LIGEIA (THE TOMB)

US, 2009, 89 minutes. Colour.
Wes Bentley, Kaitlin Doubleday, Sofya Skya, Cary- Hiroyuky Tagawa, Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts.
Directed by Michael Staininger.

Ligeia has very little to commend it. It was directed by first-time director Michael Staininger who has an eye for atmosphere but not for characterisation and plot development. The screenplay, by John Shirley, is often fatuous. It is allegedly based on the short story, Ligeia, by Edgar Allen Poe (filmed by Roger Corman as The Tomb of Ligeia in the 1960s).

Wes Bentley portrays a literature professor who is engaged to Kaitlin Doubleday. Michael Madsen appears as her father in a very poor performance, not seemingly connected with the drama itself. The professor is followed by Ligeia, Sofya Skya, who has died and whose spirit was collected in Russia and is transferred into other bodies. She wants to take possession of the professor, treating him with absinthe (in the vein of Edgar Allen Poe) and persuading him to buy her estate in Russia. He and his fiancée go to Russia, seemingly reconciled after his behaviour with Ligeia. Eric Roberts appears as the caretaker of the estate. He has a strange niece, Loreli.

While there is a lot of atmosphere in Russia, a use of locations in the Ukraine as well as buildings, the drama becomes confused as Ligeia takes possession of Rowena’s body. Ligeia is unscrupulous, murders the caretaker, wants to take possession of the niece.

The professor comes to his senses after being beguiled by Ligeia. He realises that his fiancée’s personality has been taken over by Ligeia – and together they are able to destroy her by deceit with potions. However, as expected, she is seen taking over the body of Loreli.

The film was intended as a stylish treatment of Poe, updated. While at times it is visually striking, it is poorly performed and poorly written – scarcely worth audience attention.