Review: ‘The Shiver of the Vampires’—Jean Rollin’s Psychedelic Vampire Masterpiece


“The Shiver of the Vampires” (directed by Jean Rollin and written by Monique Natan and Jean Rollin) was Rollin’s third film. Having worked with cinematographer Jean-Jacques Renon on his previous films, struggling with ridiculously small budgets, injuries on set and incredible frustration with capturing his vision on film, a blessing came to Rollin when French Film Producer Monique Natan invited him in for a meeting.

Natan had become a fan of Rollin’s work and was captivated by the hippie movement going on in America at the time. When Rollin pitched the idea for his third film, a vampire film infused with elements from the hippie movement and psychedelia, Natan put other projects on hold and diverted the money to fund Rollin’s new film, as well as assisting in writing the film. The result is one of Rollin’s best works, a 95-minute opus bathed in creepy atmosphere and psychedelic colors, all taking place in the perfect setting:  an abandoned castle located in Northern France.

A Nameless Film Full of Frights

Newlyweds Isle and Antoine (Sandra Julien and Jean-Marie Durand) are heading to their honeymoon destination when they decide to divert to a small town to visit Isle’s cousins (Jacques Robiolles and Michel Delahaye). When they get there, they’re told the cousins have died. The two maids of the castle (Marie-Pierre Castel and Kuelan Herce) suggest the couple stay the night there. Isle, grieving and exhausted, agrees to do so; she asks Antoine to leave her alone and give her space for the night, much to his dismay. When Isolde, a vampire queen, visits Isle in the middle of the night and bites her—then Isle’s cousins show up, looking alive and well—Antoine is desperate for answers on what’s truly going on at the castle, even as Isle slowly succumbs to Isolde’s vampiric spell.

Rollin isn’t big on names. My biggest issue with the film is most of the characters in the film are nameless. Isle’s cousins are never given names; in the credits they’re simply referred to as Vampire #1 and Vampire #2. The same goes for the castle’s maids who are also nameless, referred to as Maid #1 and Maid #2. Still, all the characters are interesting in their own ways.

The most stunning character in the film is Isolde, played by the tall and impossibly svelte Dominique. We’re introduced to her when she emerges from the cabinet of a grandfather clock, distorting her lanky shape to exit the clock into Isle’s room. She’s wearing an outfit straight out of Woodstock, with a tie-dye headband and hippie garb from head-to-toe. Isle can’t resist her and who could? Isolde’s by far the best character in the film, but unfortunately Rollin doesn’t know what to do with her, making her mysterious and powerful one moment, vulnerable and pathetic the next. 

Visuals that Drive ‘The Shiver of the Vampires’ Home

Then there are Isle’s cousins, who are a contradiction. Cousin #1 is arrogant and grim but cousin #2 (who looks strangely like comedian Emo Phillips) is bizarre and hilarious. As I watched the film, I wondered at times if the actor didn’t drop some acid before the cameras started rolling. 

The off-kilter characters, as well as the lack of a real plot, enhances the film, making it feel like a feverish nightmare. It’s the kind of sweaty night terrors you’d have when you’re consumed with the flu and doze off binge-watching an old creature feature marathon on TV.

What really drives it home are the visuals, the highlight of any Rollin film. From the opening scene, a silent funeral at dusk shot in stark black and white, to the closing scene, where a lone figure runs in despair along a desolate beach at dawn, bathed in the orange wisps of sunrise, it’s all beautiful. Cinematographer Jean-Jacques Renon outdoes himself here, bathing many scenes in varying shades of red, symbolic of the constant thirst of the film’s vampires. Renon drenches every scene in some shade of color, whether it’s red, frosty grey or vibrant green. So many images from the film are memorable, like an extended shot of the maids wandering through a graveyard in sheer purple garments that make them look like ghosts hovering around the tombstones.

Perfect for a Chilly Halloween Night

The film capitalizes on the free love movement raging at the time, exploring themes of lesbianism as well as the pitfalls of commitment. Antoine, Isle’s new husband, is possessive, ill-tempered and petty. He’s by far the weakest character in the film and the film reinforces the idea that the single life, remaining independent and exploring sexuality with multiple partners, will always be preferable to matrimony and “boring” monogamy.

Though this message should appeal to modern audiences, they may find the film’s pacing too slow, but I enjoyed spending time with it. It’s not loud or flashy; and though there’s lots of blood (it’s a vampire film after all) there’s surprisingly little violence. And that makes it even more shocking when violence does happen, especially at the film’s bombastic climax.

I look forward to visiting that castle again and the menagerie of beasts and bizarre characters inside it. It’s the perfect Rollin film for a chilly Halloween night.

“The Shiver of the Vampires” is available to watch on streaming networks.