“The Blood Spattered Bride” (La Novia Ensangrentada) is a 1972 Spanish horror film directed by Vicente Aranda. It is based on the novella “Carmilla” by Sheridan Le Fanu. The film is a gothic horror tale that explores themes of sexuality, repression, and the supernatural through a feminist lens.
The story begins with a newlywed couple, Susan (Maribel Martín) and her unnamed husband (Simón Andreu), arriving at the husband’s ancestral family estate in the countryside. Susan is a young and innocent bride, deeply in love with her husband but increasingly troubled by strange and violent nightmares.
Susan’s nightmares feature a mysterious, beautiful woman who appears to be attacking her. These dreams disturb her, but her husband dismisses her fears as mere figments of an overactive imagination. The tension between them grows as Susan becomes more anxious, and the husband’s authoritarian and dismissive attitude exacerbates her distress.
As the days pass, Susan discovers a hidden portrait of a woman who looks exactly like the one in her dreams. She learns that the woman in the picture is Mircalla Karnstein (Alexandra Bastedo), an ancestor of her husband who was rumored to be a vampire. The story of Mircalla fascinates and terrifies Susan, drawing her deeper into a web of mystery and supernatural intrigue.
One day, while wandering in the woods, Susan encounters a beautiful and enigmatic woman named Carmilla (also played by Alexandra Bastedo). Carmilla bears a striking resemblance to Mircalla and soon ingratiates herself into the couple’s household. Susan is repelled and attracted to Carmilla, who exerts a powerful, hypnotic influence over her.
Carmilla’s presence brings a growing sense of unease and foreboding to the estate. The housekeeper (Montserrat Julió) and Carol (Rosa Rodriguez), another servant, become wary of the strange events and Carmilla’s effect on Susan. As Carmilla and Susan’s relationship intensifies, it becomes clear that Carmilla, the vampiric Mircalla, has returned to reclaim her bride.
The film’s climax is a dramatic confrontation between the forces of repression and liberation. Driven by jealousy and fear, Susan’s husband attempts to separate the two women and destroy Mircalla. The final scenes are a blood-soaked battle of wills, with Susan caught between her longing for freedom and her husband’s violent possessiveness.
“The Blood Spattered Bride” ends ambiguously, leaving Susan and Carmilla’s fate open to interpretation. But I think…..
The Other Cinema 