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 - but Sam is powerless to do anything as he gets trapped between a double set of glass doors in going to her aid. 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...
After only a few italian horror movies under my belt, i am hooked. I love the Giallo style. And this early Argento is typical of that style. The score, the visuals and of coarse the black leather gloved killer.
Whilst walking back home, American writer Sam Dalmas (who is in Rome to spend a little bit of time with his girlfriend, before he has to give his new book over to his publishers) walks by a newly-opened art gallery, just as he is about to keep walking passed the gallery, Sam suddenly notices that a woman is getting attacked by someone who is trying to stab her. Due to the doors having a strange locking system, Sam is not able to reach the girl (although he may have cached a glimpse of the attackers face.)
Luckally because of all the noise that Sam has been making,the killer makes a quick run for it, before anyone else arrives. With the main doors at last being open, Sam is at last able to get to the girl, who is still just about alive. As the police arrive at the scene, they understandabre first think that Sam is the murderer, but as the police interview Dalmas, they start to have mixed feeling about him being the murderer. Although the police decide that to be on the safe side, they will keep Sams passport so he is unable to run out of the country. Over time, Sam is able to gain the trust of some of the detectives in Rome, who revele to him that they suspect that the attempted murder of the woman was done by a vicious serial killer that they have been tracking (and falling to find) for some time. As Sam tries to relax by spending time with his girlfriend, the memories of the attack that he saw keep haunting him. This leads to Dalmas deciding that he can not just fade into the background whilst the bodies mount up as the police seem to get feather away from solving the case, so Sam decides that he should investigate the murder case himself. Although as Dalmas seems to be gathering speed as he discover clues to who the killer may be, the killer starts gathering speed in targeting Sam and his girlfriend as the next victims..
When watching this film,one of the things that I was instantly struck by was the stunning directing by Dario Argento. For this being his first ever film, Argento already looks like someone who has perfected their craft, from the David Lynch style opening,which has a strange feel of uneasiness, to the last twenty minute chase for the kill, where Dario siloettes the scenes in an extremely striking manner. Whilst Argento does have a very artistic eye for the look of the film, it is also very easy to see that Dario loves to fill people up with suspense, (a great segment in the film has,Argento giving a nod to "the master of suspense" by featuring an actor in an extended-cameo, who also starred in Hitchcocks film The Man Who Knew Too much) and to completely surprise them, with some very nasty murders, which are also very well devised and excellently stylised, to create some really terrific murder scenes.
Along with his stunning directing, Argento is also able to write a tension-packed screenplay, that makes the pace of the film move at an almost unstoppable speed, with the scenes that show Dalmas trying to figar out the identity of the killer by using the evidence that he has gathered and the scrambled moments of his memory really pulling the audience in, and making you feeling a strong desire for Sam to find the killer. For the absolutely jaw-dropping twist at the end of the film, Argento hints at the ending in some very clever subt ways in the film, which become much more noticeable on repeat viewings,although it is still unable to diminish the impressiveness of Dario getting the audiences predictions of the killer, to be completely destroyed, by the shocking revelation of the true identity of the serial killer.
A nail-biting, gripping Giallo with, an excellent suspense filled screenplay,that is matched by truly astonishing directing,from an amazing young talent.
Bring on more Giallo, bring on more Argento.
8/10
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