Before the year of 1957, much of what audiences knew of horror movies came from Hollywood and the repeated tales of the traditional monsters such as Frankenstein and Dracula. In 1957, Riccardo Freda filmed and Mario Bava sparked the beginning of the Italian Gothic horror age and Freda created I Vampiri with Mario Bava who directed most of the cinematography. The genre of Italian Gothic horror lasted until the 1970’s and was replaced by films that strayed away from the classic cinematography to more images of blood and gore, but left behind Freda, Bava and Antonio Margheriti as masters of legendary Italian gothic horror and the faces behind the death scenes, chilling scenes of female screams and how lighting and shadows are key techniques for …show more content…
Pierre Lantin acts as the main protagonist and hero type character. He is a reporter, but is investigating the disappearances and murders of the women. He represents the good guy stereotype and even when he knows more than the police do, the police doubt him and tell him repeatedly to stay out of the case. This is used to evoke compassion for Pierre from the audience because the audience also knows that Pierre is correct in his allegations. The other main character of the film is Duchess Du Grande who is believed to be an old noblewoman who is ill with an unknown disease. Her clothing always includes a veil and throughout the entire film her veil appears dark except for when she attends the fake funeral of her cousin Professor Du Grande. The Duchess wears a white colored veil in this scene in order to display innocence and purity at a public event. Other people at the funeral comment on how the Duchess “always wears those veils. No one has seen her face in years. She was a beautiful woman who never adjusted to growing old.” This statement provides the reason why the Duchess has the Professor killing young women and providing their blood to her so that she can remain young and beautiful. The veils are her mask to the world and only when she has had her treatment and looks young does she allow the world to see her