Blood and Roses (1960) Et mourir de plaisir | Region-Free (DVD) | Directed by Roger Vadim

Title: Blood and Roses (1960)

Alternate Title: Et mourir de plaisir

Genre: Horror, Romance

Plot Synopsis:
A young heiress becomes jealous of her cousin’s engagement to another woman and becomes obsessed with the legend of a vampire ancestor who supposedly murdered the young brides of the man she loved. Her obsession leads her to the tomb of the female vampire, resulting in unexpected consequences.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Roger Vadim
• Writers:
  • Roger Vadim
  • Roger Vailland
• Cast:
  • Mel Ferrer as Leopoldo De Karnstein
  • Elsa Martinelli as Georgia Monteverdi
  • Annette Vadim as Carmilla De Karnstein
  • René-Jean Chauffard as Dr. Verari
  • Alberto Bonucci as Giuseppe

IMDb Link:
Blood and Roses (1960)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Dr. Ethan Lyon – ★★★★★
   “Gorgeous and poetic bisexual horror classic from Roger Vadim, based on the famous ‘Carmilla’ story by J. Sheridan LeFanu. Updated to 1960s Mitteleuropa, the film concerns a love triangle between Carmilla, a wealthy aristocrat, her cousin Leopoldo, and his fiancée Georgia, who also happens to be Carmilla’s best friend. Carmilla’s jealousy and sexual longing for both parties takes on hideous form when she appears to be possessed by the spirit of her ancestor.”
2. Rafael “Parker!!” Jovine – ★★★☆☆
   “To be honest, the technical aspect is quite remarkable. The camera work and editing bring a certain energy and fluidity to the screen that for the most part mesmerized me. The sexual tension and allegories are largely well-executed textually or through symbolism. The performances manage to capture the surreal tone of the film, and especially the expressive Annette Vadim who displays a tremendous amount of sex appeal while managing to interpret the subtle shifts in our protagonist’s unhinged personality.”
3. Beryl Parkey – ★★★★☆
   “We get a very slow, eye-catching, surreal film in Blood and Roses. Many may watch it and think it’s eventless and boring, but that just adds to the strange nature of the film. You’re on the edge of your seat waiting for what happens next, and when it does, it’s shocking. The film is a beautiful piece of art, with stunning visuals and a haunting score.”

Meta Description:
“Blood and Roses” (1960), directed by Roger Vadim, is a French-Italian horror romance film that explores themes of jealousy and obsession, as a young heiress becomes entangled with the legend of a vampire ancestor, leading to eerie and unforeseen consequences.