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Who am I?
(Be advised: This review contains screen captures that might be considered offensive and unsuitable for minors)
Blessed be the day when the DVD medium became a reality and dawned on all the consumers of the world with an undying love for the wonders of cinema. Not only were they enabled to acquire and watch their favorite movies in an absolutely stunning, immaculate quality that had previously been unimaginable, the rapidly increasing interest for this technical revelation also blew the doors wide open for even the smallest, most obscure films that would otherwise have remained unattainable for – as well as unknown to – a wider audience. One of the people who’s benefited greatly from this evolution is French cult director Jean Rollin, whose films are now finally being given the treatment they deserve; that he has a predilection towards the fantasy genre – and gloomy, derelict castles and naked female vampires in particular – is clearly evident in the majority of his (non-pornographic) track record, though chiefly in the seventies productions. So when I ventured into Rollin territory for the very first time a few years back I naturally had to choose one of his more atypical efforts - from the 80’s, no less - that features neither of the aforementioned characteristics, namely La Nuit des Traquées.
However, this turned out not to be such a bad decision after all, because after just a few minutes time it was already abundantly clear what Rollin was all about as the opening sequence beautifully showcases the one specific trait that’s present in all of his films regardless of the genre: A hypnotic, dreamlike ambience. It’s nighttime, a car comes driving down a pitch black, deserted road and at one turn a frightened, bewildered and obviously disoriented woman dressed in white is caught in the headlights. The driver, Robert (Alain Duclos), immediately stops, exits the vehicle and after getting a hold of the young lady, Elisabeth (gorgeous French porn star Brigitte Lahaie), he soon learns that besides having absolutely no idea of where she’s come from, where she is or where she’s headed, the only thing she knows about herself is her own name; for some unknown reason she’s gradually losing her memory, only fragmented bits and pieces come to mind and to make matters worse she isn’t able to remember anything that happened just a few moments ago either. So since he can’t very well leave the sad and helpless girl alone to her own devises in the middle of nowhere, Robert offers her a ride to his place where she can spend the night. Regrettably, Elisabeth’s completely forgotten that she wasn’t at all alone, and thus her friend, Véronique (fragile and ethereal redhead Dominique Journet, - she simply looks and acts like an angel), who, ironically, isn't far away, is left behind – naked - at the side of the road.
Given the Lahaie/Rollin constellation the blonde bombshell is of course required to disrobe at least once, so consequently some quality love making between Elisabeth and Robert ensues back at his humble apartment, - something which most likely won’t constitute a problem for the majority of the male audiences. Admittedly this plot development doesn’t read so well on paper and at first glance certainly also appears to cater mainly to the flesh hounds, seeing that we’re not that far into the story, - however, the joy of watching the lengthy exposure of Miss Lahaies lush, delicious chest protrusions apart, when seen from the proper perspective the scene’s fairly well justified and does actually make sense as it, after all, represents a central theme of the movie. When practically all recollections have entirely evanesced and sense of time is lost, then the only things of value left to savor - besides the present - is love, tenderness and intimacy, and when they appear you hold on to those moments for as long as you possibly can. Fortunately young Lahaie is a much more skilled and expressive actress than her background in the adult movie industry probably would lead you to believe, and because she so vividly manages to convey the despair and warm affections caused by her hapless characters particular mental disability, the erotic interlude in question emerges as something beautiful and honest rather than gratuitous and hollow.
But the day after the blissful evening the plot thickens. Left alone in the flat poor Elisabeth is approached by a couple of sinister looking individuals, a Dr. Francis (Bernard Papineau) and his female assistant, Solange (porn star Rachel Mhas), who’ve come to collect her; before long we realize that the night before when she was wandering around aimlessly she had just escaped from a clinic in a high-rise building and now she has no other choice but to let herself be escorted back. In this place the patients are kept in confinement, all of them suffer from the same symptoms as Elisabeth, albeit some are more seriously affected than others; reduced motor function is one example, like no longer being able to feed yourself - as with the young woman, Catherine (cute adult actress Catherine Greiner) – or keep your balance, while in some of the more severe cases the mental condition occasionally escalates into erratic behavior, such as sudden outbursts of extreme violence leading to wrongful deaths. Elisabeth doesn’t feel at all well within these surroundings, so when by chance she finds a telephone number – which she of course doesn’t recognize - in her pocket left there by her savior Robert from earlier on, she dials it up, believing it must belong to a friend, - and the guy on the other end of the line most definitely has his heart set on getting back this lovely lady who had suddenly disappeared. But several obstacles must be overcome for this reunion to become a reality, for one the enigmatic Dr. Francis, who apparently has his very own agenda.
I’ve never attempted to conceal the fact that I hold Jean Rollin in high regard and consider him a technically very gifted filmmaker, but if I was given the (ungrateful) task of singling out the one element from his oeuvre which I’d found especially successful, appealing or moving, story wise, it’d have to be his simple, but profoundly evocative portrayal of lonely people who’re struggling to retrieve lost memories from their past in order to find their inner, true identity, - a common denominator in Lèvres de Sang, La Morte Vivante and La Nuit des Traquées. And it’s no coincidence that these films are also three of Rollin’s four most accomplished to date (the expressionistic and delightfully surreal wonder Requiem Pour un Vampire being the fourth); as an exception Rollin manages in each of them to combine his distinguishing and always stunning visuals with a much stronger focus on the central characters of the stories and therefore the final results work not only as sensory (and sensuous) experiences, but also become much more engrossing and personal as well. In that respect due credit must be given to endearing Miss Lahaie who for the most part delivers a really decent, dignified and quietly compelling performance in a fairly demanding role, disproving the ages-old misconception that all porn stars, who’re commonly looked upon with contempt, necessarily must lack an aptitude for acting, - regrettably it seems like prejudices die hard. Sibel Kekilli (arguably much superior to Lahaie) was second to none in the German tour-de-force Gegen die Wand and deservedly won several awards for her role, but she was at the same time also met by many hateful reactions, simply because she was formerly an adult actress. Saddening.
Were you impressed by the picturesque backdrops from Rollin’s previous vampire tales? The settings have most certainly changed for La Nuit des Traquées, but rest assured, the ones here – captured in hypnotic, larger-than-life cinematography - are every bit as stunning and guaranteed to have the exact same effect on its viewers. Rollin has opted for a genuinely bleak, futuristic look as a stark contrast to the love aspect of the movie, as well as to create that sense of powerlessness and alienation which ultimately plays a pivotal part in the story; the exterior, on-location shots of the imposing, ominous and cold high-rise buildings are intimidating to be sure and do indeed conjure up the desired clinical and foreboding atmosphere, and although the interiors are decidedly low-budget and extremely stripped-down they’re also suitable, as they reflect the blankness of the amnesiac patients. To further accentuate the strong sense of remoteness and isolation (both literally and figuratively speaking), oftentimes only one or at least very few individuals are left alone within the carefully constructed widescreen compositions, mercilessly surrounded by large amounts of space, - e.g. the wide and empty hallways, the abandoned railway-yard garage and some of the nightscape scenes are emblematic, arresting and uncanny set pieces that speak for themselves.
The deliberate pacing befits the dreamlike nature of the contents really well, as does the extremely minimalist soundscape (sometimes limited to only the howling wind) which is used to maximum effect, and the plot line is wisely kept puzzling and mysterious for well into the second half of the movie, ensuring that interest is maintained throughout, - it must be pointed out, though, that now and then the dialogue alternates between the stilted and the solemn, and in the final reel the script sports a couple of considerable lapses in logic. While it's hardly enough to upset this fairly liberated reviewer, those who don't take too well to exploitation might also want to take note that Rollin can’t quite resist indulging in a bit of non PG-friendly (but mostly painterly) and frank male and female nudity (e.g. the natatorium and auditorium segments) and moderately graphic gore a couple of times. In any event it doesn't, however, alter the overall impression of La Nuit des Traquées being a slightly flawed, yet intriguingly unusual and mesmerizing hybrid of futuristic thriller and poetic romance, with a recurring theme – an elegiac, infectious and hauntingly beautiful tune enhanced by a breathy, sighing female vocal (making this the perhaps most memorable score of any Rollin film) - adding to the tragic proceedings just the right touch of melancholy, – which, by the way, is another charming and appealing trademark of Rollin. How many he has. 
René Pedersen, January 28th, 2007
Picture: 6/10
Let’s start off on a positive note: The film is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio which is anamorphically enhanced, the colors are really strong a few instances of fluctuation aside, and the same goes for the otherwise natural looking skin tones. Contrasts are well balanced throughout, and except for a couple of passages that are somewhat too dark and smudgy the clarity can’t be faulted and the image retains a genuinely high level of detail for the most part, especially in the frequent close-ups of faces the sharpness is impeccable. A handful of scenes do show some signs of wear and exhibit a fair (although never excessive) amount of print damage in the form of nicks and scratches, some noticeable (but brief) compression artefacts show up in the dark areas during the opening minutes of the film and now and then there are some moments of shimmering present as well, - they are, however, fleeting and virtually negligible.
While the imperfections mentioned thus far are sometimes a bit on the rough side and by no means invisible, I still don’t think they’re anything to get seriously worked up about (at least not by my standards) and ultimately the image presentation would surely have produced a higher final rating had it not been for one very significant and decisive detail. Unlike the four previous and stellar releases from Encore (not counting Le Frisson des Vampires which I haven’t yet checked out and thus can't make a comparison with) this transfer unfortunately suffers from moderately distracting ghosting effects which can clearly be seen when playing back the film in slow-motion or using the ‘step-by-step’ function on your DVD player. Arguably this flaw is less evident during normal playback but still not completely obliterated or sufficiently indistinct, so consequently - and it really pains me to say this - it detracts slightly from the viewing experience. (Curiously, this ghosting artefact is nowhere to be seen on the comprised 49 minute version of the film associated with the Jean Rollin commentary on the extras disc.)
Sound: 6/10
The original French recording is the only available audio option on this release, which is the way it should be. The track is presented in a 2.0 Dolby Digital mono mix and taken into consideration that La Nuit des Traquées is a film where low-level and subtle effects are essential in generating the right kind of eerie and sorrowful mood, this was never going to be a spectacular and rumbling sonic event to seriously tax your home cinema speaker system, - but this isn't saying there's absolutely no way for it to be a pleasant experience all the same, because it is, and although moderate, the dynamic range is actually quite acceptable overall. At no time is there any problem with the dialogue which remains perfectly intelligible, just as the rendition of the restrained musical score sounds fairly clear, albeit a tad on the dark side. There's a constant, but relatively faint hissing in the background and right underneath you can just make out a dark, pulsating humming sound, however, none of these elements ever become the least bit dominant or distracting, in fact, chances are you may not even notice them. Distortion at high-pitched frequencies was never an issue.
Extras: 10/10
Unlike the first four DVD box sets in Encores Rollin series, this Collectors Edition of La Nuit des Traquées – as well as that of the simultaneously released Le Frisson des Vampires – consists of only two discs as opposed to three, thus leaving only one for extras; but this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s less to appreciate so yet again Encore has come through for the expectant cult devotees and compiled another very fine selection of supplementary material as elaborate and entertaining as ever – with a racy added attraction sure to please the hard-boiled, demanding exploitation crowds. More on that later.
The disc certainly kicks off in style with the still lovely, charismatic and exceptionally likeable star of La Nuit des Traquées, Brigitte Lahaie, making a more than welcome appearance in an on-screen interview conducted in October 2006 (in French with optional English subtitles) where she offers a lot of insight into her many collaborations with Jean Rollin. She met him for the very first time when she starred in one of his hardcore films (which I believe to be Vibrations sexuelles (1977), available from Xploited Cinema), and because he liked her captivating screen presence she was asked if she wanted to work as a real actress in some of his regular feature films, with the horror opus Les Raisins de la Mort being the first, - Lahaie doesn’t have such fond recollections about that particular production, though. Like always when working with Rollin she naturally had to undress at one point, which didn’t bother her at all, - otherwise she probably wouldn’t have made a career in the adult film business (making it all the more surprising for me to hear her describe herself as a naturally shy person). No, the fact of the matter was that that particular scene had to take place outdoors and at that time of the year when they were shooting it was freezing cold. But this was nothing compared to the general atmosphere on the set; since Lahaie was in fact a well known adult performer she wasn’t met with respect from her colleagues, who therefore treated her accordingly as kind of an outsider, which affected her deeply and understandably clouded her experience. In turn she explains how much more pleasant it was doing Fascination (which she obviously considers her personal favorite Rollin film), and besides going into detail about acting in and making La Nuit des Traquées, she also speaks with candor when sharing her thoughts on Rollins own unique directorial style. Refined, eloquent and with a disarming sense of humor, Brigitte Lahaie is so inspiring and engaging company that after approximately 17 minutes (the length of this feature) you just want her to keep going … well, at least I do. A real treat.
Next up is another interview (17.38 minutes – in English), this time with Lionell Wallmann, a former racecar driver (back in the 60s) and the executive producer on La Nuit des Traquées (who, by the way, also has a bit part as a deadly male nurse wearing a mask near the end of that film). He tells how he got involved in the moviemaking business in a somewhat untraditional manner; his first assignment was Requiem Pour un Vampire and he originally came on to that production in the capacity of producer (as suggested by a mutual friend of him and Jean Rollin), but since he had practically no money (which in this particular situation does present some sort of a paradox) he became a production manager instead, allowing him, much to his great delight, to engage in a wide variety of duties. Regrettably no information whatsoever about La Nuit des Traquées is revealed during this feature, however, Wallmann does relate some amusing anecdotes on some of the other films he did with Rollin, e.g. on the set of Les Démoniaques – which he actually did produce – he cooked for the crew on a regular basis. In terms of hard, informative facts about the process of shooting a film on a restricted budget within an extremely tight schedule (the working conditions on many of Rollins efforts) this interview doesn’t offer much insight, but Wallmanns pleasant and warm personality makes it worthwhile after all.
In La Nuit des Traquées Alain Plumey (who also goes under the name of Cyril Val) plays a male nurse who derives pleasure from taking advantage of the female patients in the clinic, - it’s a supporting role, but in the next interview (13.47 minutes – in French with English subtitles) he is the center of attention. Given the fact that he is one of the most well known French male porn stars from the 70s and 80s and that this feature actually takes place in his renowned Musée de l’Érotisme, I imagined him being the ‘dirty’ element of this extras disc, occasionally slipping in one or two risqué behind-the-scenes anecdotes about what presumably also went on after hours, - this isn’t so. Instead he tells a bit about his own background, e.g. how he made the transition from initially working as a stage writer and actor to entering the X-rated cinema, the technical limitations connected with the shooting of La Nuit des Traquées as well as how certain ideologies, enthusiasm and sometimes also madness were required in order to make it in (I assume) the adult film industry some thirty years ago, a time of rebellion and anarchy. And at the end we’re treated to Plumeys most prized possession in his extensive collection of erotic art.
Lahaie and director Jean Rollin have teamed up to make an audio commentary for a comprised version of La Nuit des Traquées containing selected scenes from the film, and this feature runs for 63.44 minutes (in French with English subtitles). During this time Lahaie, among other things, talks about her approach to the role, her good rapport with her colleagues on the set and how she believes acting next to some of her more experienced co-stars gained her own performance, while Rollin explains how the different roles were cast (another actress was originally considered for the role of Dominique Journet, but she broke her leg prior to principal shooting, and other parts were played by some of the additional crew), where the actors came from and what has since then happened to them. This commentary track is generally quite informative and interesting, however, towards the end of the film the silent passages become increasingly longer, - and I don’t know how the following technical flaw has come about, but around the 7.00 / 7.30 minute mark the audio unfortunately gets out of sync with the visuals (from what I can gather the comments are approximately 45-60 seconds ahead), making it somewhat difficult to follow whenever Lahaie and Rollin make some scene specific remarks. But if you’re just extra attentive this won’t prove an insurmountable obstacle.
Another audio commentary (conducted in English) is available on the extras disc, this time featuring Jean Rollin sans Lahaie (who in turn is substituted by a moderator), and while it only runs for 49.03 minutes it’s meatier and considerably more compact than the previous. Rollin covers a lot of ground in his account of the production of La Nuit des Traquées, going into detail on how he built the whole story around practically one single image or scene (the same approach he used for Requiem Pour un Vampire and Les Démoniaques) and how he managed to implement in the script some references to current events at the time while also discussing the look of the film as well as the remarkable and strange locations he used. As it should appear from the main review Rollin used many porn stars in different roles for this film, and he explains that the reason he got along with them so well was because they were kind, down-to-earth people who didn’t think to highly of themselves as opposed to numerous acknowledged, regular movie stars; as to the actual performances he’s particularly happy about Lahaie as well as the young Catherine Greiner, and his appraisal is emphasized during Rollins favorite scene where the latter is spoon-fed by Lahaie (a sequence that the sexually obsessed producer found excruciating and wanted to be cut). All of these stories – and many others – are delivered in Rollins usual enthusiastic fashion and this makes for a very rewarding listen … and dear Rollin, the film may not be all what you originally had in mind, but it doesn’t even come close to qualify as your worst.
An amazing image gallery set to music from the film presents an array of pictures from the movie, behind-the-scenes shots and rare production stills, some of which feature the extremely delectable and glamorous porn actress Marilyn Jess (who can be glimpsed in the main feature) while others are of scenes shot merely to please the anxious distributors and the one-track mind producer who demanded a lot of nudity and carnal action. The running time for this feature is 5.16 minutes.
And now on to the saucy stuff as promised at the beginning. For this release Encore has located two deleted and rather explicit scenes of ‘natural content’ (not hardcore, though) and added them here for our guilty viewing pleasure (both presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen); the first one is not so much a deleted scene but rather an extension of the copulation sequence in the sauna (-1-), - the second scene (-1-/-2-), however, is completely new to me and has never been seen in either the official theatrical release or any of the previous legitimate DVD releases. It takes place in the clinic and shows a male nurse (played by Cyril Val) who enters a room and forces himself upon a helpless female patient (stunning, curvaceous blonde Marilyn Jess). Both scenes are played in succession and are presented in two separate clips of varying quality, first in a slightly worn and dark looking but otherwise very watchable version (on the menu listed as ‘deleted xx scene a’) and then in a cleaned up and brighter version with a warmer color scheme (listed as ‘deleted xx scene b’) which brings more naughty details to light. The scenes have a combined running time of approximately 7.06 minutes – although the Marilyn Jess sequence in the ‘scene b’ version runs for a little longer at the end than in the ‘scene a’ version.
But there’s more. For the first time Encore has included an ‘Easter egg’ – and a raunchy one at that: Some hardcore sex scenes (-1-/-2-/-3-) - here edited into one clip - with eye-catching Catherine Greiner (the dark-haired girl who plays the role of Catherine) that were shot and meant to be used as inserts in a pornographic version of La Nuit des Traquées, resulting in an altogether new film (retitled Filles Traquées) naturally intended for the xxx cinemas (maybe I'm imagining things, but I actually think Miss Greiner looks prettier here than in the actual film). This penetrating, in-depth feature (sorry, couldn’t be helped) which runs for 9.25 minutes and is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen can be found on the ‘deleted scenes’ menu page. So from here there’s really nothing more for me to say other than ‘let the juices flow’.
By now Encore standard issue, a lovingly created booklet is included which rounds out and hallmarks this intriguing Collectors Edition. It contains an essay that revolves around the making of La Nuit des Traquées, primarily focusing on Rollins collaboration and personal friendship with many of the people on the set, and although some of the subjects from the two commentary tracks are also touched upon here they’re far more elaborate and fleshed out, - and then there’s the new information (e.g. the anecdote on the bizarre, off-the-wall gym shoot involving an actress working out au naturel – this unused footage could undoubtedly have made a fun extras bonus feature) which is equally meticulous; especially when reading about the ambivalent relationship Rollin had with his editor one begins to realize how painful it often must be to be a director, having so many vivid ideas and then see nearly all of them strike out due to lack of dedication on the part of certain crew members. Invaluable reading, despite this booklet being ‘only’ 32 pages (half the size as those from the first four Encore releases), and as usual it’s richly illustrated with rare B/W and color pictures, many of which are exclusive to these pages and don’t appear in the extras discs image gallery.
Final thoughts:
It’s true, La Nuit des Traquées may have its share of shortcomings in terms of promising ideas that perhaps could have been expanded upon had Jean Rollin had more than just nine or ten days to shoot the film, but if the final result can’t be considered a cerebral accomplishment it most certainly scores on a technical and emotional level, - which in my book truly counts for something. Virtually each scene carries the director’s serene visual signature and combined with some less than immaculate but respectable and suitably restrained performances, this film is certainly a worthwhile and rewarding experience provided you’re into unconventional, brooding and offbeat cinema. While the excellent extras add to the enjoyment of the film, the visual presentation unfortunately isn’t quite on par with Encores supreme first four Rollin releases … but don’t get me wrong, this - yet again attractively packaged - Collectors Edition set is a must-buy regardless.
Thanks to the great team at Encore Filmed Entertainment for making available a copy of the 'La Nuit des Traquées'-set for this review
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