THE ESCAPEES (1981) *** ½
One of the many motifs in director Jean Rollin’s work is a portrayal of two young girls as they go on a strange, almost dreamlike journey together. This motif appears in films like Requiem for a Vampire, The Iron Rose, Schoolgirl Hitchhikers, and Two Orphan Vampires. The Escapees likewise follows this formula and it’s one of Rollin’s most beautiful, haunting, and memorable pictures. It’s also for my money, his best.
Rollin is perhaps better than anyone in taking what on the surface would be an ordinary exploitation picture and reducing it to its barest bones; turning it into what is essentially a Grimm fairy tale. There are moments here that are so poignant and enchanting (like the ice skating sequence) that they just defy logic in terms of plot, but since they are so rich and poetic you can’t help but to be enamored by his genius. Although The Escapees is less steeped in the horror genre than some of his better known work, there are certainly some shocking moments along the way. If you came to the party expecting to see exploitative nudity and sex (another motif in Rollin’s work) you may be a tad disappointed as the exploitation elements are fleeting. However, if you want to see a beautiful film that will stay with you for days, this is a rather incredible one.
The plot has two young women escaping from a mental institution. The rough-and-tumble Michelle (Laurence Dubas) wants to part ways with her new friend, the fragile waif Marie (Christiane Coppe), but she soon realizes she has to hold her hand every step of the way. They soon hook up with a roaming band of exotic dancers who arrange impromptu shows around the town. There, they meet a tough cookie sailor girl (Marianne Valiot) who takes pity on them and tries to book them passage across the sea. When they are invited to a party by a bunch of yuppies, things take a turn for the tragic.
The Escapees is gorgeous to look at, but the real strength lies in Rollin’s ability to make you think the whole thing could be a waking dream. There are moments in that defy realism (like the striptease roadshow that takes place in a junkyard) and way the freeform plotlines dovetail into one another adds to the overall dreamlike feel. The last act is particularly awesome as the flick suddenly becomes a siege movie. It may run on a bit too long (it’s 101 minutes), but any film that starts with a chick in a straightjacket and ends with her firing a submachine gun has got to be some kind of classic.