Two Orphan Vampires

Gothic vamp film with a flair for the visual
This movie is quite different from the usual Jean Rollin film. There is practically no nudity or blood or softcore eroticism. It is tamer however it is visually more impressive than most of his other works. So those who prefer to watch Rollin films for purpose of atmosphere, elaborate sets and artistic value might find this to be one of his better efforts.

Two blind young women enter "Les Glycines", a religious orphanage in rural France. Apparently, the two lost their sight at a very early age and for no apparent reason. Assigned to the case is Dr. Dennary, an expert eye specialist who seeks to unravel some of the reasons for their condition. Little do the doctor and the nuns in the orphanage know that at night, the two girls can see just fine. At night is when the two girls turn into vampires and sneak out of their bedroom window to scour the orphanage's external surroundings for human blood. After a while, Dr. Dennary and the two orphans will relocate to Paris in an...

"Our chaos is mad poetry"
In many respects "Two Orphan Vampires" epitomizes the films of Jean Rollin. Its subject matter is Rollin's favorite: murderous but strangely vulnerable vampires. His protagonists are (as usual) two girls--possibly lesbian, certainly vampiric. Furthermore, the film's overall atmosphere, a disquieting blend of elegy and fairy tale, is typical of Rollin's work. Nevertheless, "Two Orphan Vampires" stands out as the great director's finest masterpiece--a poetic gem whose underlying theme is nothing less than the Imagination itself.

Though the film's predacious central characters, Henriette and Louise, are raised in a Catholic orphanage, thence removed to the Parisian mansion of their adoptive father--their actual home is within their own minds. Typically adolescent, the two girls share a secret fantasy world based largely on all the forbidden literature they can borrow or pilfer--fantastic picture books, penny dreadfuls, horrific chapbooks, etc. Absolutely Romantic, they...

a dreamlike fairy tale
This isn't just another horror movie. This film caught me in it's spell of strangeness and beauty. I can't really explain it.
It's childlike, dreamlike, and beautiful. You'll have to watch it for yourself to see what I mean. Best when watched with subtitles. I really loved this film.

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