The Grapes Of Death — The Grapes Of Death( UHD/ Blu Ray)
French director Jean Rollin is most known for his eerier, erotic and darkly surreal vampire films, such as The Shiver Of Vampires (1971), Lips Of Blood (1975), and Fasciation (1979). Though he did helm a few non-vampiric creations, and one of the most effective/ rewarding of these is The Grapes Of Death. It regards pesticides that are altering the residents of a small rural village- it blends body horror, zombies, folk horror with a keen sense of paranoia and unease throughout, with some moments of brutal gore. Here from Powerhouse, as part of their series of reissues of Rollin’s Back catalogue. Coming as either a UHD or Blu-ray- it features a new 4k scan of the film, a new commentary track, and a selection of new & old extras.
The Grapes Of Death (Les Raisins De La Mort ) was the 20th feature from Rollin. It was released in the year of 1978, being of course directed/ co-written by Mr Rollin. The other co-writers were Jean-Pierre Bouyxou(Hitler's Last Train), and Jean-Pierre Bouyxou (Fernand Pouillon, Le roman d'un architecte).
It opens on a sunny day, as we see a selection of men in loose-fitting masks spraying the crop of wine vines. After finishing, one of the men complains to his boss about having a bad headache, his boss brushes it off, saying they will be getting proper-fitting masks the next day.
We then switch to a train where twentysomething brunette Élisabeth (Marie-Georges Pascal), and her blond girlfriend are heading out into the countryside. Along the way, they stop off at a station, where the worker from earlier gets on the train- he has a large scab on his face, which is dripping- he kills Élisabeth's friend, and tries to do the same to her- she pulls the cord and gets off the train.
As the film unfolds, we move from a misty morning into an autumnal afternoon, sun-drenched rural landscapes, and then into murky/ dank nighttime. Élisabeth meets a series of characters- who may or may not be helpful/ save. These take in a rather stern and just so couple, a blind woman, a blond/ odd/ often uncovering herself woman- played by cult actress Brigitte Lahaie, and two-armed men.
Also, along the way, she encounters a selection of people affected by the pesticides- they have scabby skin, sunken eyes, and act like zombies. Surprisingly for a Rollin film, there is a fair bit of gore- going from a nasty/ sexualized pitch folk attack, a deep throat slitting, and a few decapitations- one of these is followed by a ghoul chowing down on the head's neck.
Throughout the film, Rollin manages to create a feel of tangible dread/ unease- and he does this with each setting. Going from the train, and over fog-bound bridges/run-down farm buildings. Out into the barren rock-strew landscapes, onto a dusk-to -nighttime set village. There is also a great sense of either building tension or shock- when someone isn’t who they seem to be, or a zombie suddenly appears.
The score is excellent, really enhancing the film- it moves between locked & churning electronica, jarring organ hits, and general sparse yet uneasy scoring.
Ms Georges Pascal is good as our lead, as she truly portrays someone in a very unreal/ frightening situation well. The rest of the cast are good too, with the most memorable being Serge Marquand as stern/ creepy farm owner Lucien. And Mirella Rancelot as the seemingly lost blind woman.
It must be a good twenty or so years since I last saw The Grapes Of Death, and I must say it’s even better than I recalled. With a great sense of unease atmosphere throughout, a rewarding/ not predictable story, decent enough acting for a Euro horror film, and gore- really, what more could you ask for?
Moving on to this new release. And we are given a new 4k scan of the film- this truly looks lovely, bringing out both the atmospheric depth of the scenes, as well as the fleshy hues & red tones of the gore. The balance between the dialogue and score is good, with well-defined, easy-to-read English subtitles.
On the new extras side of things, we have a commentary track from Jeremy Richey- who's a Rollin expert and penned the book Sylvia Kristel: From ‘Emmanuelle’ to Chabrol. This is a wonderfully researched and passionate track. He begins by discussing the film's ominous &nightmarish opening credits, with its use of electro scoring/ fading in laboured breathing of one of the crop sprayers. He talks about how this is one of the first French gore films, and the influence it went on to have not only in France, but in Germany, where inspired filmmakers like Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik) and Andreas Schnaas(Violent Shit series). He mentions the sly touches of political commentary throughout the film, and we find out that one of Rollin’s key influences on making the picture was the disaster films of the 70’s. He discusses how Pascal is such a poetic lead, with her acting talents building as the film unfolds/ her fear builds. He talks about the origins of the film, and touches on Causse of Larza- the ragged limestone area of France, it’s filmed in. Later on, he talks about Brigitte Lahaie, her acting ability, and her seemingly fearless spirit to go nude in the often very chilly film temperatures. He points out notable imagery/ moments in the film, and much more. It’s a great commentary track, which I’ll most certainly be returning to again.
Otherwise, on the new side, we have: Experiment in Terroir(35.09). This finds genre expert/ author Stephen Thrower discussing the film, and as we’ve come to expect from him, he does a wonderful, well-researched, informative, and engaging job. He starts off by touching on how Rollin’s previous films stood outside of trends and were poetically outspoken. He talks about the film's use of social commentary and normal working folk, which hadn’t featured in the director's other work. He discusses how the film's scenes of skilful and well-edited for maximum atmospheric impact. He talks about the influence of two of George A. Romero’s films on The Grapes Of Death- 1968’s The Night Of The Living Dead & 1973’s The Crazies. Another great/must-watch featurette from Mr. Thrower. There’s In Vino Veritas (32.00), a French language documentary on the making of The Grapes of Death by Rollin’s personal assistant, Daniel Gouyette, featuring contributions from writer-director Jean Rollin, co-writer Jean-Pierre Bouyxou, actor Brigitte Lahaie, and regular collaborator Natalie Perrey.
On the archive/ newly re-edited side, we have: Jean Rollin Introduces ‘The Grapes of Death’ (2.34). Poetic Visions (23.42): extracts from interviews with Rollin and Lahaie at the ’70s Exploitation/Cult Cinema, TV & Music Convention, Tarrytown, New York, 1999. Jean Rollin in Conversation (49.17) an informal interview with the director at Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival. Bloody Lips and Iron Roses (34.35) German documentary exploring the career and cinematic style of the French horror auteur. Original French and German theatrical trailers. Image galleries: promotional and publicity material, and behind the scenes.
The finished release comes with an eighty-page book, featuring a new essay by Elizabeth Purchell, an extract from the film’s pressbook, an archival introduction by Jean Rollin, an archival interview with Brigitte Lahaie, an archival essay by Paul Hegarty, and full film credits.
The Grapes Of Death stands as not only one of Rollin’s best films, but a euro-horror classic. So, if you’ve been put off in past by the directors' more surreal/ softcore vamp-focused fare, it’s a must-see film, as it shows Rollin as the great horror director he was. Once again, Powerhouse have done a wonderful job with this release- with a lovely 4k scan, and a good selection of most worthy extras.