A.K.A.: La Maschera
Del Domonio / The Mask of Satan / Revenge of the Vampire
Country: Italy
Genre(s): Horror
Director: Mario
Bava
Cast: Barbara
Steele / John Richardson / Andrea Checchi
Plot
Executed as a witch
in the seventeenth century, the female vampire Asa returns to life two hundred
years later to wreak vengeance on her royal descendants.
What I Liked
“Black Sunday” is in
many ways a triumph of style over substance.
The story itself isn’t particularly creative, the script even less so,
and the acting is mediocre at best. Yet this
movie is regarded today as a landmark of the horror genre. That reputation is in large part due to the talents
of director Mario Bava, who made his official directorial debut on “Black
Sunday” (though he had in fact done some uncredited directorial work on a
couple of films in 1959). Prior to this
project, Bava had made his reputation as a respected cinematographer and it is
eye for visual flair that truly allows “Black Sunday” to triumph over its other
faults. The camera is often floating and
prowling through a scene like an unseen ghost, the movement keeping the viewer’s
eyes entertained while also adding an eeriness to the mood of several
scenes. The movie’s gothic setting may
not be anything original, but the filmmakers overcame a modest budget to bring
a sumptuous darkness to the film, particularly on the exterior landscapes and
forest scenes.
Speaking of
sumptuous, Bava’s accomplishments are nearly overshadowed by strange eroticism
of lead actress Barbara Steele. With her raven hair, cat-like eyes, and curvaceous
physique, the twenty-two-year-old Steele is easily the most memorable aspect of the film. She makes the
most of her first starring role (really dual roles) by turning the relatively
one-dimensional villainous Asa into the focal point of the film’s sex appeal,
even if she less convincing as the vampire’s virginal descendant Katia.
Though traditional in
plot, “Black Sunday” proved influential on the changes to come in the horror
genre. First of all, Steele’s presence
made the film about as sexy as horror got in those days, a dynamic that would
be increasingly explore in the years to come.
Also, the films emphasis on gothic themes harkened back to the classic
Universal pictures of the 1930s and 1940s, such as “Dracula” and “The Wolf Man.” Though hardly new ground, one imagines the film's success at mining these classic elements paved the way for the plethora of B-movies to come over the next decade from filmmakers like Roger Corman (“The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Raven, for
example). Most importantly, the film’s explicit gore led it to become one of
the most censored movies of the era. The
torture devices, shooting blood, and melting faces will seem quaint to the
twenty-first century viewer, but in 1960, were deemed too much for audiences in America to handle; the production company voluntarily cut out its more gruesome scenes. In Britain the film was completely banned for years. In hindsight, “Black Sunday” can
be seen as paving the way for the more violent horror to come in the 1960s and
beyond, for better or worse.
What I Didn’t Like
Despite what I said
above about Bava’s making the most of a modest budget through production
values, there are several moments where a limited budget was clearly a
detriment. Early in the film, a man is
attacked by a giant bat, which we see mostly as a shadow on the wall,
presumably because the filmmaker’s couldn’t afford a convincing effect. As the attack is meant as a gratuitous thrill
and has no bearing on the plot itself, one wonders why the filmmakers chose to
keep the scene in or didn’t chose to go with a different, more affordable
scare.
Most disappointing of
course are the limitations of the story and script, also mentioned above. There is really nothing about the plot or
dialogue that is the least bit compelling.
Without Bava and Steele as participants, “Black Sunday” would have been
forgotten years ago.
Most Memorable Scene
The film’s
notoriously graphic opening scene, where Asa is condemned to death by her
brother back in the 1600s is without a doubt the most infamous moment of the film. Not just the film’s director, but the
screenwriter as well, Bava mixes shock value, real suspense, and a little bit
of sexualized torture into an opening that doubtless sent some of the more
sensitive filmgoers of the 1960s running for the doors.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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