They Have Changed Their Face is perhaps the most innovating and original take on the Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. In this intoxicating allegory on capitalism, they substituted the well- trodden Dracula with a successful and powerful businessman, Giovanni Nosferatu, the head of a massive corporation, who invites a low- ranking employee to, from what appears on the exterior as an old dilapidated villa. As soon as he arrives in the locality - things are not quite what they seem. He soon finds the locale nearly deserted with the heavy fog enveloping everything in sight. He tries to ask the few locals for directions but they are behaving most peculiarly, non-compliant and almost in a trance. That should have been a deterrent! Before entering the villa, he meets a young attractive woman. She promptly changes her outward behavior from a free-spirit to a tense and overly manner. The employee eventually comes to the conclusion to himself that, Giovanni Nosferatu, is a vampire.
There are many strange and intriguing details in the film such as the villa, from the exterior, appears as an old dilapidated villa that is crumbling with ancient grounds to a highly modernistic interior, well-stocked with apparatuses that vents out adverts for the products that his corporation sells. From the intimidating band of cars that patrol the grounds of the villa that kills anyone who is trespassing to marketing of illicit products like "domestic LSD" or the nursery offering predetermined career paths for babies. It is a very well-made and stylish horror that throws around references to Godard, Fellini and Bergman. I'm sold!
It is an obvious allegory to capitalism, with the most affluent portrayed as "vampires" who appear to feed off consumerism, hence why They Have Changed Their Face. It is a biting and satirical moody piece, but above all, it is really good and at just 285 votes-it is shockingly unknown to the masses. If this was made in 2017 we would all be saying it was way ahead of its time, but it was in fact made in 1971! They Have Changed Their Face is a thoroughly original and intelligent slice of Italian horror. My vote is a 9.
