Oh Vincent Price, you beautiful theatrical beast of a man. How you continue to please and amaze years after your passing. Also, incoming mental crisis as per usual when Edgar Allan Poe is involved.
This entire film is an allegory of the plague and the inevitability of death. It’s about a prince that believes he has made a pact with Satan. Now he and all his mates will be protected from any “red plague” coming his way. Unfortunately, he dooms an entire village in an act of showing off and takes two prisoners. These two prisoners will be his downfall.
What we need to remember is that this is one of the arty farty interpretation of Poe’s works. It’s not really scary, bloody, or shocking in any way, shape, or form. But it does give you some of that good old existential dread that feels oh so good!
These were the three big enjoyments I got out of this. Vincent Price because of Vincent Price. The aesthetic and vibrant colors made it feel like a theater piece of pure delight. Finally, the existential undertones going through it all. No matter what you sacrifice, how hedonistic you live, or how ruthless you are, death will always come to you. What helped bring all of it together was the orchestral score in combination with a great supporting cast. Nobody besides the “dwarf” woman felt like they belonged. Having a kid dubbed over like an adult felt extremely uncanny and threw me off big time.
Any last words before we part? Will death come to me too? Probably it will, at least if I am to follow the existential thread of this movie. I have yet to see a bad performance from Vincent Price and this was another great addition to the roster of movies starring him I’ve seen. Probably the best movie this Spooktober thus far. Enjoy it with some red wine and your wife if you have one. Otherwise, it’s time to start dating.
