La fiancee de Dracula (2002)

Directed by: Jean Rollin | 90 minutes | horror | Actors: Jacques Orth, Thomas Smith, Sandrine Thoquet, Magalie Madison, Céline Mauge, Marie-Laurence, Danièle Servais-Orth, Denis Tallaron, Sabine Lenoël, Céline Clémentel, Mira Petri, Marianna Palmieri, Bernard Musson, Natalie Perrey, Catherine Castel, Dominique Treillou, Frédéric Legrand, Brigitte Lahaie, Thomas Desfossé

After several years of silence – not unusual in his career – Jean Rollin again ventured into one of his famous films about vampire girls in 2002. Had he shown with ‘Two Orphin Vampires’ (1997) that he is still able to innovate in his own created genre, with ‘La Fiancée de Dracula’ Rollin shows that he is not afraid to return to his old style. ‘La Fiancée’ is a Rollin movie in every way. From the atmospheric locations to the naked ladies and from the dreamy atmosphere to the sometimes incomprehensible story structure, everything is reminiscent of the work that Rollin made in the 1970s.

Rollin does seem to have used literature as a starting point here too (‘Two Orphin Vampires’ was based on a book by himself). Loosely using Bram Stoker’s legendary work, the story of Dracula’s bride is told here. She is wanted by a professor and his assistant, who think they can find Dracula themselves by following her to the count’s resting place. On their journey they encounter many mysterious creatures, of which it is never quite clear whether they are really inhuman or whether they just suffer from a mental illness. Although a denouement follows, the majority of the film is mainly taken up by the journey itself. The characters wander past Gothic castles, underground dungeons and dark beaches, almost as if the locations are characters unto themselves. There is indeed a line in the story, but it is not very special. The revelations in the plot mainly serve to take the characters from location to location.

This approach fits in completely with Rollin’s surrealistic atmosphere, who often had more eye for atmosphere than for themes. Here too, however, it shows once again what a master Rollin was in creating a dreamy ambiance, because although the effects of the film are also reminiscent of the 1970s (obviously think fake blood), the film never becomes unbelievable. Anyone willing to immerse themselves in Rollin’s abstract logic will not stumble over it in any case and can look forward to a wonderful one and a half hours of macabre daydreaming.

Therein lies the main criticism of this film, however. ‘Two Orphin Vampires’ managed to convince the viewer of a dreamy atmosphere and therefore got away with its own logic. However, ‘La Fiancée’ requires a certain willingness from the viewer to be convinced. The film is especially suitable for those who have already converted to Rollin’s style. They will be able to enjoy the eternal beaches on which the film was shot, the sometimes poetic texts in the dialogues and the clear retro look of the film. Others will likely be turned off by the amateurish look the film initially appears to have and will find little content in the film. It must have made little difference to Rollin. After all, he once again got the chance to capture his vampire girls on film.