La Mort Pourpre

First of all, just explaining that the title translates into English as The Crimson Death. This is a short fantasy adventure horror film directed by Erwan Ott, written by Ott and Salah Maalem and starring Ott, Kevin Sakac and Guilhem Thiel.

 

The story takes place in France, during the Middle Ages and vampires are everywhere. Thankfully, there are people whose job is to kill these entities and they are known as monster hunters and Seth Gecko (Sakac) is one of them. Seth arrives at an isolated village during a period of heavy snow as there have been a string of murders in that location that are believed to be the acts of vampires. While investigating, Seth encounters an old acquaintance, Alucard Topes (Ott), a vampire who is an Ekon, a superior vampire who has more traits than the average ones, like having the ability to be in the presence of sunlight. The two will collaborate and track down the one responsible for the deaths.

 

This short begins with a bang, with an animated montage consisting of terrific images that depict the history between humans and vampires throughout the centuries, accompanied by voice-over and great music by Morgan De Carvalho. Once that is over, the story begins and what a story it is, set in a medieval Europe where humans and vampires coexist, with vampires utilising their fangs to deadly effect and (unsurprisingly since the plot takes place in the Middle Ages) there is plenty of sword fighting. The screenplay plays out as a sort of murder/mystery type and a manhunt and it is quite intriguing and entertaining. The mise-en-scene is another big plus, with the weaponry, costumes and settings all looking authentic. And, of course, Sakac's contribution to the fight choreography also deserves praise.

 

This is pretty much a buddy film, with Seth and Alucard both serving as main protagonists. Sakac's character is a seasoned vampire killer, like Van Helsing, dedicated to his profession and duties. Ott plays a vampire who has principles, who acts as what is known as a Domovoy, an entity that acts as a guardian and lives off the blood of scoundrels. Thiel portrays Orlock, the bad guy, a vampire who has gone rogue, not being able to control his thirst for blood and takes pleasure in killing.

 

This is a Good vs. Evil tale. A story about courage, friendship, morality and striving to eliminate a deadly threat.

 

Another addition to the vampire genre. This exciting production is an achievement that is worth seeking out.