JEAN ROLLIN
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BB.
Original title: La Rose de Fer
France, 1973. Les Films ABC. Scenario by Jean Rollin, dialogue by Maurice Lemaitre, poetry by Tristan Corbiere. Cinematography by Jean-Jacques Renon. Produced by Sam Selsky. Music by Pierre Raph. Film Editing by Michel Patient.
Minor thriller that provides plenty of atmosphere and little else, as a couple meet at a party where he recites poetry that turns her on. Meeting up in the woods near the chateau where the soiree took place, the couple wanders towards a cemetery and, after entering it, the two are there until nightfall when they get lost. There’s an otherworldly presence to the graveyard that overcomes them both, creating an angered man and a possessed woman as the civilized shells they once presented to each other are removed and only primal instincts are left behind. Sounds like a fun time and the photography is superb, dark, inky images punctuated by colourful clothing and lively performers, but the experience is incredibly boring and a chore to endure.
