¨Red Lips¨, the second feature by Jesús Franco on his remarkable overall scope of his career and like his debut : "We're 18 Years Old", being starred by two gorgeous girls ; albeit on a less expansive scale , a film that exemplarily condenses what he should emerge time after and again in new and differently conceived forms on various cinematic genres . Dealing with two beautiful young women who play to be vigilantes by handing over criminals to the police , much to the chagrin of Commissioner Fernández (Manolo Morán) . As two girl detectives (Isana Medel, Ana Castor) known as "Labios Rojos" ("Red Lips") outwit both criminals and a botcher police inspector (Manolo Moran). When asked by a sponsor to retrieve a stolen diamond from Radeck (Félix Dafauce) , the two women fall into what seems to be a set-up and are charged with murder . It will be necessary to unfold their treasures of enchantment to exonerate themselves . This Red-lips like a secret organization , it's lush , comical even, being more representative as an amusing and entertaining team than as a superhero band .
Labios rojos(1960) belongs to Franco's early work, which is generally perceived as more accessible and more dignified in its staging , before the huge turning point called "Necronomicon - Dreams Sins" (1968) , which catalyzed the increasing elimination of genetic structures and more traditional modes of pacing in an unprecedented way , there's already a structural alienation formed by the idiosyncratic vertex of exalted images and a tone that Franco would be especially interested in the early 1970s , before his work would begin gradually to become more or less accessible again . The cinematographic settings and the black/white design of the images provide an adequate Noir style thanks to the essential collaboration with the cameramen Emilio Foriscot and Juan Mariné , but above all this typical enviroment , which immediately would transform into an avant-garde artificial and architectural exuberance, the obsession with excessive angles , spatial influences and distortions, which are appreciated in cameraman Rául Artigot to develop in "Miss Death" and other subsequent movies . The creation of a series of peculiar films about the detective duo of the same name , ¨Red Lips¨ , still leaves literally little room for our heroines and their fight against villainous machinations . This detective duo "Rote Lips" to be followed , being known for fans of the genre at least from Franco's "Rote Lips, Sadisterotica" (BRD / Spain 1968) and "Kiss me, Monster" (BRD / Spain 1969) , where they were interpreted by Janine Reynaud and Rosanna Yanni . And other lesser-known adaptations went on . Here in "Red Lips" Ana Castor is the blonde Lola who has a soft penchant for handsome gangsters . She is portrayed less stupid than later Rosanna Yanni in a similar role , in fact the two detectives seem more equal to each other than the Reynaud / Yanni duo . The second member of the group is Isana Medel as Mari in "Red Lips", and in a way her interpretation is very sweet and agreeable. The red-lip duo in "Red Lips" seems more playful than in later films , money seems to play only a very subordinate role , they like to enjoy their actions , especially in the form of Commissioner Fernández, with whom they make repeated anonymous calls and messages ."Red Lips" was professionally filmed, Jess Franco apparently had something to do with leading actress Isana Medel, whom he had met the year before while filming his first movie : "We Are 18 Years Old." However, he was not satisfied with her performance in "Red Lips" and so they parted away after this last collaboration . Medel did not appear in any other Franco film and after that , she perfomed a few movies . She suspected Franco saw her in a more dominant role within the duo, and she couldn't deliver attractiveness enough in the picture . Set widely in ballrooms and jazz bars, including some uneven night scenes that are particularly appealing in Franco style , as well as appearance of a jazz combo.
The last part of the film largely revolves around in and around Pablo's Stardust nightclub , and including some songs by other composers (Franco himself , as well) , adding Antonio García Cano's musical score . The two detectives, Isana Medel/Ana Castor , who, like Jeanne Reynaud / Rosanna Yanni later , are not professional dancers , perform there with a fun musical number that falls into the category of choppy show , while Lina Canalejas singing catching songs . In addition, Franco takes unusual paths with the figure of the a bumbling commissioner well played by the always sympathetic Manolo Morán . The latter is portrayed as a fatherly guy who wants to rescue the likeable detectives from prison and especially in the later stages the Red Lips seem sloppy and are eventually saved by this father figure from the police. Franco would not repeat this peculiar situation in later films , it is not the way Franco usually portrays women from his sui-generis sight point . However , the most typical thing is that the villain is finally judged by the hand of a despised lover , Lina Canalejas . Interesting for Franco fans : in "Red Lips" the names /character types of Radeck, Kalman and Carlo Moroni appear for the first time . You will find them more often in subsequent Franco's films . Due to the financial difficulties already mentioned and the short budget production , it took three years before "Labios Rojos" to be premiered for the first time in Spain , with moderate success , indeed . Regular but efficiently directed by the notoriously hard-working , jazz musician and filmmaker Jesus Franco whose transgression of the limits of good taste for design offbeat extravagances shape the characters of his peculiar work, though in Rip Lips develops an acceptable , passable and traditional direction.
