L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo (1970)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Dario Argento

Writer:

Dario Argento (writer)

Release Date:

12 June 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A stunning portrait in psycho-terror!

Plot:

A writer is stalked by a serial killer after witnessing a murder attempt on one woman's life.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Killer | Serial Killer | Writer | Murder Attempt

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tony Musante	...	Sam Dalmas
Suzy Kendall	...	Julia
Enrico Maria Salerno	...	Inspector Morosini
Eva Renzi	...	Monica Ranieri
Umberto Raho	...	Alberto Ranieri
Renato Romano	...	Professor Carlo Dover (as Raf Valenti)
Giuseppe Castellano	...	Monti
Mario Adorf	...	Berto Consalvi
Pino Patti	...	Faiena
Gildo Di Marco	...	Garullo
Rosita Torosh	...	4th Victim (as Rosa Toros)
Omar Bonaro	...	Police Detective
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Police Detective
Werner Peters	...	Antique Dealer
Karen Valenti	...	Tina, 5th Victim

Also Known As:

Bird with the Glass Feathers
Das Geheimnis der schwarzen Handschuhe (West Germany)
Phantom of Terror
Point of Terror (USA) (alternative title)
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (USA)
The Gallery Murders

Runtime:

98 min | Argentina:105 min | Germany:101 min | Netherlands:92 min | USA:96 min | Finland:97 min (1972) | Belgium:108 min (VHS version)

Country:

Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Norway:16 (1971) | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2005) | UK:18 (video rating) (1983) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Agnano, Naples, Campania, Italy

Company:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)

Trivia:

This was the first solo directing credit for Dario Argento.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At Wilkinson foundation near the beginning of the movie, the silhouette of a cameraman can be seen in the displays glass.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grindhouse (2007)

Argento's first stab is a deep one!

Splendid debut film for Italian horror master Dario Argento that nearly single-handedly launched the giallo genre.

American writer vacationing in Italy prevents a murder at an art gallery, then finds himself a pawn in the killer's deadly game.

Argento, who would go on to make such classic horror films as Deep Red (1975) and Suspiria (1977), shows his directorial talents well with this first film. Argento makes excellent use of such simple elements, like darkness, close up shots, and rustic locations to give this film a wonderfully garish style! He builds tight suspense through out the film, all the while giving us a nicely twisted murder mystery. The mystery is a gripping one, based upon Frederic Brown's novel The Screaming Mimi. The climax of the film is a truly clever twist. Composer Ennio Morricone adds greatly to the films dark atmosphere with his hauntingly beautiful music score. The film also sports one of the best titles of the giallo genre 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'.

The films cast does some good performances, the best being sexy Tony Musante as the films hero turned civilian investigator.

A terrific film, that is a must see not just for fans of Argentos work, but for those seeking a great thriller or clever murder mystery.

**** out of ****