AN ANGEL FOR SATAN
Un Angelo di Satana, 1966
92m 20s
Severin Films
Barbara Steele's last Italian Gothic is one of her best and long the least accessible. As her films often are, it's a rumination on her uncanny beauty, but this time it's a love/hate rumination as well as one that asks us to consider things from her side, as the bearer of that beauty. While it certainly takes the viewer to some horrific extremes of human nature and frailty, it seems less a horror film than a romantic tragedy, streaked not only with tears but with aspects of witchery, folk superstition, and hypnosis. The direction is by Camillo Mastrocinque (TERROR IN THE CRYPT aka CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE) and the storyline - which involves the salvaging and restoration of a life-sized female statue said to be cursed, which coincides with the homecoming of the original model's twin descendant (Steele) - is indebted to Prosper Merimée's 1835 fantasy VENUS D'ILLE, which in 1980 would become the source of Mario Bava's final film, completing the pas de deux they forged in their separate but metaphysically joined careers. Ultimately, the film cops out with a practical explanation of events, which is then given another last-minute, more risible surprise twist, but the best of the film stands out in memory. The cast also includes Anthony Steffans (as the handsome sculptor/restorationist, an archetype that would also appear in Avati's THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINDOWS), the husband-and-wife team of Claudio Gori and Marina Berti, as well as TERROR IN THE CRYPT's Ursula Davis in a touching performance, and the villa exteriors are familiar from Bava's BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. Soundtrack enthusiasts will be drawn immediately to the tender, heart-wrenching score by Francesco de Masi, one of the production's outstanding elements.
Though not an explicit film, AN ANGEL FOR SATAN pivots on the idea of how physical beauty, romantic longing, and sexual hunger can drive a person mad. Steele is once again cast in a divided role, sometimes the innocent heiress Harriet Montebruno, and sometimes seemingly possessed by her narcissistic ancestor Belinda, whose beauty is like an altar others must die upon. While filmed with the utmost taste and gentility, the story encompasses jealousy, narcissism, schizophrenia, sexual obsession and manipulation, sado-masochism, lesbianism, and rape. Steele models a unusually sheer white nightgown in one scene, rubbing her hands repeatedly over her breasts, so this isn't something American International could have picked up for the kiddie trade. The picture's adult nature is surely what prevented it from ever gaining a US release, which has resulted in its relative obscurity. It did have a brief UK release, with an X rating, after which the much-sought English language version then disappeared off the face of the earth... till now.
Severin's handsome Region A Blu-ray release marks its first official home video release in either country and the the first time the English dub has been accessible in more than half a century. This is a major recovery, for which Severin Films is especially to be thanked. It's also a well-done track with a cast of familiar voices (Steele is dubbed by Carolyn de Fonseca), which - for those of us who first experienced Italian Gothics at weekend matinees or TV spook shows - restores the film to its proper niche with a warmly nostalgic charge. The original Italian dub is also included with optional English subtitles.
Though not an explicit film, AN ANGEL FOR SATAN pivots on the idea of how physical beauty, romantic longing, and sexual hunger can drive a person mad. Steele is once again cast in a divided role, sometimes the innocent heiress Harriet Montebruno, and sometimes seemingly possessed by her narcissistic ancestor Belinda, whose beauty is like an altar others must die upon. While filmed with the utmost taste and gentility, the story encompasses jealousy, narcissism, schizophrenia, sexual obsession and manipulation, sado-masochism, lesbianism, and rape. Steele models a unusually sheer white nightgown in one scene, rubbing her hands repeatedly over her breasts, so this isn't something American International could have picked up for the kiddie trade. The picture's adult nature is surely what prevented it from ever gaining a US release, which has resulted in its relative obscurity. It did have a brief UK release, with an X rating, after which the much-sought English language version then disappeared off the face of the earth... till now.
Severin's handsome Region A Blu-ray release marks its first official home video release in either country and the the first time the English dub has been accessible in more than half a century. This is a major recovery, for which Severin Films is especially to be thanked. It's also a well-done track with a cast of familiar voices (Steele is dubbed by Carolyn de Fonseca), which - for those of us who first experienced Italian Gothics at weekend matinees or TV spook shows - restores the film to its proper niche with a warmly nostalgic charge. The original Italian dub is also included with optional English subtitles.
The extras include an amusing audio commentary by Steele, moderated by David Del Valle and David Gregory, which naturally touches on many other subjects besides the movie at hand; a thoughtful and probing commentary by Kat Ellinger; a visit with cast member Vassili Karas, who tells us how he hates horror films; and a 9m short adaptation of VENUS IN FURS starring Steele and directed by noted Surrealist and film historian Ado Kyrou. The latter can be viewed with or without Steele's explanation of how this languid day shoot came about. It's basically formless, an overlong fashion shoot with the star rolling around in furs like so much catnip as passages from Sacher-Masoch are intoned. She calls it "ridiculous" and bemoans that she didn't take the job more seriously - but it's not like she was given anything of substance to do. Nevertheless, as a heretofore elusive bauble of Steeleiana, it is not without value.
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