Erik the Conqueror [dir. Mario Bava]

I haven't seen The Vikings (Richard Fleischer) which is supposed to have been a HUGE inspiration for Mario Bava's Viking movie Erik the Conqueror aka Gli Invasori (The Invaders). I don't think Bava was too interested in an authentic representation of Viking culture, substituting fjords and rivers with some clearly studio-made exotic subterranean cave with a huge fake tree in it. There are also dances from slinky women clad in diaphanous outfits that would see them shivering in actual Viking climes. The scenes of people sailing in longboats are clearly done on a studio set without any water (I think they just move the camera on a dolly to give the illusion of motion).

The plot is about two brothers, sons of a Viking king killed in battle with the English by betrayal. They are separated as children - Erik (Giorgio Ardisson) is found by the English queen and brought up as her own son, while Eron (Cameron Mitchell) is raised by his uncle and poised to become the next Viking-king. These 2 also happen to fall in love with twin sisters, who are vestal virgins (in Viking culture?) and do the dancing in diaphanous outfits. There's a convoluted plot which involves an evil British regent who actually engineered the death of the brothers' dad and is continuously scheming to gain control of the British throne, even if it means handing over the castle keys to the Viking invaders.

This is a melodramatic adventure movie, in which a fair amount of the script feels like it was being made up or shuffled around on a daily basis. More than the brothers or their lady loves, it is François Cristophe as the British Queen and Andrea Checci as the scheming regent who make an impact. Erik the Conqueror is not one of Bava's more distinctive directorial features, but it has its moments. The action scenes, given that this would have not got even a tenth of a Hollywood studio film's budget are fairly well done, with multiple planes of fighting (although there are some obvious repeated shots of people being felled). I'm sure Bava biographer Tim Lucas' commentary, which is included on the Arrow blu-ray I watched it on, will give some revealing insights into how specific scenes were filmed and how Bava used his VFX expertise to conceive and execute scenes well above the production's meager means.

The Whip and The Body [dir. Mario Bava]

Mario Bava was a master of the Gothic horror and The Whip and The Body is another fine entry in that line along with Black Sunday, Kill Baby Kill and Lisa & The Devil.

At Castle Menliff, an aging count lives with his son Christian and daughter-in-law Nevenka, and household servants, old maid Giorgia and her daughter Tania. Into this calm if sombre household bursts in the count's immoral and sadistic elder son Kurt (Christopher Lee), who had walked out of the house some while ago after having seduced and abandoned Giorgia's other daughter, who eventually committed suicide with a dagger that Giorgia keeps as a souvenir of Kurt's cruelty.

The count reluctantly allows Kurt back into the house, a move that stirs up a hornets' nest of emotion, including Nevenka who seems to have had a torrid masochistic affair with Kurt and married his brother as a compromise after Kurt deserted the family. Christian resents his brother's presence (as well as his claim on the inheritance), Tania has a soft corner for Christian and Giorgia hates Kurt for what he did to her daughter. This is a tightly-wound whirlwind of tension and melodrama that eventually leads to a murder...then another...and another.

The mystery as such is predictable, but the film has amazing atmosphere, and Dahlia Lavi's performance as the violence-aroused Nevenka is a strong one. Bava, with talented cameraman Ubaldo Terzano, paints a rich and beautiful canvas with hues that have to be seen to be appreciated. The film gives off the strong impression of walking in a dream, with its lush otherworldly colors, crushing deep shadows and intensely romantic score (Carlo Rustichelli). Some scenes bring to mind the moody beauty of Edward Steichen's Pond-Moonlight. If you have seen and liked any of the Bava films I mentioned earlier, you need to see this one too.

Kino's blu-ray gives a fine presentation of the film. The print is not restored to the extent Arrow or Criterion would have tried for, but on the other hand, it is not improperly manipulated, looking richly filmic. Like many Italian productions intended for international distribution, all the dialog and sound effects have been added in post-production. The actors mouth their lines in English, but Christopher Lee's voice was not used even in that version, which is disappointing (although to be fair, his English voice artist does a decent job). Kino provides 3 lossless mono (2.0) tracks for the various dubs - Italian, English and French (and English subtitles). The main extra is an interesting commentary track by Bava biographer Tim Lucas.