Mario Bava’s Black Sunday (aka The Mask of Satan)

Posted by Zac in Movies.

“You mustn’t be afraid of the dead. They sleep very soundly.” Two centuries after being executed for witchcraft, a princess and her prince return from the grave to gain vengeance on the descendants of their accusers. That’s the simple yet effective plot for Mario Bava’s gothic masterpiece, which has influenced countless artists in the film industry. If my description is too bare bones for you, there is an exposition scene 22 minutes into the film that gives a more detailed explanation of the plot. Of course that would require you to actually watch the movie, which you should do anyway.

Black Sunday is the perfect film to watch during the Halloween season, but since that’s already past and you’ll forget by next year, it works just as well on a windy, rainy night. It’s not for those with A.D.D., but if you enjoy a well made horror movie that’s dripping with atmosphere, this is the film for you. Despite the production companies name, this is not a Jolly Film, and I would have loved to see the audience reaction to the scenes with a maggot ridden face and rotting torso in 1960. On the flip side of ugly, Barbara Steele is stunning as usual in her dual role as Princess Asa and her doppelganger Katia.

Earlier I referenced filmmakers who were influence by Black Sunday. The first time I saw this film was on Halloween 10 years ago during A.M.C.’s Monsterfest, which was hosted by Tim Burton that year. A year later Sleepy Hollow hit theaters. Watch both movies back to back and you’ll see just how much Bava’s film influence Burton’s.

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