Directed by:
Dario ArgentoScreenplay:
Dario ArgentoCinematography:
Vittorio StoraroComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Enrico Maria Salerno, Eva Renzi, Umberto Raho, Renato Romano, Giuseppe Castellano, Mario Adorf, Rosita Torosh, Werner Peters (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Sam, an American writer in Rome, witnesses a murder attempt on the wife of the owner of an art gallery by a sinister man in a raincoat and black leather gloves. The woman survives and the police say that she is the first surviving victim of a notorious serial killer. But when they fail to make any progress with the case, Sam decides to investigate on his own, turning up several clues that point in the direction of just one possible suspect - assuming that he really knows who he's looking for. (Shock Entertainment)
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Reviews (4)
It’s interesting to see how some people can have an intense horror experience with so little: a couple of murdered women, about four drops of blood, a killer in a black cape and a famous name behind the camera. In his horror début, Argento makes the same mistakes he would continue making later on. This means that the technical qualities are fist-rate, there are some nice scenes here and there and the atmosphere is also good at times, but the actors feel as natural as I in a Hip-Hop concert. And I’m not even talking about the “shocking” (ha, ha) ending, which is awfully acted and directed, lacking any tension and with a script that it’s worth shit.
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If it weren't for Argento's garish visual style, his debut would have been a completely average (maybe even slightly below average) murder mystery. I can't help but feel that the acting is simply flat, and the overall impression is saved mostly by the masterful performances of Ennio Morricone and Vittorio Storaro. Still, if I turn a blind eye, it's quite decent as a directorial debut. [60%]
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Giallo thrillers are all about image composition, careful selection of specific locations and adding artistic touch to them, and especially about the atmosphere built on the previous two aspects. From today’s perspective, the point of such films is usually not very exciting and is sometimes naive. Though this Dario Argento film doesn’t shock with its ending, its set designs and camerawork are absolutely top notch – for Argento, the colors of interiors may as well be additional characters in the film. Beautiful “screaming queens”, a bizarre little role for Mario Adorf as a crazy outsider artist living off feline meat, and another unforgettable character of an abhorrent hit man in a yellow jacket that will haunt your dreams. The latter’s scene in the bus parking lot, edited in a hypnotic and unsettling manner, is the most suspenseful part of the entire film. For me, this is decidedly a better giallo than Argento’s famous Deep Red.
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Visually it’s very beautiful, but the story and the twist are so stupid. Argento had a flair for composition, but his scripts – with rare exceptions – are rubbish.
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