Old horror movies are tough ones to call. The things that people seemed to be scared by were simpler back then. You can read about how movies affected audiences in extreme ways, only to see them and unable to see what all of the fuss was about. Sure, there are the gems from back then, in particular the Universal movies of the thirties and forties, and there is quite a lot to appreciate in the influence that such movies gave to the horror genre for decades.
It was not only for American cinema that these films would hold influence, but around the world as well. Other countries would begin getting into the horror genre as well. One country that seemed to resist the horror genre was surprisingly enough Italy. I say surprising because of all the countries in the world, Italy is among one of the top producers of horror films. It all started with one movie in particular, Mario Bava’s Black Sunday aka The Mask of Satan (there has always been something special about titles of the old horror movies).
It was among of the first horror film’s produced in Italy, this was mainly because for the most part Italians rejected the horror genre until the late 50’s when England’s Hammer films were brought in. It being among the first of its kind would automatically do so, but that that it is a masterpiece only adds to that. Mario Bava really does nothing wrong with Black Sunday, for the most part that is, with a budget that was miniscule even by the standards of the day.
The story follows a witch/vampire (the film really does get these two mixed up), who in the first scene is killed for witchcraft and revived two hundred years later and attempts possess the body of her descendent. Its up to her brother and a young doctor to try and stop her and her minion.
Bava uses the most with what he has to work with creating an environmental tension to Black Sunday from the opening scene (the execution of the witch), which still holds up even today. He also frames the scene to give the film a sense of authenticity, as opposed to many of its contemporaries where staged sets were built and little detail added to them.
The visual effects as well are surprisingly detailed and authentic for the time as well, with many of them developed by the director’s father Eugenio Bava, and they all feel very realistic.
From an acting standpoint, the film primarily stars Barbara Steele as the witch and her descendent, and John Richardson as the young doctor/love interest out to stop/save her. It is really difficult to tell whether or not the actors were good or not since most of the film is dubbed over, which is odd given that all of the lines were spoken in English during production. For the most part, everyone does a good job and is very believable both in their action and dialogue, despite the film sometimes venturing into the melodramatic and when it comes to horror, you can’t ask for much more.
Horror movies in general tend to lose their luster over time, this is mostly because of filmmakers always attempting to push the envelope of the medium further and further. Black Sunday though is a film that while perhaps not as frightening as it once was, still carries a great deal of tension throughout it. This is just a testament to what a great film that Mario Bava created so early in the history of Italian horror cinema. The film is a must for enthusiasts of the horror genre, as well as anyone who is interested in seeing the evolution of the genre across the world.
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