In respect to his early 1970’s canon, Baron Blood is one of the more enjoyable ventures in Mario Bava’s canon. Though largely an homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood’s Monster Era, the work nevertheless retains enough integrity, largely due to the director’s trademark storytelling, to be rewarding onto itself. In short, though nothing exceptional in lieu of housing Joseph Cotton, the work is an admirable addition in an already consummate collection of features.
After receiving his Master’s degree in America, Peter von Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) returns to Austria. Just as he attempts to return to his familial roots via a visit to his ancestor’s castle wherein its owner sadistically tortured and killed countless four centuries prior, a strange personage by the name of Alfred Becker (Joseph Cotton) appears and purchases the estate at an auction. He restores the castle to its original form, replete with its torture devises. Did Peter’s impromptu incantation upon stepping foot on his ancestral property bring back Baron Kleist or is the slew of murders being enacted at the hands of the unlikely Becker, who is paraplegic?
Aside from the fact that what we are to assume is the character of the Baron resurrected immediately seeks medical attention upon his return from the grave and Eva Arnold (Elke Sommer) using the feature as a catwalk to show off countless hats and ensembles, the figure of the Baron, who is Phantom of the Opera-esque in appearance as he lurches back to his cathedral-esque castle, almost makes the whole of the feature worth viewing onto itself. However, the capstone to the requisite viewing is Cotton’s performance in that, regardless if we believe him to be the Baron or merely an eerie American, the actor’s malicious nature becomes the central focus of the film. Yet, surprisingly given the seemingly arbitrary, otherwise distancing plot, Bava posits a metaphysical condition which, in its initial presentation, is not remarkable. However, when explored, such becomes admirable due to its consistency atop its philosophical construct and consequence.
The Baron, we learn, gains his power from those whom he has killed. Intriguingly, we come to discover that said relationship is inversely relative for, when his victims begin rising from their premature tombs, the murderer’s power begins to proportionally wane, which is a very clever presentation of the theory of Darwinian competition as based on the biologist’s notions upon Survival of the Fittest. For each elimination, the Baron’s potential for mortal rivalry diminishes for the number of those whom he is competing against is consequently lower. However, as the population begins to increase once again, his power, succinctly, lessens.
If theory by way of celluloid isn’t one’s particular cup of tea, Bava still offers one of his more stylistics works with Baron Blood. In his referencing the cinematographic beauties of Hollywood’s yesteryear, though understandably lesser by comparison, the beauty of palette, framing, and atmosphere will nevertheless, if not evoke fond memories, at least leave one impressed, to say nothing of entertained.
With the aide of veteran actor Joseph Cotton, Baron Blood’s sophomoric plot is easily overlooked for not only does Mario Bava once more issue a trademark challenging, engaging work of horror, but does so, not at the expense of cinema, or even himself or the genre, but instead presents yet another thought-provoking work of art in a manner which is visually strapping. But, then again, how can one argue with someone positing a naïve American who willfully evokes terror via his cultural ignorance?
-Egregious Gurnow
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