The Venus of Ille (1981)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I came upon this by chance on late-night Italian TV; it was shown unannounced following a screening of the director's HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON (1970)! This rarely-seen (and, consequently, legendary) TV production emerges as a more fitting swan-song for Bava than his last disappointing feature film, SHOCK (1977)! As in that title, the female lead is played by Dario Argento muse Daria Nicolodi – who, while no great beauty, is very well-cast here as the lookalike/reincarnation of a Greek goddess/femme fatale. On the other hand, in the role of the narrative's cultured yet bewildered hero appears Lucio Fulci alumnus Marc Porel – who, interestingly, bears an uncanny resemblance to latter-day Hammer Films star Ralph Bates! Similarly, the compactly-told supernatural tale (from Prosper Merimee' and filmed three more times in 1922, 1962 and 1980!) feels like one of Hammer's TV episodes: it was, in fact, part of a horror series (all of them with a period setting) entitled THE DEVIL'S GAMES – though Bava's involvement here, naturally, guarantees a more subtly artistic approach. While somewhat talky and languidly-paced, the meticulousness of its detail and the inclusion of a couple of classic Bava moments (the sudden appearance of the statue's reflection in a window and the eerie, intense climax) makes the film a more than suitable follow-up to the director's earlier gothics – THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963) and KILL, BABY…KILL! (1966).In conclusion, I'd certainly be interested in checking out other episodes in this rather obscure series – not to mention Bava's other made-for-TV effort, the "Polifemo" episode from the mini-series THE ODYSSEY (1968; which was actually broadcast some years back on early Saturday mornings). As for co-director Lamberto (son and former assistant of the Euro-Cult master), I haven't been at all impressed with what little I've caught of his stand-alone work – though, with four more titles from him that I have lined-up, I'll do better to reserve a more objective judgment for a later date...

The big question of the story is wether or not a beautiful bronze discovered while uprooting trees is cursed, or worse, alive. As directed by Mario Bava, with the charming Daria Nicolodi, the movie becomes a study about love and what are you prepared to do for it. The camera turns around Daria and the Bronze like the soft touch of a lover. In that day of computer animated objects and incredible special effects, it is good to see a director who then relied on clever editing and camera movement and sound to make us believe.