempt to make a commercial movie with his chic style, per the producers' request. He proudly proclaims it to be the first film to show a male orgasm, and he's blunt about his gripes. The final commentary features Karlen, moderated by journalist David Del Valle. It's a lively chat with many shared laughs, with the exception of the actor’s mentioning of a physical altercation on set.

All of the extras from Blue Underground's previous releases are ported over, the best of which is a 21-minute piece in which Kümel and Drouot return to Hotel Astoria in Brussels, which was used for the interior hotel filming, as well as a brief segment with Kümel at the exterior filming location, Thermae Palace in Ostend. The two still have a fun rapport decades later, and seeing them explore the space while sharing anecdotes is a refreshing change of pace from standard talking-head interviews and then-and-now featurettes.

Ouimet and Rau are each interviewed. Ouimet's topics of conversation include the film's nudity, the hardships of night shoots, and her atypical introduction to Karlen. Rau discusses being directed to act like a spider awaiting its prey and the sexual tension with Seyrig. Other special features include: U.S., French, and international theatrical trailers; four radio spots; the alternate U.S. main title sequence; and an extensive gallery of posters, advertising materials, lobby cards, stills, and more.

Daughters of Darkness is available now on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray and DVD via Blue Underground.

Jacques Tati - Trafic (1971)

Cinematography: Eduard van der Enden, Marcel Weiss

Daughters of Darkness

Director: Harry Kümel

Director of Photography: Eduard van der Enden

Trafic (1971)

“The Cyclone 70. A new raincoat... especially made for the sun.”

Director: Jacques Tati

Cinematographers: Eduard van der Enden & Marcel Weiss