THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

US, 1964, 89 minutes, Colour.
Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher, Patrick Magee.
Directed by Roger Corman.

The Masque of the Red Death is one of the best of Roger Corman's adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe's horror stories. Others include The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, Premature Burial, The Haunted Palace. The star of most of these was Vincent Price, who appears here as Count Prospero.

The film is elegantly presented, very stylised, especially the balletic presentation of the final masque. The film was photographed Nicolas Roeg, who was later to direct many films including Walkabout, Don't Look Now.

The film, set in mediaeval times, is a fable about good and evil, the worship of evil. The film shows the pervasive presence of death. Vincent Price uses his special presence for making Count Prospero credibly evil. Hazel Court is the woman devoted to Satan, Jane Asher the woman devoted to good. There is a strong English supporting cast, including Patric Magee and Nigel Green.

The films were an interesting experiments - trying to find visual equivalents for Poe's exploration of evil and atmosphere's of horror. This film is particularly successful.

1.The series of adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe by Roger Corman? Their contribution to the cinema of the '60s? This film and its place in the series?

2.The use of wide screen? The colour photography? The importance of the costumes and decor, pageantry, the palace? The contrast with the village? The masque itself? The visitation by the death characters? Special effects? The musical score?

3.The title, the red death, the plagues of mediaeval times? Death and blood? The plague in the village, in the palace - the seeking of safety and sanctuary? The masque and revelry? The visit of death? The end and the various "deaths" and their reports? The final quotation from Poe?

4.The stylised nature of the film: the village sequences, the castle, the revelries and rituals, the tests, the fights, the balletic masque, the procession of death at the end?

5.The red death, the presence amongst the villagers? The arrest - Gino and Giovanna's father? Prospero's cruelty to Giovanna? The choice for the death of one of the men? The arrival of the plague?

6.Vincent Price as Prospero: presence and style, speaking manner, personification of evil? His cruelty to Giovanna and Gino and her father? Within the castle, cruelty, the isolation of the castle, making his own community? Juliana and her love for him and her dedication to evil? The visitors and nobles? His friend, the Count, and his cruelty and mockery? The guest trying for sanctuary and his shooting him with the arrow? Juliana's rituals? Giovanna's nightmares? The ordeal with the two men choosing the successive knives and one with the poison? Juliana's betrayal and her death? His telling Giovanna about the falcon and the blinding of the bird and its prey? The masque itself, the dancing of the dwarf girl? The animals? His confrontation with death, his own face as death? His own death? His dedication to evil and his ultimately being betrayed?

7.Giovanna, from the village, Gino and her father? The dilemma about choosing a death? Going to the palace, adorned, Juliana's attention? Prospero's cruelty? Agreeing to save the two men? The escape attempt? The poisoned knives? Gino as hero, the sword fighting, their not dying? The end and a future?

8.Juliana and her love for Prospero, jealousy of Giovanna, her place in the court, the satanic rituals, the betrayal of prospero, her being clawed to death by the eagle?

9.The visiting Count and his cruelty, observing Prospero's games, the dwarf advising him to dress as the ape, getting his revenge, his being set alight and burnt?

10.The dwarf, presence of the court, the dancer? His revenge on the visiting Count? Persuasive in getting him to dress as the ape, setting him alight? The escape?

11.The nobles, urged to behave like animals, their cruelty, the final stylised ballet and the masque, their deaths?

12.The fable of good and evil, rich and poor, cruelty and tenderness, plague and death?