Visually stunning but maddening, The Church is a definite curio in the later entries of Italian horror. This is a case of the parts being stronger than the whole. But what parts they are....
The fantastic opening with Teutonic Knights slaughtering men women and children is beautiful and horrific, the barbarity of the Christian crusaders particularly emphasized by a focus on a child's decapitated head, lingered on while being kicked around by mighty devil steeds as they go about their holy handiwork. The carcasses are then lugged into a pit and buried, a priest proclaiming the need of God's house to be built upon the spoiled earth to contain some vague connotations of ultimate evil that aren't elaborated on until said evil is let loose by a librarian centuries on to run amok, claiming more annoying 80's characters in standard messy methods. (The crotchety old Monsignor's answer to this anarchy? Why, let the virus run free and cleanse our corrupt planet of ALL sinners- PRAISE HIM!). All of this in wild, wacky camera movements & menacing angles galore.
Originally conceived as the 3rd installment of Bava's brainless but exhilarating Demons series, Michael Soavi brings his nuanced eye to The Church. It s got more style, more atmosphere & more high mindedness than Bava's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink saga. Soavi's background as the son of painter and protégé to master Argento (who also contributed to the screenplay) is obvious in the elaborate compositions and arty flourishes which unfortunately still can't elevate the weak script & lack of focus, other than as a big dig at Catholicism's overflowing closet of skeletons (which is also nice). In this way the film succeeds, hoisting an original clothesline for some neat set-pieces that don't always rely on gore but instead evocative atmosphere; the church's past deeds literally back to haunt future generations. Also, Soavi's more subtle treatment of evil contagion works better than Bava's rampaging, puss spewing plague. Perhaps a *little* more emphasis towards the ick factor would've have been nice though, Soavi could've had his cake and eaten it to (also check out the primo prog band of Italian horror themselves, Goblin, who supply the tunes.)
The fantastic opening with Teutonic Knights slaughtering men women and children is beautiful and horrific, the barbarity of the Christian crusaders particularly emphasized by a focus on a child's decapitated head, lingered on while being kicked around by mighty devil steeds as they go about their holy handiwork. The carcasses are then lugged into a pit and buried, a priest proclaiming the need of God's house to be built upon the spoiled earth to contain some vague connotations of ultimate evil that aren't elaborated on until said evil is let loose by a librarian centuries on to run amok, claiming more annoying 80's characters in standard messy methods. (The crotchety old Monsignor's answer to this anarchy? Why, let the virus run free and cleanse our corrupt planet of ALL sinners- PRAISE HIM!). All of this in wild, wacky camera movements & menacing angles galore.
Originally conceived as the 3rd installment of Bava's brainless but exhilarating Demons series, Michael Soavi brings his nuanced eye to The Church. It s got more style, more atmosphere & more high mindedness than Bava's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink saga. Soavi's background as the son of painter and protégé to master Argento (who also contributed to the screenplay) is obvious in the elaborate compositions and arty flourishes which unfortunately still can't elevate the weak script & lack of focus, other than as a big dig at Catholicism's overflowing closet of skeletons (which is also nice). In this way the film succeeds, hoisting an original clothesline for some neat set-pieces that don't always rely on gore but instead evocative atmosphere; the church's past deeds literally back to haunt future generations. Also, Soavi's more subtle treatment of evil contagion works better than Bava's rampaging, puss spewing plague. Perhaps a *little* more emphasis towards the ick factor would've have been nice though, Soavi could've had his cake and eaten it to (also check out the primo prog band of Italian horror themselves, Goblin, who supply the tunes.)