Wow. This ambitious film directed by Corman has actually stunned me. Watching the trailer beforehand, I was in a way dreading it as it looked cheesy and a bit ridiculous. Thankfully the movie itself was serious, artsy, and genuinely interesting.
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While in the castle it's made clear that Prince Prospero is a an egocentric, cruel man who feels he can cheat death by remaining in the castle and because of his odd pact with - believe it or not, I'm serious - Satan. As cheesy as it sounds, Prospero's bizarre religion plays a big role in the movie. While Poe's short story only hinted (maybe) at religion with the last paragraph, this movie is filled with it. In today's time this would make a movie less enjoyable. In the sixties though, it was a shock appeal that would have worked well to horrify the audience.

His extreme confidence sends out a false sense of trust and security to castle's residents, the same with Poe's story as people blissfully danced around the own hours of their deaths. In the end of the film he even boasts that he has lured them to the false religion with fake promises because he had the power to do so through his surety and suggestion.
There was a particularly disturbing scene where Prince Prospero displays his power by making some of his guests behave like animals, slithering on the floor while everyone laughs around them. Not only this, but he makes them do it AND enjoy their own humiliation, making their following an even lower low.
This bizarre role would have only worked if it were pulled off perfectly, so Corman was genious in again assigning the difficult role to Vincent Price. His sinister presence and quiet charisma captivates the eyes and emotions of the audience easily.

If anything, her willingness to submit herself to darker forces and taint herself to serve a greater good only shows a three-dimensional quality to the character. Instead of being a doey-eyed, cliched innocent that emits melodrama and induces eye-rolls, she stands as a strong, courageous woman to be reckoned with, painted with convincing shades of grey instead of black and white cheapness.

The theme of the film is dark and deep, while the pace is strong and swift, with the ending being a dramatic wrap-up. Atmosphere is heavy and gothic, accompanied by glamorous costumes and poetically powerful speech.

Ignore the tacky trailer, this movie is worth watching if you're a fan of the story, a follower of Price, or a reader of Poe.
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