La rose écorchée

The first real film from a director who went on to do a lot of interesting work in the 1970's and 80's before his tragic death by drowning in 1986.

An avowed homage to Eyes Without a Face, the film unquestionably creates its own atmosphere and goes in a very different direction from its more famous model. Mulot's film has great cinematography, an interesting script construction and a very melancholic mood that marks it out from most low budget shockers of the period. Although not a costume piece as such, it is probably closer to the classic Mill of the Stone Women than to Franju's film.

The acting and direction are of a uniformly high standard. Anny Duperey and Philip Lemaire impart real depth to their characterizations and it's great to see Euro legend Howard Vernon once again. The film was sold as a mixture of sex and horror and the sex is provided by a bevy of stunning Euro babes including Valerie Boisgel and Michele Perello who went on to feature in Morgane et ses Nymphes before disappearing into the hinterlands of porn.

Well worth more than a passing look for any fan of classy Euro horror, this one has probably improved with age and repays repeated viewings.