Black Sunday (1960) User Reviews (157)

Stylish Gothic thriller full of atmospheric chills...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 18 September 2006]

BARBARA STEELE became an icon of horror films (the way Christopher Lee did when he played Dracula), when she played the role of a vampire witch princess burned at the stake in the 17th century who returns two hundred years later with a vengeance. Not that the story itself is all that original, but when done as stylishly as it is here, with the perfect B&W atmosphere and chiller mood, it's a winner.

There's no let-up in suspense from the gripping opening scene where the mask of Satan is nailed onto the face of the poor victimized woman, even though the unfolding of the story is rather slow. The graveyard scene of an undead man rising from the earth is masterfully photographed. The mood becomes more and more intense as several key characters emerge as vampires.

As a young doctor who figures importantly in the plot, JOHN RICHARDSON is a rather wooden actor and makes a cardboard hero, but in a film that relies on its effect for brilliant camera-work and Gothic touches, it's not much of a flaw. Barbara Steele's impassive mask-like beauty is suitable in the eerie dual role she plays with wide-eyed conviction.

The moody camera-work captures the spirit of Gothic horror in every shadowy scene. While the story itself is less than inspired, it does fulfill the promise of a good cobweb chiller right up until the rather predictable ending.

Well worth watching for fans of this genre.

Succeeds because of Bava's B&W artistry

[mhesselius · 7/10 · 28 July 2010]

A ruined abbey; Gothic interiors of a medieval crypt and castle; a matte painting of the moon illuminating the castle's exterior; a deep pit, the stonework glistening with moisture; claw-like branches against the white mist, all beautifully photographed for shadowy effect by master cinematographer Mario Bava, make this film worth watching. The thin plot involves two incestuous siblings, Asa and Javutich Vajda, executed for witchcraft in the Balkan kingdom of Moldavia, who return from the grave on Walpurgis night two centuries later to reek supernatural vengeance on their descendants.

Unfortunately the B&W beauty of this movie is compromised somewhat by Bava's awkward direction of actors whose performances range from adequate (Andrea Checci as Dr. Kruvaijan, and Ivo Garrani as Prince Vajda) to inept (Barbara Steele as both Princess Katia Vajda and Asa Vajda), to awful (John Richardson as Dr. Gorobec). The writing is likewise sub-par, and seems to borrow elements from the vintage American films "Mark of the Vampire" and "The Black Room," which Bava may have seen.

Plot holes are numerous and obvious. For instance, after draining the life from Katia's father, how does the vampire form of Dr. Kruvaijan find a ready-made coffin, and how does he bury himself? How does Katia's brother Constantine survive a fall down a deep pit to come back and destroy Javutich? The schmaltzy piano love theme is distracting, beginning immediately after Katia's first meeting with Gorobec. Nevertheless, camera poetry abounds. The slow-motion vision of the phantom coach driven by Javutich is a stunner. All of the genuinely unsettling moments are the result of Bava's uncanny use of lighting, shadow, and perspective; not the poor use of artificial-looking wax figures and lens filters to create the effects of aging on Katia's and Asa's face.

Austensibly based upon Nikolai Gogol's short story "Viy," there is only one scene in the film that is recognizable from the source material. The scene in the crypt when Krubaian is alone with, and trying to escape from the reanimated Asa, parallels the attempts of Gogol's protagonist to escape from a witch who has arisen from her coffin. Barbara Steele's makeup, the spike holes left in Asa's face by the mask of Satan, is very effective here.

Above-average horror masterpiece by the great Mario Bava giving wonderful atmosphere

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 15 March 2021]

Classic horror movie from a story by the Russian novelist Nikolay Gogol , set in 1630, involving the nasty witch named Asa : Barbara Steele, who also happens to be a vampire , being detained and executed along with her lover : Arturo Dominici, by her own brother , but she swears eternal vendetta . As a resurrected witch who was burned to death at a small medieval town seeks revenge on her pursuers . That's why two hundred years after , they are accidentally brought to life , being resurrected at a crypt by two doctors played by Andrea Checchi and John Richardson . In vengeance , Asa goes after her descendants , including her lookalike , Katia : Barbara Steele, playing a dual role .

Great fun late at night , it is full of thrills , chills , surprises and creepy atmosphere . Based on a story by Nikolay Gogol , in fact Bava also adapted other Russian writers on the anthology horror movie : Black Sabbath in the episode Wurdalak with Boris Karloff . It contains exquisitely realised expressionit frames of sexual suggestion and cruelty that shocked spectators in the early Sixties. Gorgeous , brilliant and foggy cinematography in black and white by Mario Bava himself and assisted by Ubaldo Terzano. The cinematographic visual style still impresses and it retains its original power . Adding a thrilling and mysterious musical score by Les Baxter , Roger Corman's regular .

This astonishing motion picture titled Black Sunday or The Demon's Mask , House of Fright , Revenge of the Vampire or Mask of Satan was competently directed by horror maestro Mario Bava . He was a prestigious cameraman who turned into a notorious filmmaker, directing all kinds of genres with penchant for the terror, such as : Blood and black lace , Black Sabbath , Hatchet for the Honeymoon , House of Exorcism , Planet of of the Vampires , The Girl who knew too much, Torture Chamber of Baron Blood , Beyond the Door II . A must watch for terror fans , first important film with Steele as star and Mario Bava as director. Rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average . The picture will appeal to horror aficionados and Mario Bava/Barbara Steele enthusiasts . Essentian and indispensable seeing .

Vintage Bava

[Camera-Obscura · 14 January 2007]

BLACK Sunday (Mario Bava - Italy 1960).

Mario Bava's first feature as a director (although he did uncredited directorial work before), this classic and extremely influential piece of Gothic horror really showed his cinematographic talent in creating a haunting and stylishly shot film. "Black Sunday" also catapulted Barbara Steele to horror stardom and would make her into the undisputed horror queen of the sixties. Bava based "Mask of Satan", as the film was originally titled, on the short story "Vij" by the Russian author Gogol, which he adapted into a homage to the early Universal horror pictures he loved so much. Barbara Steele is the beautiful 17th century witch princess Asa, who is a vampire, and her lover Juvato (Arturo Dominici), are put to death by her vengeful brother. He has iron masks with spikes on the inside placed on both their faces and then sledgehammered home (the brutal opening scene). Two hundred years later, blood is accidentally spilled on Asa's face and she rises from the dead along with Juvato to wreak revenge on the descendants of those who executed her - including her look-alike Katia, also played by Barbara Steele.

Beautifully shot in black and white by Bava himself, "Black Sunday" is a perfect showcase of his masterful control of light and shade, of colour and movement (yes, one can play with "shades of colour" in black and white) and playful camera angles, it's a feast for the eye. At heart Bava would always remain the cinematographer he always was and in all his films he took an active role in the design of each image by setting up the lighting, the optical effects, the filters etc. The film abounds in old-fashioned horror atmosphere and in that department, it even manages to top the atmosphere of the Universal horror classics it was based on with gnarled tree branches, fogbound sets, a decaying castle, a dark foreboding crypt and much more.

Of course, Bava's is well known for letting stylistic innovations take precedent over storytelling and most other things involved, like acting. Much of the script was reworked during shooting and even in post-production. Barbara Steele reportedly never even saw a script and got some pages every day of shooting. Variations of the story has been told many times in one way or another and there are more than a few echoes of Murnau's Nosferatu here. Much of the story is too derivative to begin with, and has become too formularised in subsequent years to retain much of its original power, just as the film's capacity to scare or excite audiences has probably worn out a little over the years. It doesn't really matter, because the film was chopped to pieces for over four decades and the habit of Italian filmmakers of post-synchronizing all the voices (even for Italian versions) made anything in that department a pretty dire affair anyway.

What Bava added however was some substantially more explicit violence and gore, laced with sexual connotations. The opening scene in which the mask is sledgehammered to Barbara Steele's face still packs quite a wallop, not to mention the effect it must have had on audiences back then. Still, horror fans can't really afford to miss this quintessential Bava piece, but watch it for the splendid cinematography and Bava's unique ways of visual wizardry.

Camera Obscura --- 7/10

Good but not really a classic

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 8 November 2009]

Mario Bava directed horror film about a witch killed by the Inquisition returning to get revenge on the families of those who wronged her.

Moody black and white film is probably the one Bava directed title that most people know. It has creepy black and white photography, a creepy story and the radiant Barbra Steele (who can probably put this as her best known role). This is for many people the hight of Italian horror of the late 1950's and early 1960's. For me this is a very good but not particularly great film. Sure it looks good, and sure its filled with any number of iconic images in the first part of the film, the problem for me is that once the film starts to actually deal with revenge the film becomes less interesting then the early entombment. Yea it picks up at the end but the middle part plays out rather by the numbers. I know I'm in the minority on this but I wouldn't call it any real classic. Still its a very good film thats probably been over sold and over hyped by those who love Bava and his work.

Worth a look.

Atmosphere so rich you can taste it

[FrankensteinsDaughter · 9/10 · 1 November 2005]

For some unknown reason, here recently I've been in the mood to watch a lot of vintage 1960s-70s Italian horror movies. Hardly any other film comes as highly recommended as Black Sunday and after viewing this incredibly moody effort, I can easily see why. It's by far one of the most beautifully photographed films I've seen of any genre. It's also one of the most atmospheric; a sense of horror and dread hang over every frame, and yet it is a film whose power does not lie entirely in the narrative. It's hidden somewhere, pretty much everywhere... in dark corners, in secret crypts, in fog, in shadows... The shots in this film are brilliantly composed. It is a true triumph for director and cinematographer Mario Bava, who provides such rich, dream-like technical depth that (pardon the cliché) this film truly does transport viewers somewhere else in time.

Even though this movie is best appreciated as an exercise in style and technique, the plot line (witch who is executed and returns centuries later to get revenge on the descendants of her executioners) is also enjoyable. So is Barbara Steele, who is ideally cast in a dual role as both the evil witch and the pure heroine. She's an actress who can switch from innocent and ravishing to hideous and horrific with the flick of an eyelash. No wonder she's considered the queen of horror. She deserves to be.

Scared the hell out of me as a kid...

[preppy-3 · 6/10 · 27 November 2000]

but it doesn't hold up as an adult. It looks fantastic and has many eerie scenes but I was never really scared. The dubbing is obvious (and hurts) and the story moves very slowly (even at 82 minutes). As for the acting--Steele varies. She's very beautiful and is good at portraying evil. She seems uncomfortable and stiff portraying the good girl. John Richardson is tall, handsome and good as the hero...the other Italian actors are good also. Also the music score doesn't work at all. Half the time the music doesn't seem to match the images! For horror completists or Bava fans only.

Living dead masterpiece of Italian cinema

[krorie · 9/10 · 7 January 2006]

Be sure and watch the uncut version with the title "The Mask of Satan," not the censored "Black Sunday" copy, to get the full effect of this living dead masterpiece of Italian cinema. More a movie of the undead than a vampire flick, it reminds the horror aficionado of a Val Lewton film from the 1940's, especially "The Leopard Man," not that "The Mask of Satan" is about leopards, but the mood and atmosphere are similar.

The film is about a woman of darkness and her mate who were executed for witchcraft two centuries before the Napoleonic period of European history. The most gruesome feature of the execution involved nailing a mask of Satan to their faces by means of a giant sledgehammer before they were entombed. By accident two hundred years later a doctor and his assistant while journeying through the region by coach on a dark stormy night filled with eerie devilish sounds, the doctor removes the mask from Princess Asa Vajda supposed corpse. Now Princess Vajda and her fiendish companion become free to seek their revenge. Their evil is released on the world and must be stopped.

This is undoubtedly director Mario Bava best film. The marvelous camera work draws the viewer into the maelstrom of darkness and evil through innovative movements and angles. The shadowy settings where the actors are posed in ominous fashion are unforgettable. One obvious inspiration for Bava was the contemporary British Hammer horror film popular in America, especially with the drive-in crowd. The arrival of Katia Vajda with what appear to be the dogs of Hell, standing like a silhouette of damnation, reminds one of a Caspar David Friedrich painting from the German Romantic art movement of the Napoleonic era. One wonders if the director of "The Omen," Richard Donner, patterned his creepy scene in the cemetery with the Rottweilers after this scene in "The Mask of Satan."

This movie remains a must see for horror fans, somewhat of a lost treasure.

Atmospheric but kind of slow and poorly acted

[LoneWolfAndCub · 6/10 · 12 December 2006]

After waiting quite some time to see this, I finally caught it on TV late at night. After an amazing and extremely creepy opening I was very drawn into the movie. The pace kept up for awhile but it slowly started to get a tad boring and the pace didn't really pick up until the last 20 minutes. But I was impressed by it as it was made in 1960 and some of the gruesome effects were really well done. The score was incredibly eerie and it was incredibly atmospheric, mainly due to Bava's direction and the locations used. The one major problem I had with the movie was the very weak acting by the cast. Especially Barbara Steele, who played the main characters Katia Vajda and the witch Princess Asa Vajda. But I can respect this movie and how influential it is (and how scary it is as well).

3/5.

Complete perfection

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 13 October 2018]

This was Bava's directorial debut - although he had already directed several scenes without credit in other films. By 1960's standards, this is a pretty gory film, leading to it being banned in the UK and chopped up by its US distributor American International Pictures.

In the 1600's, the witch Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele, creating her legacy as the horror female supreme) and her lover Javuto are put to death by her brother. Before she is burned at the stake and has a metal mask hammered to her face, she curses their entire family.

Several centuries later, Dr. Thomas Kruvajan and his assistant, Dr. Andre Gorobec (John Richardson, Frankenstein '80) ae traveling to a medical conference when their carriage breaks down. Of course, they're in a horror movie, so they wander into an ancient crypt and release Asa from her death mask and getting blood all over her face.

That's when they meet her descendent Katia (also Steele), whose family lives in the haunted castle that of the Vajdas. Gorobec instantly falls for her and really, can you blame him?

All hell literally breaks loose, with Asa and Javuto coming back from the dead, possessing Dr. Kruvajan and concocting a plan to make Asa immortal by stealing Katia's youth. Can good triumph against evil? Can you kill a vampire by stabbing wood into its eye socket? Which one is hotter, good or evil Barbara Steele?

A lover of Russian fantasy and horror, Bava intended this film to be an adaption of Nikolai Gogol's 1835 horror story "Viy." However, the resulting script owes more to Universal Studios-style gothic horror. AIP cut or shortened the branding scene, blood spraying from the mask after it was hammered into Asa's face, the eyeball impaling and the flesh burning off Vajda's head in the fireplace. And in the Italian version, Asa and Javutich are brother and sister in an incestuous relationship.

Black Sunday has left quite an impression on fans and filmmakers alike. Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula contains several shot-for-shot homages, as does Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. And Richard Donner based the cemetery scene in The Omen on the moment when Barbara Steele with her hounds.

For a director who is so well known for his work in color, Bava has just as much skill in black and white. The sets were actually created in monochrome, with no color, to add to the dark mood.

My favorite scene in the film is when Bava creates a split screen effect where Steele's two roles come together, as Asa intones, "You did not know that you were born for this moment. You did not know that your life had been consecrated to me by Satan. But you sensed it, didn't you? You sensed it... That's why my portrait was such a temptation to you, while frightened you. You felt like your life and your body were mine. You felt like me because you were destined to become me... a useless body without life."

Grotesque and lush / lush and grotesque. Either way: a Gothic nightmare you don't want to wake from.

[RomanJamesHoffman · 7/10 · 4 January 2014]

Having previously ploughed a furrow as an assistant director and cinematographer for some years, Mario Bava finally turned his hand to directing with "Mask of Satan", otherwise known as "Black Sunday": a bold and violent tale of witchcraft and revenge. In doing so he drew upon the best stylistic elements of Golden Age Hollywood horror ("Dracula", "Frankenstein", "The Black Cat" et al) and the violence of recent successes of British production company Hammer Studios ("The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957) and "Dracula" (1958)) to create something familiar in its origin, yet fresh in its bold vision and which would kickstart both Bava's directorial career and the whole Italian horror genre.

Actually, truth be told, the story itself is not original (compared to, for example, the career-ruining Michael Powell movie "Peeping Tom" released the same year): Barbara Steele plays an evocative seventeenth century vampire witch who, along with her lover Juvato are put to death at the beginning of the movie…but not before she puts a curse on the family. Two hundred years later, she is accidentally revived by a couple of visiting doctors, resurrects her lover, and begins to enact her terrible curse on the family as a whole and her contemporary look-alike Katia, also played by Barbara Steele. However, whatever the film may lack in originality of plot it more than makes up for in the vividness of its approach. Take for example the opening scene: a witch burning where masks with spikes on the inside are sledgehammered onto people's faces. Grim. The special effects with the recomposing corpse of the witch as well as a later burning head also add to the "ughh" factor in a way that must have seemed scandalous at the time.

However, the thing that is most striking about "Mask of Satan", and is something which would distinguish all his later films, is just how beautifully shot it is. Shot in black and white the composition of the shots has learned all the lessons from German Expressionism and the Universal Horrors they influenced, and plays with light and shadow with the grace of a Caravaggio to effortlessly create a claustrophobic off-kilter dream-like atmosphere. Another feature of the movie is the way the camera glides around the spectacular sets (cavernous labyrinthine castles and gloomy crypts), all of which seduces the viewer into the thinly scripted but lush landscape as easily as Barbara Steele seduces one of the doctors.

Bava would follow up this success with a string of movies including "Black Sabbath (1963), "Kill Baby, Kill" (1966) and "A Bay of Blood" (1971) which all flesh out the Bava universe and influenced countless others (notably Dario Argento)…but it all started here.

The most terrifying experience you'll ever have !!

[Coventry · 10/10 · 29 November 2003]

"The sound that you hear is dripping blood. This...is the beginning of Black Sunday !!" ...These two very atmospheric and mood-setting sentences are heard when the Black Sunday DVD is put into the player. No need to tell you that a better and more tense opening has yet to be created. This movie is an undeniable masterpiece in its kind. A powerful and terrifying experience that was way ahead of its time back in 1960 and now - almost 45 years later - it still stands for an hour and a half of pure terror, devlish fun and sinister fascination. I respect the opinion and dislikes of everyone but not when it comes to this movie...you either admit that Black Sunday is a masterpiece or you're wrong !!

I could give you a thousand reasons why this movie should be seen as the most important horror movie ever made but I'll just stick to the most important ones. Black Sunday ( or The Mask of Satan, as you prefer ) is the debut of Italian genius Mario Bava...Well, not really his debut but the first full length movie after a series of short films and project he didn't get credit for. In it, Bava presents us on a stylish and visually stunning story with an extremely macabre and dark topic. It contains passages of torturement, curses, witchburning, vampirism, massacres and resurrection but it's all brought to us in a very artistic fashion. Bava's profesionalism and style reminds me about the true masterpieces from Universal...Maybe also because the whole movie is filmed in beautiful black and white but merely because of the creepy atmosphere and the morbid topics. Black Sunday does contain rather many violent and sadistic scenes, but it becomes unwatchable or disgusting. Actually, when you look closer at it...it's a fairy tale !! Think about it...: evil witch, ominous castles, dark forests and - on top of it all - a tale of true love at first sight ! Barbara Steele should get as least as much credit and praise though. This stunning beauty can easily considered "Queen of Horror" if it were only for her performance here. Steele has a double role here ( the evil, vampiric Prinses Asa and the virgin Katia ) and her appearance can only be seen as on of beauty and pureness. Barbara Steele - once spit out by the glory of Hollywood - succeeds in convincing the audience that she stars as both an innocent virgin as well as a demonic ancient witch. The cinematic value attached to her character comes extremely close to Karloff's Frankenstein and Lugosi's Count Dracula. After all, Princess Asa was the first true female monster and she has - literally - become immortal.

You're not a horror fan if you haven't seen the perfection of Black Sunday...I give this movie a very well deserved rating 10 out of 10.

Feels like a classic 1930s horror film

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 11 October 2018]

Black Sunday feels like a classic 1930s horror film, but with a little more gruesomeness. The opening scene alone makes this film unforgettable. The Gothic sets are quite impressive, which helped me forgive the cheesy acting and clichéd dialogue. I was a little confused about whether Princess Asa was a witch or a vampire, but it turns out she was both, I guess. Good for her.

Beautiful to look at, impossible to care about

[Groverdox · 5/10 · 30 November 2017]

"Black Sunday", also known as "The Mask of Satan", is considered to be Italian horror maestro Mario Bava's directorial debut, after he did uncredited work on a few prior movies. It is also the film that launched his career on the international stage.

It is not surprising to discover that Bava had been a cinematographer for almost twenty years before he directed "Black Sunday". Simply put, the movie looks beautiful. The photography is exquisite, and the framing of each shot perfectly uses the film's quintessentially Gothic scenery.

The movie is, basically, like looking at a book of Gothic photography come to life.

This also has the correlative of making the movie's plot and characters distant and uninvolving.

Beautiful photography is by its nature distancing. It makes you aware of the beauty of its subject, certainly, but also in so doing, makes you aware of its distance from you, thumbing through the book in your living room or book shop as you probably are.

Cinema, with its marriage of the moving image with sound, can dissolve that barrier.

"Black Sunday", unfortunately, fails to do this. The story is something to do with an evil witch-vampire played by the brick-jawed Barbara Steel. She does have a very memorable introduction as we see her killed in one of horror's most memorable death sequences: a mask with nails on the inside is nailed onto her face, blood gushing from underneath it.

Two hundred years later (in 1830 or thereabouts) some men stumble onto the tomb of the witch, and cutting his hand, one of the guys accidentally wakes her up. He also meets a descendant of the witch - also played by Barbara Steel in a double-role - and is struck by her beauty. Of course, the vampire-witch wants revenge on the descendants of those who had her executed, and commands her brother-in-arms to rise from his grave and start killing.

I found it impossible to care about this movie beyond its beautiful looks. Part of the problem is Steel; with a double role, she doesn't make enough of an impression as either of the characters she plays. You will not be surprised to read that she did not get along with Bava on the set of this movie. Her performance seems reluctant, like the guy behind the camera wants her to show something she didn't sign on for.

Another problem is that the movie is unnecessarily confusing toward the end. I admit I lost track of exactly what was going on.

It seems as though Bava devoted all his energy to the filming of locations and objects, without bothering to get us close to the story or characters. Perhaps the defiant and brick-jawed Barbara Steel put him off?

Sparkeling Debut

[eibon09 · 13 September 2001]

La Maschera del Demonio/The Mask of Satan(1960) is the film that introduced audiences around the world to the cinema of Mario Bava. Responsible for being the first horror film to have a formidable evil female villain. Its about a dead witch who returns from the dead with her lover to terrorize the descendents of their executioners. Translitional picture that predates the broodish and moody style of Night of the Living Dead(1968). Tim Burton has cited this movie as one of his favorites.

After years as Assistent Director and Director of Photography, Bava was rewarded with his first full directorial assignment and the results are impressive. Mario Bava was a talented filmmaker with a love for the fine arts of Europe and Russian literature. He didn't direct full time until he was in his late 40s. Mario Bava's influences as a film director were Riccardo Freda and Freda and Fritz Lang. Nikolai Gogol is a writer that along with Edgar Allen Poe played a major influence on Bava's supernatural tales.

One theme that is present in The Mask of Satan(1960) is the decay and decline of a once happy and powerful family{more fully explored in Bava's later films of Black Sabbath(1963), Whip and the Body(1964), Lisa and the Devil(1974), and Shock(1977)}. Deals with the notion of the inescapability of fate that is an important theme in Bava's work. An example of this motif comes from Barbara Stelle with her line:"Here is the Very image of my life". Mario Bava was a fatalistic filmmaker who used imagery to convey his beliefs in destiny or fate. Part of his fatalistic style comes from him experiences and memories of WW2.

Some of the special effects are amazing for a film of this caliber. Mario Bava was a genius in creating special effects with only his creative soul and imagination. Makes one wonder what great special effects he could create with a modest budget. The gore effects although spread out in small pieces are gruesome for 1960. Proves that great special effects don't necessarily have to be done with mega dollars.

The opening scene of the execution of Asa is a stunning combination of atmosphere and violent imagery. Barbara Stelle along with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Vincent Price are some of the greatest icons in 1960s to 1970s horror films. Many movie makers in horror films were influenced by the opening scene. Certain parts of the atmospheric opening can be seen as one inspiration for the prologue of Lucio Fulci's L'Aldila/The Beyond(1981). A special moment in horror cinema.

The Mask of Satan(1960) came about as a result of the success of the Curse of Frankenstein(1957) and Horror of Dracula(1958) in Italy. Mixes the old fashion horror of Univerisal Studios with the graphic violence of Hammer horror. The Hammer and Universal horror films are responsible for the birth of horror in Post war Italian cinema. There are a couple of scenes that are obviously influenced by Horror of Dracula(1958). The fact that Mario Bava did this based on the success of Horror of Dracula(1958) must have influenced Terence Fisher to respond to directing Dracula:Prince of Darkness(1966).

The Mask of Satan(1960) isn't interested in plot and story as much as atmosphere and painting style visuals. Mario Bava took the barebones material of the film and turned it into something magnificent. Mario Bava's direction has the look of a great artist. Setting up atmosphere, dread, mood, and terror were some of Bava's strengths. His experiences as a cinematographer really pays dividends in Bava's direction.

A significant influence was placed on La Maschera del Demonio by the first Italian horror film of the sound era, I Vamipri(1956). A few references are made to I Vampiri(1956) especially in the discovery of a dead body near the river bank. Also, the aging effect in Mask of Satan(1960) comes from Bava's work on I Vampiri. Italian filmmaker, Riccardo Freda was the major influence behind Bava's films and the main directorial mentor of Mario Bava. The romantic subplot of The Mask of Satan(1960) also derieves from I Vampiri(1956).

Has some of the best set designs in a low budget horror film. Mario Bava would use some of the set for his late 1960s horror classic Kill Baby Kill(1967). Amazing that Mario Bava could put together grandeur looking art and set designs with so little. He also contributed to the dazzling cinematography. Mario Bava used many of the film's motifs and themes for The Whip and the Body(1964).

La Maschera del Demonio/The Mask of Satan(1960) is based loosely on a short story by Gogol called the Viy. An interesting note on the making of The Mask of Satan(1960) is that Bava made changes thoughout production because of uncertainities about the screenplay. Its one of the best horror films of the last fifty years. The camera moves with a smooth feel typical of a Mario Bava phtographed feature. This is an item that many aspiring horror filmmakers should watch in order to see how a great horror film should be done.

Mario the Magician.

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 9 September 2021]

To say that Mario Bava was a filmic 'all-rounder' would be an understatement. Not only was he an accomplished cinematographer and creator of special effects, he also stepped up to the plate to complete unfinished projects for various directors notably Riccardo Freda. One of these, 'I Vampiri' is recognised as the first Italian horror film whilst 'The Day the Sky exploded' which he co-directed is considered to be the first science fiction film of that country.

His first fully-fledged film was 'La Maschera del Demonio', very loosely based upon a tale by Gogol and by all accounts intended to capitalise on the success of Hammer's 'Dracula'.

Although a master of colour cinematography, his decision to film this in monochrome black and white is inspired. His belief that for films of this type 'lighting is 70% of its effectiveness' is fully evident here whilst the extraordinary atmosphere is further enhanced by the superlative production design of Giorgio Giovannini. It is to be regretted that for the homogenised American release the subtle score by Roberto Nicolosi which includes snatches of Wagner, has been dispensed with and replaced by that of Les Baxter who supplied the scores for some of Roger Corman's rather overcooked versions of Poe.

The casting is 'interesting' to say the least. Former Rank starlet Barbara Steele was considered by the director to have the ideal looks for the dual roles of Asa and Katia Vajda and this film certainly enabled her to find her niche! Landing the part of Andraj did much to improve the career of fellow Rank contract player John Richardson, exceedingly handsome but rather bland and invariably 'dubbed', even in English language films!

Acting honours must go to the Italians Ivo Garrani as Prince Vajda and especially to Andrea Checchi, one of his country's most respected character actors, as Dr. Kruvagan.

This is the work of a cinematic craftsman and for devotees of the Gothic horror genre must surely take high rank. Signor Bava showed a refreshing humility regarding his output. He confessed to being a reluctant director because in his opinion 'a director must be a true genius'. He also admitted that when viewing this film years later, he split his sides laughing!

Excellent Gothic chiller.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 10/10 · 18 September 2003]

"La Maschera del Demonio" aka "Black Sunday" is an excellent Gothic chiller with plenty of uncanny atmosphere,a good script and an okay cast.Princess Asa Vajda(lovely Barbara Steele)is executed as a witch.200 years later,she is revived and plots to take over the body of Katia(also Barbara Steele)."Black Sunday" is a perfect combination of Expressionist lighting and set designs and graphic bursts of gore and sensuality.The film is full of striking visuals and is truly one of the most beautiful black and white films I have ever seen.A must-see for fans of Italian horror.10 out of 10.

A wonderfully atmospheric Gothic film that won't disappoint

[d-snake1 · 7/10 · 4 October 2018]

Black Sunday is a black and white Gothic horror film focused on the revenge plot of an executed plot and the people trying to stop her.

The plot itself is fine. It's nothing extra special, but it facilitates the movie well enough. The characters and many of the other general building blocks of the film are also fine. So why is this movie worth watching?

Well, the director, Mario Bava, does a stellar job of setting the scene. The soundtrack to the movie is spectacular. The black and white really aides to the atmosphere, as does the cinematography. The cinematography, in particular, is outstanding. The film relies on a wonderful selection of long shots. There are many shots where the length doesn't particularly add to the story, but it certainly adds to the atmosphere and overall creepiness of the movie. The film also includes some fairly gruesome scenes, nothing quite like a splatter film, though. The scenes are well placed and add to the experience rather than become the focus themselves.

All in all, if you're after a great atmospheric horror film and don't care much about a plot or characters, you may find yourself enjoying Black Sunday.

A Nikolai Gogol story + Barbara Steele = one cool movie!

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 3 January 2006]

Some directors have never gotten the recognition that they deserve, and I would say that Mario Bava is one of those directors. His feature debut "La maschera del demonio" - called "Black Sunday" in English - has executed witch Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele) getting resurrected and seeking revenge through her descendant Katia (also Steele).

Obviously, we've seen this kind of story countless times, but Bava knows how to make it really cool. The black-and-white cinematography gives the movie the ultimate Gothic feeling. But more than that, Barbara Steele makes the movie what it is. With pale skin, jet-black hair, and bulging eyes, she seems the perfect person to play a witch (or the witch's descendant).

It's hard to believe that this was adapted from a Gogol novel, but it's true. When I think of Nikolai Gogol, I usually also think of other famous Russian authors (Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky). Now I can associate Gogol with Barbara Steele and her hot looks!

Stunning to look at

[antide-42376 · 7/10 · 17 September 2023]

Straight away I will say that 'The Mask Of Satan' is one of the best looking horror movies I have ever seen. It looks fantastic and the set design is nothing short of superb. Dripping with Gothic atmosphere, the absolute highlight of this movie is the way it looks. The story is nothing new, basically a revenge mission but it is told with great flair. The score is OK but the romantic theme sounds totally out of place whenever it plays.

The acting is mixed though. Barbara Steele looks great but is not always convincing and John Richardson is a bit wooden. The best performance is probably from Andrea Checchi as Dr Kruvajan. On the whole this is a must for horror fans as the look of the movie is so good.

The Greatest Horror Film Ever Made!

[csdietrich · 10/10 · 16 February 2001]

BLACK SUNDAY is not merely equal to the best of Murnau, Whale, Freund and the Universal Pictures canon but surpasses all contenders with M.C. Escheresque visuals informed with the dark poetry of stylish sadism. Barbara Steele imbues her portrayal of the vampire/witch with a demonic majesty never before brought to the screen. Indeed, her visage a landscape of puncture wounds bearing forth wild, burning eyes and thick, cruel lips (promising the joys of eternal Hell) evokes the very standard of Italian fantascienza of the Sixties. The genius of Mario Bava is celebrated in highest form in this flagship effort, his directorial debut. This film enshrines Italian horror at its best, and Arturo Dominici's performance as vampire/sorcerer is nothing less than stellar. A chiaroscuro Black Mass.

Good atmosphere, but...

[markovd111 · 6/10 · 20 November 2021]

Movie has a very good atmosphere at it's beginning and feels very creepy. That sadly doesn't carry over the rest of the movie which start feeling more like an Italian version of Hammer horror movies than a serious try at a good horror movie. Performances aren't anything to write home about, story turns into a boring slog and even Steele isn't in her best appearance. All in all, while it could have been really good in it's time, today it's boring, though not completely devoid of it's charm and you are left with conclusion that even though the movie isn't terrible, Corman's Poe adaptations are better than what this movie managed to do. If it remained creepy and well made like in it's beginning, it would have been far better. 6.5/10! Only for the genre veterans looking for some retro entertainment.

Enough Atmosphere to Choke 10 Universal Horror Movies!

[lghmgrfran · 8/10 · 31 January 2002]

WOW! This is Mario Bavas' first (official) debut as a director and probably his BEST HORROR film. For an Italian horror movie, it ROCKS! It has decent acting, EXCELLANT directing, a well written script and BEAUTIFUL BLACK & WHITE IMAGERY and atmosphere that puts the 30's & 40s Universal B&W horror flicks TO SHAME! Vampirism, ghosts, curses, witches...and the uncanny EYES of Barbara Steele! A well paced GOTHIC film that holds up even today...Hack-Meisters, Dario Argento & Lucio Fulci COMBINED on their BEST DAY with the assistance of REAL MONSTERS couldnt come close to directing such a film! BRAVVOO Maestro Bava! BRAAVO!!! GET THIS ON DVD...NOW!

Marvellously Creepy Black-And-White Italian Horror Classic Of Evil Witch's Curse

[ShootingShark · 7/10 · 3 November 2007]

In medieval Moldavia, an evil witch and her lover are executed, but two hundred years later her crypt is disturbed by two passing nobleman. Before long, evil creatures are abroad, an age-old curse is enacted and the beautiful Princess Katia is in deadly danger ...

Known by many titles - Black Sunday / The Mask Of Satan / Mask Of The Demon - this is one of the best and most influential black-and-white horror films ever made. Like most Italian genre movies it creaks a bit in the translation and occasionally seems like a rather arty episode of Scooby Doo, Where Are You !, but it's scary, mesmerising, beautifully shot and designed, and features an unforgettable dual lead performance by Steele (whose name is misspelled in the credits) which ranks among the very best in horror cinema. She's amazing looking, playing both the innocent girl Katia and the scheming villainess Asa with iconic gusto. Almost as hypnotic as Steele is Bava's spellbinding photography, which drifts lazily around Giorgio Giovannini's wonderfully spooky sets and simply oozes creepiness. Check out the brilliant three-hundred-and-sixty-degree pan in the crypt, the shot of Steele playing the piano, the subtle lighting effects on her face and a myriad of ingenious trickery. Bava was a genius at atmosphere and suspense, and followed this with many great little chillers like Sei Donne Per L'Assassino / Blood And Black Lace and Terrore Nello Spazio / Planet Of The Vampires. Loosely based on the short story Viy by the classical Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol. If ever there was a movie to watch by candlelight on a dark and stormy night, this is the one - don't miss it.

Nice visuals, shame about the rest.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 13 September 2015]

When Dr. Thomas Kruvajan (Andrea Checchi) is attacked by a giant rubber bat while exploring an old crypt with his assistant Dr. Andre Gorobec (John Richardson), he accidentally smashes the stone cross positioned over the coffin of vampiric witch Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele); to make matters worse, he removes the mask covering her face, cutting himself in the process (silly old doctor). With the cross destroyed, the mask gone, and the doctor's blood dripping into the coffin, Asa is resurrected, and, with the help of fellow vamp Javuto (Arturo Dominici), she wreaks revenge on the ancestors of those who sentenced her to death.

The opening scene to Mario Bava's Black Sunday AKA The Mask of Satan delivers one of the most potent images in the history of Italian horror cinema: a spiked, metal devil mask being hammered onto the face of vampiric witch Asa Vajda (squelch!). Unfortunately, so shocking and brutal is this scene that, as impressive as Bava's beautiful black and white cinematography is throughout the rest of his film, there is nothing to rival Asa's brutal execution in terms of sheer horror, making everything that follows something of a let-down.

This feeling of disappointment isn't helped by the hoary old Gothic horror nonsense that unfolds, which is loaded with tired genre clichés (creaky old doors, stormy weather, cobweb covered tombs, hidden passageways, villagers armed with pitchforks and torches) and which suffers from a script packed with verbose dialogue that is frequently laughable (example: "What is my life? Sadness and grief. Something that destroys itself day by day and no-one can rebuild it. Here is the very image of my life. Look at it… it is being consumed hour by hour like this garden, abandoned to a purposeless existence."). Inspired use of light and shadow and acute visual lyricism can only excuse so much.