Giornata nera per l'ariete (1971)

Director:

Luigi Bazzoni

Writers:

Luigi Bazzoni (writer)
David McDonald Devine (novel)

Release Date:

January 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

An alcoholic journalist finds himself on the trail of a murderer after the police make him a suspect in their investigation.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Victim | Journalist | Investigation | Police

Cast

Franco Nero	...	Andrea Bild
Silvia Monti	...	Helene
Wolfgang Preiss	...	Police Inspector
Ira von Fürstenberg	...	Isabel Lancia
Edmund Purdom	...	Edouard Vermont
Rossella Falk	...	Sophia Bini
Renato Romano	...	Dr. Richard Bini
Guido Alberti	...	Traversi
Luciano Bartoli	...	Walter Auer (as Luciano Baroli)
Agostina Belli	...	Giulia
Maurizio Bonuglia	...	John Lubbock
Pamela Tiffin	...	Lu Auer
Corrado Gaipa	...	Editor
Andrea Scotti	...	Vogel
Luigi Antonio Guerra		(as Guerra L. Antonio)

Also Known As:

Evil Fingers (USA) (dubbed version)
The Fifth Cord

Runtime:

UK:88 min | Italy:90 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 | UK:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Not Rated

Company:

B.R.C. Produzione S.r.l.

A Rock-Solid Giallo That Is A True Feast For The Eyes

"The Fifth Cord" (1971) is a rock-solid if meaninglessly titled giallo ("The Fifth Finger" might have made more sense) that, despite the low-cc count bloodwise, should manage to satisfy most viewers. In it, Franco Nero plays a very handsome but hard-drinking reporter (so hard-drinking that he swills J&B from the bottle while driving!) who investigates after a serial killer begins to slay his quickly diminishing circle of friends. Though fans of these gialli should recognize any number of Euro stars in this film, the real stars of the show, in this case, are surely behind the camera. Luigi Bazzoni's direction is stylish and fluid as can be, maestro Ennio Morricone's score is by turns atmospheric and unsettling, and, most importantly, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro's lensing here is truly a work of art. Indeed, this is one of the best-looking gialli that I have ever seen. As far as the plot goes, yes, it does hold together, the murderer does not appear out of far left field at the end, and there are several quite suspenseful sequences. I especially appreciated two near the end, with the killer stalking a young boy, and with Nero chasing and duking it out with the crazed wacko in a deserted building. Despite the presence of seemingly unavoidable red herrings, I was able to look back at this film's story afterward and realize that it did indeed cohere logically. And how nice to see American actress Pamela Tiffin, after her '60s ingenue roles, playing such a sultry sexpot here. Meow! Actually, the only thing that bothered me about "The Fifth Cord" was its time frame. The picture seems to transpire over the course of a mere week or two, and yet by the stated dates of the homicides at the film's end, one realizes that over 4 1/2 months have elapsed! I guess time truly does fly when the viewer is having fun....