Fascination (1979 film)

Lore & Background

In April 1905, a group of fashionable Parisian women drink ox blood at an abattoir to cure anemia, finding it successful. Meanwhile, Marc, a thief, betrays his accomplices after a robbery and flees to an isolated château inhabited by two bisexual chambermaids, Elisabeth and Eva, who await the Marchioness. The women are amused by Marc and assure him they will not turn him in; Eva has sex with him, sparking Elisabeth's jealousy.

Reader's Guide

Fascination is notable for its dreamlike atmosphere and sparse dialogue, which critics have likened to the silent films of Louis Feuillade. The film's third act is often cited as a highlight, and its staging of sexuality is described as befitting French erotica. The film was released theatrically in France on 2 January 1980 and has seen multiple home media releases, including a Blu-ray as part of a five-disc collection by Kino Lorber in 2012.

Did You Know?

• The film's plot involves a secret society of women who, after being prescribed ox blood for anemia, acquire a taste for human blood.
• Eva kills the gang leader with a scythe after he coerces her into sex.
• Elisabeth shoots Eva to prevent her from bringing Marc back to the château.
• The Marchioness tells Elisabeth she looks beautiful with Marc's blood on her lips.

The Château and Its Secret

Set in April 1905, the film opens with a group of fashionable Parisian women visiting an abattoir to drink ox blood as a prescribed remedy for anemia, a practice that proves effective. The narrative then shifts to Marc, a young gang leader who, after a successful heist, double-crosses his four accomplices with plans to flee to London carrying their stolen gold coins. Pursued by the men he betrayed, he stumbles into an isolated countryside château where two chambermaids, Elisabeth and Eva, are waiting for the arrival of a Marchioness and her household staff. The two women, who share a romantic bond, are entertained by Marc's predicament and promise not to alert the authorities. What begins as a tense standoff escalates when the thieves track Marc to the château, triggering a violent confrontation in the stables. The true horror, however, is revealed only at the film's close: Elisabeth and Eva have cultivated a secret society devoted to luring young men to the château and draining their blood, a habit born from their initial ox-blood treatment. Elisabeth, having never felt genuine affection for Marc, shoots him and tastes his blood before returning to the Marchioness, who compliments the crimson on her lips.

Rollin's Dreamlike Cinema

Jean Rollin both wrote and directed Fascination, and the result carries a distinctive visual and narrative sensibility that sets it apart from more conventional horror fare. Steven Jay Schneider, in his 2019 BFI publication 100 European Horror Films, draws a parallel between the film and the silent-era works of Louis Feuillade, noting its restrained approach to dialogue and the lingering, almost hallucinatory atmosphere it creates. The movie, as Schneider puts it, possesses a delirious dreamlike aura that lingers well after the credits roll. Budd Wilkins of Slant Magazine, reviewing the film within a multi-disc collection, observed that the sexual content is presented with a sophistication characteristic of French erotic cinema rather than mere exploitation. Charlie Hobbs of Twitch Film acknowledged that the first half can feel slow to grip the viewer, yet praised the final act as a thing of beauty, suggesting that the film's pacing rewards patience. Together, these observations paint a picture of a deliberately atmospheric, dialogue-sparse work that prioritizes mood, visual composition, and a slow-burn tension over conventional plot mechanics.

Performances and Character Dynamics

The film's ensemble centers on three principal performers: Franca Maï, Brigitte Lahaie, and Jean-Marie Lemaire. Maï and Lahaie portray the two chambermaids, Elisabeth and Eva, who inhabit the remote château and share a romantic and sexual relationship. Their dynamic is central to the story's tension: when Eva offers herself to the fleeing thief Marc, Elisabeth's jealousy ignites a rivalry that ultimately leads to Eva's shooting. Lemaire plays Marc, the young gang leader whose betrayal of his four accomplices sets the entire plot in motion. The Marchioness, whose arrival is anticipated throughout the film, serves as the château's nominal master and the audience to whom Elisabeth reports the night's events. The supporting cast includes the four thieves who pursue Marc and the household servants who participate in the blood-drinking ritual. The interplay between these characters—romantic partners, betrayer and betrayed, host and guest—gives the film its layered interpersonal drama beneath the surface of a straightforward horror premise.

Afterlife on Disc and in Criticism

Fascination received its French theatrical release on 2 January 1980 through the Consortium Européen Cinématographique, and its afterlife has been sustained largely through home-video editions and critical reappraisal. In the United States, Image Entertainment issued a DVD in 1999, followed by Redemption Films' 2008 and 2012 DVD releases, the latter preserving the original aspect ratio and including a trailer and stills gallery. Kino Lorber, which absorbed the Redemption catalogue in 2011, placed the film on Blu-ray in 2012 both as a standalone disc and as part of a five-disc collection alongside La Rose de Fer, La Vampire Nue, Le Frisson des Vampires, and Lèvres de Sang. In 2019, Wicked-Vision Media offered a limited mediabook Blu-ray in Germany featuring three alternate cover designs. Critically, the film earned a spot in the BFI's 100 European Horror Films, and reviewers have consistently highlighted its atmospheric strengths, with Hobbs calling the third act a thing of beauty and Wilkins praising its French-erotic sensibility. These accolades have cemented Fascination as a cult touchstone within European horror.

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