Stylishly directed by Harry Kumel, this fascinating erotic vampire film revolves around the meeting between a honeymoon couple (John Karlen and Daniele Ouimet) and a pair of mysterious lesbians (Delphine Seyrig and Andrea Rau) who may or may not be vampires. When Ouimet's attraction to the
beautiful countess arouses jealousy in their respective mates, sparks begin flying. Karlen, a brutal male chauvinist, who may also be homosexual, beats his wife before having sex with her, and the countess, sensing Ouimet's dissatisfaction, sends Rau to seduce Karlen. Rau corners him in the
shower, but panics, slips and falls, and impales herself on his straight razor. That night the countess seduces Ouimet and the two form a bond that excludes Karlen. One of the best of many early 1970s vampire movies inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla," DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS is remarkable not
only for its eroticism, but for Kumel's stunning visual style, reminiscent of that of Josef von Sternberg. Its treatment of the countess recalls von Sternberg's early presentation of Marlene Dietrich. Also notable are the sequences of stomach-turning violence, which are all the more effective
because of their mundanity.
