Jean Rollin – The Shiver of the Vampires (1971) & Two Orphan Vampires (1997) (Review)

Few directors like Jean Rollin exist in the annuls of film history. A French director who remained almost entirely in obscurity his entire career, despite his work being more readily available he remains perpetually overlooked. Due to the lack of financial success his films achieved; he eventually began directing pornographic films alongside his horror ones. Frequently sharing the same actors, narratives and locations. Rollin’s brand of horror frequently involves labyrinthic gothic castles, unconventional narratives, poetic but near indigestible dialogue and an abundance of dangerous vampiric women commonly in the nude. This sweltering melting pot of obsessions led to his films becoming incredibly divisive; with some people brushing them off as pretentious and confusing, and others finding themselves lost in the mesmerising aesthetics Rollin could craft on meagre budgets.

As a young filmmaker, Rollin was influenced by French surrealists such as André Breton and Georges Bataille, along with American serials and comic books. His career had a stunted start, but his first major films are a Tetralogy of vampire films (vampirism is certainly Rollin’s most associated topic) that all take part in rural France. They see innocent people get caught up in conspiracies and deadly plots involving sinister characters, although the vampires are not always the monsters – like they are traditionally depicted. He would return to vampires periodically throughout his career with his final one being in the early 2000s with Dracula’s Fiancée. Indicator is releasing 4K versions of two of these vampire films: The Shiver of The Vampires, Rollin’s third feature, which sees newlywed couple Antoine and Isle visiting an old family castle to discover a vampiric curse has gripped the residents; and Two Orphan Vampires, a 1997 release that was and Rollin’s first vampire film in nearly twenty years, which follows two vampiric — or so they believe — orphans who are blind by day but can see come nightfall.

Almost thirty years sit between the two films and the difference in aesthetic style is incredibly stark. The Shiver of the Vampires features the vibrant colour palette Rollin became popular for. Luscious reds and blues drench the film’s images which when combined with the gothic images, creates an incredibly dreamlike atmosphere. One that feels almost mesmerising. It also features a woozy and psychedelic rock soundtrack, which sits right on top of the trippy visuals. There is a clear influence in Rollin’s early films coming from American counterculture and hippie aesthetics, from the costume design to the soundtrack, which is omnipresent throughout this film. Two Orphan Vampires is far more stripped back than his earlier work. Its images almost feel drained of colour, except for the mournful blues which flood the screen when the orphan’s vision is restored at night. Sonically the chaotic guitar riffs are replaced with a selection of sombre classic pieces. Whilst the first film remains in a frantic state, Two Orphan Vampires is drenched in melancholia and feels much more haunting.

Despite being wholly abstract, The Shiver of the Vampire has a more conventional narrative than Two Orphan Vampires. Antoine struggles to battle against a dark force — a woman named Isolde who has corrupted Isle’s two cousins who were previously vampire hunters — that wants to inflict his new wife with a vampiric curse. This narrative is not explicitly explained to the audience, but it remains relatively easy to follow if you can tap into its wavelength of absurdity. Rollin’s traditional obfuscation of narrative, replacing it with atmosphere, is persistent across both films, breaking away from any Western horror conventions. Two Orphan Vampires feels even more personal and dense than almost any of Rollin’s previous films. There is little in the sense of traditional narrative, the film mostly consists of the two orphans wandering France to escape the oppressive systems around them. In many ways, it feels like a reflection of memory, friendship, but most importantly identity, as the two orphaned girls roam Paris trying to discover their true selves.

The 4K scans of each film look absolutely stunning, with the crisp detail accentuating Rollin’s meticulous set and costume designs which really breathe life into his films. Both films contain an extensive set of special features ranging from video essays, documentaries and commentaries full of interesting facts about one of the most fascinating directors (ever). The Shiver of the Vampire is a brilliant starting place for anyone interested in Rollin’s work, whereas Two Orphan Vampires is a much more idiosyncratic late-style film that might alienate new fans but will certainly appeal to the dedicated. Both films carry a very distinct flavour of Euro horror. One which constantly toes the line between sleazy exploitation and poetic art film; a harmony that many directors couldn’t dream of achieving. Whilst they might have impenetrable narratives, Rollin’s work offers viewers a chance to immerse themselves in a dreamworld that combines Gothicism and surrealism, which slowly becomes hard to escape from.

Autumn’s Archive: Jean Rollin – The Shiver of the Vampires (1971) & Two Orphan Vampires (1997)