The Bird with the Crystal Plumage – 1970
Director
Dario Argento
Writer
Dario Argento
Cast
Tony Musante
Suzy Kendall
Enrico Maria Salerno
Review by Wayne Malin
Very good, especially for Argento fans,
A writer notices a woman being attacked and tries to save her. She survives…but now the killer is after him. A very early Argento film (I believe his first) shows all the trademarks that he perfected in his later films–shots from the killers POV; the killer being in a black trenchcoat; the stalking sequences; the eye looking through the hole in the door; the killings; the great use of wide screen.
The only thing missing is graphic gore (the film is PG)…there are murders but they’re pretty tame. The story is fairly interesting with huge gaps in logic (an Argento trademark) and has some very good, suspenseful moments.
The dubbing does detract and the acting is pretty bad, but Argento keeps things moving quickly and some of his direction is astounding.
Worth seeing. If you’re an Argento fan (like me) this is a must-see. Also, it has to be seen in a theatre or letter-boxed…that’s the only way it would work.
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