Baron Blood (Italian: Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga), 1972.
Directed by Mario Bava
Starring Joseph Cotten, Elke Sommer, Antonio Cantafora, Massimo Girotti and Rada Rassimov.
SYNOPSIS:
Newly graduated Peter travels to Vienna to explore his Austrian heritage. There he visits the castle of an ancestor, the murderous Baron Otto von Kleist. While playfully flirting with a new acquaintance, Peter reads aloud an incantation causing the Baron – and the killing – to return…
Often credited with instigating the modern Italian Giallo movement, especially films belonging to that sub-genre that have a heavy supernatural element, Bava’s best known work (Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, The Evil Eye) hails from the heady gothic horror of the 1960’s. Later work, such as Baron Blood, has often been overlooked.
This is something of a shame, as it contains plenty to recommend it to fans of European Horror, particularly those that are keen to make the connection between the more historical world of the gothique and the later 70’s Italian horror cinema of Dario Argento (Profondo Rosso, Suspiria) et al.
Concentrating on Peter’s (Antonio Cantafora) dreams of adventure and connecting with his cultural and biological heritage, the young graduate is greeted by his academic uncle (Massimo Girotti) at Vienna airport. Invited to stay at the older man’s home, Peter is quickly inspired by the legends surrounding his great-grandfather, the dreaded Baron Otto von Kleist. He manages to get his uncle to gain him access to the Baron’s castle, where plans are underway for renovation and selling on to the highest bidder.
After becoming acquainted with head of design Mayor Dortmund’s (Dieter Tressler) glamorous assistant Eva (Elke Sommer), Peter investigates the castle further. At the dinner table he produces an ancient document which he found at his Grandfather’s house in America. It claims to be able, if read aloud in the castle at midnight, to be able to revive the Baron to life. Despite his uncle’s protestations Peter and Eva do just this with the traditional deadly consequences…
Baron Blood is an enjoyable gothic-romp notable for several points; largely the beautiful capturing of Vienna (the only time the notoriously travel-phobic Bava left his native Italy, as the excellent extras point out), the chilling performance of Joseph Cotton as the castle’s new owner Alfred Becker and a terrifying hallucinatory witchcraft sequence.
Italian horror and Giallo fans will also immediately recognise red-haired Nicoletta Elmi as the Uncle’s young daughter Gretchen from Who Saw Her Die, Le Orme, Profondo Rosso and later, Demons. As a further continuation of the links between the past and the future of Italian supernatural cinema it is another satisfying feature.
Occasionally the narrative does not flow quite as smoothly as it should, which one suspects is a result of some fairly horror style cuts in the editing room. Also, those not used to the 70’s euro horror world might find the dubbing a little unusual at times. Others of course see this as part of the charm…
While unlikely to bring any new European horror fans into the sphere, for those already at home with the full moon and full blood style of scares this is a flawed treat.
Extras: Audio Commentary with Bava biographer and expert Tim Lucas, introduction by author and critic Alan Jones and photo galleries, trailers, radio spots booklet and new artwork on the sleeve.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk is a freelance journalist and film writer.
