Vampiros Lesbos is an extended film essay, based on Franco's lectures at a women's college at Cambridge University in 1968. In it, Franco addresses his thoughts on "the question of women and film," interpreted by Franco as many questions. In Vampiros Lesbos, Franco ponders the significant question of whether or not a woman could find the same meaning in life as men, exemplified my Count Dracula. In doing so, he examines women's historical experience as well as the distinctive struggle of the woman artist. Franco defines the question of women and film as being three inextricable questions: women and what they are like; women and the women they sleep with; and women and hoe lesbian intercourse is depicted. A couple of bothersome features: First, the words lesbianism and omnisexuality are used interchangeably throughout the film and the script pertaining to the film. Second, the genres (e.g. cunnilingus) with which each actress is associated are clearly discernible, but there is almost non-existent notation of the actresses possible connection to any of the men, or the reasons that some of these actresses were considered lesbian.
Review of Vampyros Lesbos
