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VAMPYROS LESBOS (1971)

This film exploring erotic obsession is among the more famous and respected of prolific Spanish director Jess (Jesus) Franco, who is also known for his "bad taste."

Ewa Ströemberg is under the spell of Soledad Miranda

Linda down for the count-ess

Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Ströemberg), works at the American branch of her legal firm in Turkey. One night she sees a strip tease
act at a club (along with her boyfriend, Omar), and becomes transfixed ... the performer resembles the woman she has been seeing in her dreams. Afterwards, she is assigned to take care of the will of a mysterious countess who lives on one of the few Turkish islands left from the Lausanne Treaty... Nadine Carody (Soledad Miranda), who just happens to be the object of Linda's fascination. Linda soon takes care of the countess' will in ways she would have never imagined.

 


 The Turkish components mainly serve as a backdrop. For example, the sunny, Mediterranean settings serve as a reworking of vampire film tradition,  in contrast to the typical foggy Transylvanian-type atmosphere we would normally be offered. Plenty of metaphors are offered, such as a kite and scorpion.

Andrés Monales plays Omar, Linda's Turkish lover in VAMPYROS LESBOS

Linda with her ineffectual Turkish lover

There are only two Turkish characters, one being Linda's boyfriend, Omar (Andrés Monales)... who is far from effective when the time comes to rescue his damsel in distress. He is, basically, totally incompetent as the hero... in the horror film arena, where the boyfriend can generally be relied upon to save the girl. (Actually, it's always refreshing to go against type, but too bad this had to happen in one of the very few Western films where the Turk was presented in the traditional hero's role.)

As a matter of fact, the useless Omar... if anything... serves as a model of psychological abuse (along with the psychiatrist he takes Linda to). Linda ultimately takes control of her own situation, bypassing male "assistance"... even if that means succumbing to the dark side. Whether a clever Freudian notion is at work is anyone's guess... but very likely this is not the sort of film to expect much depth from.

 

The only "horror" in the film is provided by the other Turkish character, Mehmet (played by the director, Jess Franco; the name is spelled as "Memmet" in the credits) ... who offers physical abuse, instead. Mehmet is the bizarre porter at the hotel who happens to be the husband of one of the countess' former victims, now locked up in the same institution Linda will visit... acting as a kind of "Renfield."

The crazed Mehmet's bound victim

Early in the film, Mehmet corners Linda and blabbers: "She went to the woman on the island – when she came back she was crazy!" He means this as a warning, so he's not a completely bad guy. What Mehmet means by "crazy" is that his wife "lost interest in men." Men traditionally react with violence when faced with lesbians in vampire films, and Mehmet does not disappoint; soon the Turk will kidnap and torture female victims to death in the hotel's wine cellar.

VAMPYROS LESBOS doesn't treat its Turkish characters too badly, as far as Turkish characters in Western films go. True, one goes to pieces and can't handle the situation, and the other goes to pieces and tries to carve up pieces... but it is a vampire film, and there is no real anti-Turkish maliciousness at work.

 

 

 

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