Orig. Release Date: June 12, 1970
Studio: Central Cinema Film Co.
Genre: Horror/Mystery
UNRATED     1 hr 38 mins

CAST:

Tony Musante: Sam Dalmas
Suzy Kendall: Julia
Enrico Maria Salerno: Inspector Morosini
Eva Renzi: Monica Ranieri
Umberto Raho: Alberto Ranieri
Mario Adorf: Berto Consalvi

Many people who have followed the career of Italian horror director Dario Argento know about films such as Suspiria, Tenebre, and Deep Red.  However, he first started in the giallo subgenre, and as evidenced by his giallo animal trilogy (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Cat O’Nine Tails, Four Flies on Grey Velvet), he was still finding his own style.  Nowhere was that more evident than on his debut The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.  Even though the movie was far from his best work, it is still very good and provides hints that he was developing his own style.

The plot of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage centers around American writer Sam Dalmas (Musante), who is in Italy while on assignment.  While heading back to his apartment, he witnesses an attempted murder.  However, Dalmas only sees the victim and a person in all black, and soon, the police begin to grill him about what he saw that evening.  Soon, that leads to Dalmas being forced to stay in Italy until the murder gets solved, which sets his girlfriend Julia (Kendall) and him within the killer’s crosshairs.  While they are attempting to solve the murders before they leave for home in America, the killer strikes again with murders of a few more women, mixed in with attempts on Dalmas’ life.   Do Sam and Julia solve the murder, or are they statistics for the deranged killer?  The ending will surprise you, which is all I can say, for I don’t want to give away the whole movie.  The first major hint you get that it is an Argento film is the use of the gloved hands, which are provided by the director himself.  One of the things that make The Bird with the Crystal Plumage a worthwhile film is that it keeps the viewer in suspense until the end.  The camera angles make the viewer feel a part of the movie, especially when it comes to the killer’s point of view.  The camera angle when a victim falls to his death is especially done well, as it is simulated well and even makes the viewer feel like they were falling to their death.  As for the murders, they aren’t especially violent, but the moments preceding the deaths are done in a manner that invokes dread, even though the viewer know what will happen next, to the point that the actual murder doesn’t need to be on screen.  As usual with the giallo subgenre, there are red herrings abound, which could have been reduced by a few, since they inundate the movie with a few too many details to follow, such as the man in the yellow jacket who attempts to shoot Dalmas, but they aren’t too intrusive to the central plot of the film.  The film soundtrack, done by Ennio Morricone, provides a rather slick companion to the action in the film without being too strong.  Even the minor characters in the film are overly developed to the point where the viewer may suspect them as the possible murderer.

If you’re expecting a gore fest on The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, you will be disappointed.  However, those who seek an intelligent whodunit will find lots to like about the film.  From the lead character that keeps trying to piece together what he saw the evening of the murder to the suspense that leads to the climax of the film, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is one of the better films in the giallo subgenre.  A solid debut effort from Argento, the movie offers a base from which his subsequent movies would take some of their cues.  This movie is a definite must for fans of the giallo subgenre, as well as Argento enthusiasts.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

March 1, 2010

Reviewer: Peter

DIRECTOR:

Dario Argento

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