I had heard about the giallo genre and had been curious to check out a film or two. I grabbed the very first one that I came across and it turned out to be this film.
The first thing to strike me was the camera work. Of course, by today's standards it seems outdated, but judging a film from the 1970s by today's standards is simply wrong. Argento's direction is captivating and conveys the feeling of being stalked very well. Audience can feel the paranoia of the main protagonist. There were some moments that would stand out even today (especially the ending) As for the plot, it's a murder mystery with some blackmailing thrown in, but finding out who the murderer is is not that complicated. I found the plot rather weak. The characters seemed quite stereotypical (the gay detective is hilariously funny). we also get some psychology explanation (that really doesn't explain much) and probably the stupidest murder motive I have ever seen in a film. I'm sorry, but it was seriously disappointing.
So did I like it? I think yes, I did. But it's definitely not a film for everyone. It's slow and more atmospheric than bloody. Yet it does have a certain charm of its own.
The first thing to strike me was the camera work. Of course, by today's standards it seems outdated, but judging a film from the 1970s by today's standards is simply wrong. Argento's direction is captivating and conveys the feeling of being stalked very well. Audience can feel the paranoia of the main protagonist. There were some moments that would stand out even today (especially the ending) As for the plot, it's a murder mystery with some blackmailing thrown in, but finding out who the murderer is is not that complicated. I found the plot rather weak. The characters seemed quite stereotypical (the gay detective is hilariously funny). we also get some psychology explanation (that really doesn't explain much) and probably the stupidest murder motive I have ever seen in a film. I'm sorry, but it was seriously disappointing.
So did I like it? I think yes, I did. But it's definitely not a film for everyone. It's slow and more atmospheric than bloody. Yet it does have a certain charm of its own.