THE WILD HUNT OF KING STAKH is a film that I've never heard of before watching, but I was in for a treat with this one. It's a Russian film made in 1980 and tinged with the usual surreal fairy tale elements, but this isn't a fantasy film at all; rather, it's a full-blooded Gothic horror with much in common with the Italian Gothic cycle of the 1960s and beyond. Antonio Margheriti's WEB OF THE SPIDER would be a good reference point for this movie.
The story is simplistic and acts as a rail on which to hang a series of surrealistic set-pieces, all of them dripping with Gothic atmosphere. A couple move into a remote house in the fog-enshrouded countryside and the wife becomes obsessed with the titular legend. When they start hearing phantom horses outside the house, things become really eerie. THE WILD HUNT OF KING STAKH is a visual masterpiece, with excellent sets and scenery and solid performances from the put-upon leads. The whole thing is infused with foreboding and builds to a suitably horrific and ghostly climax. It's a very rewarding viewing experience.
The story is simplistic and acts as a rail on which to hang a series of surrealistic set-pieces, all of them dripping with Gothic atmosphere. A couple move into a remote house in the fog-enshrouded countryside and the wife becomes obsessed with the titular legend. When they start hearing phantom horses outside the house, things become really eerie. THE WILD HUNT OF KING STAKH is a visual masterpiece, with excellent sets and scenery and solid performances from the put-upon leads. The whole thing is infused with foreboding and builds to a suitably horrific and ghostly climax. It's a very rewarding viewing experience.