This is a Gothic curiosity written by Jean Cocteau, who plays the spooky baron himself, eventually turning into a mummy. His sister comes there with two minor girls, being broke and trying to find a new home, why they settle in the spooky castle, a place like fetched directly out of Edgar Allan Poe. The girls make friends with a loical peasant boy, who eventually grows up into Alain Cuny, always a most fascinating actor, especially for his performances in "Les visiteurs du soir" and the colour version of the fifties with Gina Lollobrigida and Athnony Quinn in "Notre Dame de Paris"("The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in a very French version,) where Alain Cuny plays Claude Frollo, the mad priest. Here he is a most sympathetic character winning more sympathy all the way, until his real identity is revealed, and then there is a party. It is very expressionistic, reminding of the best days of German expressionism, and the story is not too bad - it even finds a happy ending with everyone most content. It's the Gothic scenes however that make the film worth watching, especially the extremely suggestive somnambulant scene, which is quite outstanding in cinema history, for its poetry, beauty and extreme romanticism. The film is a curiosity and invaluable as such, fitting into the pattern of other Cocteau films like "The Beauty and the Beast" and "L'aigle à deux têtes" and is extremely atmospheric - while you could do without the comedy element.
Review of The Phantom Baron
