Leonor, Mistress Of The Devil

Till Death do us part?

Leonor is a 1975 art romance horror film directed by Juan Luis Buñuel. The film premiered two years later outside of Europe and was also known as Mistress Of The Devil. This medieval tale revolving around a Satanic pact that results in resurrection and a spate of vampire killings was considered too atypical for either sensibility and consequently fell through the cracks over the years; then again, such disparaging remarks by popular critics as Leonard Maltin – who labeled it "idiotic", even awarding the film his dreaded (but undeserved) BOMB rating – has not helped the chances for a proper reappraisal much! Indeed, most seemed to be of the same opinion as it prematurely terminated the director's career in mainstream cinema – he would go on to make just one more feature-length film in 1986, an obscure Western entitled THE REBELLION OF THE HANGED – and was restricted to work exclusively in TV thereafter!

Now, reviews from this movie are only based on prejudice and preconceived cliches of what a horror film should look like. Believe you me, this movie has horror within but,  explained in a non-graphic scheme that requires bone heads to pay close attention.

Though the film is a Spanish/Italian/French co-production, the copy I watched featured audio in English, Spanish & Italian.The only problem being, that in both English and Spanish there were several missing portions of dubbing that forced you to listen to the original Italian track missing some important dialogue. Of course, if you speak Italian that won't be an issue for you. 

Leonor has a thing for kids.

Catherine.

The presence of Michel Piccoli(Richard, the main character) and Liv Ullman(Leonor) drew obvious parallels with the works of Bunuel's own more renowned father and Ingmar Bergman respectively; the obsessive love lasting beyond the grave shared by the protagonists and the general sense of godlessness on display was clearly up the Spanish Surrealist's alley, while the character-driven downbeat nature of the whole is akin to the austere Swede's chamber dramas.

Ornella Muti co-stars as Piccoli's young and lovely second wife Catherine who, failing to replace his affection for the late Leonor, will take the worst part in the film. 

Leonor, despite the movie title, is more about Lord Richard, a powerful hero who lives in a big castle and owns wide lands while holding big reputation amongst those around him. Unfortunately, no hero could fight the black death during the middle ages so, his lovely wife Leonor succumbs to it very quickly. On the same day his wife is buried, he immediately goes after Catherine (Muti) for a marriage proposal, and since he's respected in town, She & her family instantly agree. Ten years go by, and they have two young kids and a peaceful and happy life. 

Things change when Richard starts seeing her late wife everywhere he goes. The visions become clearer than daydreaming so he decides to search for a sorcerer that would allow him to revive his late wife.   

So, you're tell me I Shouldn't fuck a death woman?

"I just love your cum dear Richard"

The vampirism angle is not rendered explicit and even abruptly handled: no sooner has Leonor re-awakened – the ten-year period is itself seen passing at the bat of an eyelid – that there are a dozen or so kids missing from the village (the inference being that she drains them of blood); in fact, she at first rejects Piccoli's advances but, once she has been nourished, feels quite ready to express passion – this recalls the Sadean credo perhaps best exemplified by the horror classic THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932), when Count Zaroff states something to the effect of "Kill, then love – only then will you have known true ecstasy!". The Inquisition/plague elements which come into play during the latter stages also tie LEONOR to THE MONK (1972), adapted by the elder Bunuel and Jean-Claude Carriere (who also co-wrote this) from Matthew Gregory Lewis's classic novel; incidentally, the protagonists' children here are named after that particular author! 

Why is Leonor a horror film?

Now, to make things even, I will explain you why this is actually an art-horror flick. 

1. Richard sells his soul to Satan in order to bring her beloved back from the death.
2. Richard murders Catherine despite having two kids with her!
3. Leonor can only enjoy life after feeding off of children blood.
4. Richard protects Leonor compulsively. The whole town is aware she's a vampire and he just doesn't give a flying fuck about it.  
5. Many kids are murdered during Leonor's return to life.
6. Leonor kills Richard's sons and he still doesn't give a fuck!
7. Richard represents horror in the film, seriously! I mean, he has his whole family killed just for a couple of good fucks with her old lady.

Penetrate me with your dick, not your sword.

I swallow and you still wanna kill me?

Apart from the afore-mentioned Muti, there are three other notable Italian credits – screenwriter Bernardino Zapponi (who was just coming off Dario Argento's DEEP RED [1975]), as well as cinematographer Luciano Tovoli and composer Ennio Morricone, both of whose contribution is essential to the film's stunning recreation of a distant and harsh past. Still, if the film does not emerge a complete success, it is because of the rather unsympathetic characterization of the central figures (the boorish Piccoli in particular), a general lack of incident (as already mentioned, the introspection and feeling of dread would have doubtless gained from a better exposition detailing Piccoli's solitude and Ullman's depredations) and the fact that, frankly, it seems not to have much idea how to end (after being lured into a trap by the locals, the female bloodsucker escapes and makes it back home, where she kills one of her former husband's children and even seems to attack Piccoli but, now presumably afflicted himself, the two of them take off on horseback, one suspects, to spread the vampire plague even further: as with the two versions of NOSFERATU (1922 and 1979), this much-abused horror device is equated with an all-pervasive - and very real - disease). 

Here's a movie excerpt, where the church blames the wrong woman for the killings: