White Zombie Reviews

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was starring Bela Lugosi, I thought I might as well check it out. I remember it very well, I actually saw ‘Ed Wood’ in the movie theater when it was released (and it is still one of the best movies ever delivered by Tim Burton). Well, it’s funny that I took me 30 years to finally see an actual vintage horror feature starring Lugosi. After ‘Dracula’ (which I unfortunately still haven’t seen yet), it must be one of his most famous movies but, to be honest, it wasn’t really good though. Indeed, it was narratively very clunky. For example, at least a 3rd of the story is literally told to us by the characters and not actually displayed on the screen (probably to reduce the costs). Furthermore, all the characters were so poorly developed and underwhelming. Fortunately, Bela Lugosi was pretty good though. Sure, his performance was rather over-the-top but it perfectly fit the material. A nice touch was that Lugosi did pronounce ‘Monsieur’ in a really perfect French accent (I’m French myself). Sure, it’s a small detail but it shows that, even though the guy was typecast in such cheesy horror features, I do believe that he was actually a solid actor. And, yet, I have to admit that the damned thing still worked though. I mean, it did help that it was short and, to be honest, if I would have watched it when I was younger, I probably would have seriously dislike it. Eventually, it all depends if you feel a connection with the mood which was fairly creepy and terribly cheesy at the same time. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, it was still a decent watch and it is worth a look, especially if you like in the genre or if you are interested in Bela Lugosi’s work.

An independent feature made during an era when that translated into poverty row technique and budgetary concerns, White Zombie is remembered as the first zombie horror film. That doesn’t make it a classic, and it certainly doesn’t make it very good, but there’s a certain charm to it to be fair.

Most of the this charm comes from Bela Lugosi, fresh off his star-making turn in Dracula and already misusing that cache to ham it up in atrocious vehicles. Here Lugosi gets to recycle his cracked gentleman shtick, but to lesser effect. His character is much darker, more obviously menacing than the undead count of that Universal Monsters classic. Granted, his character’s obsession with voodoo mysticism smacks of racism and a fundamental misunderstanding of the actual practice. Yet no image better microcosm’s colonialism than the sight of Lugosi’s white mad doctor lording over his brain-dead servants who are indifferent to the death of one of their ranks.

Pity than that despite appearing above the title, Lugosi is more of a supporting player in the ensemble than the leading role. The story concerns an engaged couple (John Harron and Madge Bellamy) who arrive in Haiti to be married, run into a friend (Robert Frazer) who has offered his plantation as their wedding venue. It’s no surprise that this friend has ulterior motives with his offer, and he wants Bellamy all to himself. He turns to Lugosi to turn her into his love slave.

The story indulges in some questionable, even ugly, story choices which are buried in some stylistic camera movements. There are a few stylistic flourishes which liven up the proceedings, but they can’t mask the indifference of most of the actors or the wooden dialog. I struggle to remember anything about Harron, but Bellamy is particularly awful in her recitations of dialog. Once her character goes mute, she blossoms. Effecting a doll-like stare and holding her face in a way that reads as a mask, Bellamy’s zombie love slave is a much better creation than her flesh-and-blood woman. Frazer’s regret and disgust with himself over doing this to Bellamy gives him a chance to emote, and he does fine, but his character doesn’t have much room for him to add color or texture.

There are only two reasons to watch White Zombie: Lugosi’s deliciously hammy turn and the film’s status as the first zombie film. Besides these two talking points, there’s nothing much to offer or satisfy. At only 67 minutes the pacing drags, don’t ask how this was managed, but they found a way. It’s not great, but, in some strange way, it’s worth a cursory look.