Perfectly filmed, directed and acted, this Italian movie about dire realities and supernatural hellish metaphors disturbs in different levels and ways. Indeed there are two independent stories with connections that are hard to be found, but some actors portraying roles in both parts. One story happens four centuries after the other, but both are held in the very same place: in Bobbio, Emilia Romagna, particularly in its convent prision. Many films mix two or more stories, but the disturbing thing is that the two parts are radically opposite in their tones. The first part is one of the best movies about witch trials by the Catholic Church. Held in XVIIth century, it is heavy and brutal. The nun accused to be a witch resists continuously several dire tortures, and portrays a self control and sharp eyes that make us think about it: are those fanatics right and she really made a pact with devil or is she only a brave heroine who refuses to bend to oppression? The movie then becomes even more disturbing when it shows a story in present days. It has a burlesque and dark comedy tone, in the musical score, in the colours, in the characters. Then we also know that a man is suspected of being a vampire, and, well... subsequent facts will fastly make us know if it was true. Corruption is supposedly linked to vampirism, what Cuban animated film "Vampires in La Habana" had already made. Specific situations seem to have close similarities to actual events in Italy, which Italians themselves will certainly notice much more easilly than me. Spectator will see impressive events in XVIIth century Bobbio again, before the film ends. There is no chance not to be impacted. It is indeed a remarkable audiovisual experience. As my wife highlighted, the extreme contrast between the two parts happens even in the destines of the "witch" and the "vampire". However, an end that linked everything more clearly and answered my questions would have pleased me much more (although that feeling becomes softened as I think more about the movie).
