Les lèvres rouges (1971)

Director:

Harry Kümel

Writers:

Pierre Drouot (scenario) &
Harry Kümel (scenario) ...

Release Date:

3 December 1971 (West Germany)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

An erotic nightmare of vampire lust [DVD]

Plot:

A newlywed couple are passing through a vacation resort. Their paths cross with a mysterious, strikingly beautiful countess and her aide.

Plot Keywords:

Newlywed | Sexual Violence | Male Frontal Nudity | Seduction | Zither

Cast

John Karlen	...	Stefan
Delphine Seyrig	...	Countess Bathory
Danielle Ouimet	...	Valerie
Andrea Rau	...	Ilona Harczy
Paul Esser	...	Hotel clerk
Georges Jamin	...	The Man
Joris Collet	...	Butler
Fons Rademakers	...	Mother

Also Known As:

Blood on the Lips
Blut an den Lippen
Children of the Night (video title)
Daughters of Darkness (USA)
Erzebeth
Le rouge aux Lèvres (Belgium: French title)
The Promise of Red Lips
The Red Lips
The Redness of the Lips

Runtime:

USA:100 min (uncut version) | USA:87 min

Country:

Belgium | France | West Germany

Language:

Dutch | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (2003) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | West Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Company:

Showking Films

Trivia:

The dining room of Palais des Thermes (Ostend) with the coloured glass wall representing the sea with seagulls, where Valerie and Stefan are eating the first evening and where countess Bathory sees them for the first time, still exists but the trinkhall (300 meters from the hotel) with the seduction scene between countess Bathory and Valerie ("little Edelweis") is no longer there. The entrance hall is at Hotel Astoria (with the conversation with Pierre and where countess Bathory is knitting), but the rooms and windows are shot at the Grand Hotel des Thermes. If countess Bathory has been there 40 years ago, this is not probable because the hotel is build only in 1932 and the action takes place in 1970...

Quotes:

Countess Bathory: It is since long that I have crossed the river Ocean!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Daughters of Darkness (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Daughters of Darkness

Succeeds at what Vampyros Lesbos attempted to be.

A contained, haunting tale of vampirism, with ties to the infamous Elizabeth Bathory, this film drips with artistic merit. From the picturesque shots to the red fades to the stinger notes, it's easy to appreciate this production. The delicate, deliberate pace may turn off some viewers but the dream-like atmosphere easily held my attention, not to mention the three beautiful female leads. The bizarre ending (before the epilogue) was unexpected and indeed provided a wonderfully macabre and memorable image. Daughters of Darkness succeeds at what Vampyros Lesbos attempted to be. Just make sure to watch the full version.