THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Horror

Director: Roger Corman

Cast: Vincent Price / Hazel Court / Jane Asher

Plot

The demented Prince Prospero kidnaps a peasant girl to his castle and makes her a part of his satanic court just as a plague begins to ravage the countryside.

What I Liked

“The Masque of the Red Death” features Vincent Price in all of his melodramatic, villainous glory.  I hadn’t watched a movie with Price in it in years, but watching this one I can see why he was such an icon of horror in the 50s and 60s.  Sure, he played his roles with extravagant gestures and expression that would probably fit better on a stage setting than before the more intimate motion picture camera, but he nonetheless has an undeniably commanding presence.  His Prince Prospero reminds me a bit of Bela Lugosi’s Count Dracula.  Gentlemanly at times, confidently regal, but absolutely devoid of a soul.  He may be more flamboyant and extroverted than Dracula, but he’s just as dead inside as any vampire.

Prospero oversees a decadent court of sycophants who both revel and cower in a sort of carnival of fear for his enjoyment, complete with dwarves, men who act like monkeys and dogs, garish costumes, and busty ladies all under the direction of low-budget master Roger Corman.  Their debauched beauty is an excellent foil for the honesty and poverty of the peasants in the surrounding countryside,


What stands out about “The Masque of the Red Death” more than anything else is the color.  The reds, blues, greens – even the whites! – are gorgeous and vibrant without being overpowering.  Director Corman uses those colors to accent the emotions and meanings of his scenes.

What I Didn’t Like

One of the things that frustrates about this movie is its inconsistencies.  Sometimes artful and unique, it can also be hokey and cliche.  The filmmakers never even attempt any semblance of authenticity.  The costumes may be vibrantly colorful where needed, but in some cases have the feel of fairy tale or children’s story.  There is also the sense that we’re looking more at 60s color choices and fashions than we are at those of Middle Ages Europe.  The scenes and dialogue involving Prospero’s satanic beliefs sound like they’re torn right out of a comic book of the same era.  They’re just too hokey to be convincing.  So are the fight scenes.  The sword and fist fights are so overly choreographed and unrelated to the plot it’s clear they were thrown in as though they were simply something that needed marked off of a checklist.

Most Memorable Scene

When night falls and all of Prospero’s revelers have gone to sleep, the virginal peasant Francesca twice goes wandering about the castle.  These scenes, fraught with dread and a haunting eeriness, are the most powerful.  They may be well-used conventions, but narrow corridors, tricky shadows, frightening voices, and clever camera work all lend eyefuls of suspense to the most satisfying moments of an entertaining if flawed cult favorite.

My Rating: 3 out of 5