At his best Dario Argento weaves thrillers that not only keep us guessing with ingenious twists, they end leaving the audience thinking about the ramifications of what transpired. The director takes the signature ultra-violent death scenes of the Italian giallos and gives them artistic flare. In this outing, Argento comments on how art and reality collide.
Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa, DEATH WISH II) is an American writer who is very popular in Europe. Upon a tour promoting his latest book, he gets a letter from a killer inspired by his work. With his dedicated assistants Anne (Daria Nicolodi, DEEP RED) and Gianni (Christiano Borromeo, HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK), Paul starts his own investigation into the murders. This worries his literary agent Bullmer (John Saxon, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET). He must also deal with the likes of his bitter ex-wife Jane (Veronica Lario); Tilde (Mirella D’Angelo, THE POPE MUST DIE), a lesbian journalist, who questions the sexist undertones of his novels; and TV interviewer Christiano Berti (John Steiner, MARAT/SADE), who is a huge fan of his work.
Life imitates art in this production. Argento takes on his critics and fans alike. He also incorporates many of his signature details. Innocent outsiders pulled into murder mysteries. Sexual undertones. Characters obsessed with running details of a witnessed murder over in their heads. Bloody, bloody murders. Argento uses stark red blood against a bright white wall is a garish dose of inspired imagery at one point. Once all the secrets are revealed Argento is having fun with his own persona as well.
Even some of the weaknesses can be seen as comments by Argento on his previous work. Maria (Lara Wendel), the young daughter of Paul’s landlord, is involved in a bizarre contrivance, a criticism of Argento's work. Some of the female performances are over-the-top to say the least. But pay attention to which characters give the most melodramatic performances, could Argento be winking at his critics?
While Argento shows his hand a bit early for the observant viewer, the who becomes less important than the why and how, which we're kept wondering about until the end. Well drawn characters make us interested in more than murders as well. Paul writes about death and obsessions. Think a literary early Brian DePalma story. He's trying to live a normal life, embracing a new love, but can he escape the dark side?
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
