No doubt spurred on by the success of such films as Witchfinder General (1968), Mark of the Devil (1970), and The Devils (1971), Spain's premier horror star Paul Naschy directed Inquisición, a tale of witch-hunting and Satanism amidst the horrors of plague and pestilence. Like the films that inspired it, Inquisición is a lurid piece of Euro-horror, full. of depravity, and I loved it: of the 17 Naschy films I have seen so far, this is easily my favourite.
Naschy takes on two roles for this film, first and foremost that of zealous magistrate Bernard de Fossey, who visits a French village to cleanse it of witchery and devil worshippers, which means torturing innocent villagers (mostly beautiful women) until they confess, and then burning them. While staying at the home of a local dignitary, de Fossey falls for his host's gorgeous daughter Catherine (Daniela Giordano), who has already given her heart to local lad Jean Duprat (Juan Luis Galiardo). After Jean is murdered by robbers, a depressed Catherine dreams of a hooded man who rewards the thieves for killing her lover. In order to find out the identity of the villain and take revenge, Catherine makes a pact with the devil (Naschy's second role), aided by local crone Mabille (Tota Alba).
As much as I enjoyed this film's more exploitative elements (lots of nudity and torture, including one genuinely eye-watering moment involving a young woman and a pair of pliers), I think what I liked best about Inquisición is the way that the plot develops, raising several moral dilemmas along the way...
Is de Fossey little more than a sadist getting his kicks from burning young women? I don't think so - unlike Vincent Price's Matthew Hopkins in Witchfinder General, who was in it for the 'Lols', de Fossey seems convinced that he is genuinely doing the Lord's work.
Did de Fossey pay for Jean's murder? Possibly, although he appears adamant that he did not when confronted by Catherine.
Is Catherine really in league with the devil? She believes that she is, but she is most likely delusional, having suffered from an extreme shock, her condition exacerbated by Mabille's mind-altering potions.
Is Mabille really a witch? She thinks so, but she's clearly got more than a few bats in the belfry; either way, she is certainly heretical, making her an enemy of the church in De Fossey's eyes.
Do either de Fossey or Catherine deserve their fiery fate? That depends entirely on your standpoint regarding capital punishment. De Fossey is definitely guilty of many murders, albeit sanctioned by his superiors and carried out by his lackeys. As for Catherine, she's obviously as mad as a hatter by the end of the film; a spell in an asylum seems more befitting (did they have those back in the middle ages?).
Naschy takes on two roles for this film, first and foremost that of zealous magistrate Bernard de Fossey, who visits a French village to cleanse it of witchery and devil worshippers, which means torturing innocent villagers (mostly beautiful women) until they confess, and then burning them. While staying at the home of a local dignitary, de Fossey falls for his host's gorgeous daughter Catherine (Daniela Giordano), who has already given her heart to local lad Jean Duprat (Juan Luis Galiardo). After Jean is murdered by robbers, a depressed Catherine dreams of a hooded man who rewards the thieves for killing her lover. In order to find out the identity of the villain and take revenge, Catherine makes a pact with the devil (Naschy's second role), aided by local crone Mabille (Tota Alba).
As much as I enjoyed this film's more exploitative elements (lots of nudity and torture, including one genuinely eye-watering moment involving a young woman and a pair of pliers), I think what I liked best about Inquisición is the way that the plot develops, raising several moral dilemmas along the way...
Is de Fossey little more than a sadist getting his kicks from burning young women? I don't think so - unlike Vincent Price's Matthew Hopkins in Witchfinder General, who was in it for the 'Lols', de Fossey seems convinced that he is genuinely doing the Lord's work.
Did de Fossey pay for Jean's murder? Possibly, although he appears adamant that he did not when confronted by Catherine.
Is Catherine really in league with the devil? She believes that she is, but she is most likely delusional, having suffered from an extreme shock, her condition exacerbated by Mabille's mind-altering potions.
Is Mabille really a witch? She thinks so, but she's clearly got more than a few bats in the belfry; either way, she is certainly heretical, making her an enemy of the church in De Fossey's eyes.
Do either de Fossey or Catherine deserve their fiery fate? That depends entirely on your standpoint regarding capital punishment. De Fossey is definitely guilty of many murders, albeit sanctioned by his superiors and carried out by his lackeys. As for Catherine, she's obviously as mad as a hatter by the end of the film; a spell in an asylum seems more befitting (did they have those back in the middle ages?).