Spirits of the Dead

Spirits of the Dead stitches three Edgar Allan Poe tales into a stylish European anthology. In one segment a cold hearted countess is haunted by a spectral horse that seems to belong to a dark past. In another, a young man courted by cruelty encounters a malevolent double that mirrors his every move. The third tale follows an aging alcoholic actor whose bravado crumbles under the pressure of a demonic presence that circles his performances. The film blends lush, theatrical design with a satirical edge, letting each director stamp his own mood on the material while preserving Poe's fascination with guilt, temptation, and the uncanny. The film is a mood piece, more about atmosphere than whodunits.

Produced as an omnibus in 1968, Spirits of the Dead pairs Federico Fellini Louis Malle and Roger Vadim with three Poe tales, updating the author for a European audience. Brigitte Bardot Alain Delon Jane Fonda Terence Stamp anchor the cast.

Spirits of the Dead stands out for pairing pop icons with daring art house sensibilities. Bardot Delon Fonda lend star glamour to Poe while Fellini Malle and Vadim push the boundaries of genre by blending mood, beauty and dread in a way few thrillers of the era did.

Critics have greeted Spirits of the Dead with mixed reactions, praising its audacious mood and performances while noting uneven pacing across segments. The tales probe obsession, duplicity, intoxication and the lure of the other self, with Poe’s gothic pulse felt through a modern European lens.