I want to clarify upfront that this is a review for the Western (US/UK) version of this Argentinean film and may not correspond to the original Sangre Vurdalak. This film is indeed classified under the Spanish language category—at least that is what the online database says. The version I’ve viewed is I believe is now partially dubbed and provided with a new soundtrack, which raises concerns for the release.
Let us start with the more important issue, which is the movie is an adaptation of Tolstoy’s The Family of the Vourdalak, which, like the author’s other works, is a treat to read. The most popular adaptation was done by Mario Bava for his film Black Sabbath, which was released in something like 5 different fun-sized segments. Black Sabbath is the most broadly publicized version of The Family of the Vourdalak! Thanks go to Mario Bava for doing the adaptation justice. The film’s plots appear to be quite accurate, disregarding some details considering the movie taking place in Argentina and the modern time.
The movie begins with a car montage and a goth theme tune which concerns me the most. I have a fascination with goth music as well. Actually, the soundtrack CD that comes with the US Blu-ray is a fantastic compilation. Nevertheless, I have a feeling this may not be the original score for the movie, since the distributor Cleopatra, who is known for Gothic music, is probably responsible for the distribution. They have, I believe, made use of the soundtrack from their artist lineup and as understandable as that may be from a business perspective, it is irritating. Rather, the opening scene’s goth rock and darkwave theme greatly distracts from the intended direction and photography. To say it concisely, it is, rather, jarring.
The vehicle arrives at a building, and the couple in the vehicle, Natalia (Alfonsina Carrocio) and Alexis (Tomás Carullo Lizzio), walks into the place of Alexis’ parent’s home. Their presence raises suspicions; how did they acquire the vehicle, are they going to face consequences from Natalia’s side of the family? They are calmly informed that they cannot just drop by like that, and do not seem to be having food, and Natalia adds on how indeed they can respond to the multiple questions – and that’s the last scene from the film, with the film itself being the prologue and epilogue to this part of the story.
Both Natalia and Alexis have poor English dubs. His father and mother have hard-subtitled voices. This continues into the movie where Natalia’s father Aguirre (Germán Palacios) is still in Spanish but this time is deliberately made to speak in soft tone. I don’t get it. Alright, over-dubbing is seldom superb and is often jarring, but almost always, once in the mode of watching a movie like that, there is a some tolerance as you view. But to partial dub a movie and in the same scenes, have some of it in the original language and some of it have been dubbed is simply jarring – there is no other way to put it. It is also absurd – if you are going to pay for voice-over actors then pay for all of it, if you’re paying for subtitling, then subtitle it all. Leave it up to the viewer to choose. But this was just terrible.
In Aguirre’s case, he has a country vet practice that runs only in the day, and a home shared with Natalia, his son Miguel who is played by Lautaro Bettoni, his supposed girlfriend Eva Naiara Awada, and her ailing daughter Malena Carmela Merediz. He is very controlling and does not allow them to go out when it is dark and does not let even Natalia socialize. When he finds out that she went to meet Alexis he gets furious and locks her in her room exactly that way also. So, that night, she escapes from her room using bedsheets.
She arrives at a cantina in a nearby town working at, but Alexis doesn’t seem too happy to see her and so she walks away. One of the men ,in the cantina named Mesojedec, follows her in his car and offers her a lift claiming he is a distant relative of her father. She finds it hard to believe as she has been told that they do not have a family, however she decides to go along with him because he provides the information that only a family member would know. While in the car, he is taking her home, but stops suddenly and appears to lose consciousness against the steering wheel. After a moment, he lifts his head revealing a face that looks like it has been ravaged by plague. So while she is very confused by what has just happened, she is thankful to Alexis for saving her. However, it seems that Mesojedec actually allows her to escape.
At home Aguirre details that the family fled from Slovakia to settle in Argentina during the 19th century, if the photos are anything to go by, to escape the vurdulak. These bloodcrazed fiends were drawn to prey on their families and loved ones. Natalia identifies Mesojedec in the photographs. Aguirre mentions he will look for him, but gulps down saying that vurdulaks are crafty hunters and if he does not come home before sunset, well…he had better be dead. He indeed comes home before dawn, which is lucky because Miguel turned on Alexis and locked him outside. Natalia was also sitting outside when he came home. Just to be safe.
This was somewhat tricky. The children eagerly accept the narrative of the vurdulak (sure, Natalia did witness one, but Eva and Miguel had not). However, they don’t put a bullet into him, as per orders, and let him in a few minutes before dawn. The problem here is incorporating the sunlight myth. In the original version the father has instructions not to let the child return after a certain time and he turns up precisely at that hour (which is what creates the confusion). Here, they should have either just shot him as they had been told or stopped him from coming in. Their cooperation makes no sense (especially in the context of their unfounded and growing suspicions).
Leaving aside that logical defect, one could see how this would be atmospheric enough, if the soundtrack wasn’t totally wrong, and it built at least some tension (not is he a vurdulak but when will he show himself). Still, the film had already taped the epilogue, and sadly, the dubbing/subtitle mixed economy was not just annoying but also has obstructed suspension of imagination – which purchasing their actions did. In essence, I do want to watch a subtitled version of this, without any dubbing and, to my hopes, correct soundtrack. But Tolstoy is the tremendous talent, that canvas to the story outside of sunlight engrossed him completely and now I am confused. 5 out of 10.
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