Giornata nera per l'ariete (1971)

Director:

Luigi Bazzoni

Writers:

Luigi Bazzoni
Mario di Nardo
(more)

Release Date:

January 1975 (USA)

Genre:

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:

Victim | Murder | Reporter | Gloves | Crime Scene

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)
Irio Fantini
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean-Pierre Clarain	...	Journalist in Bini's Home (uncredited)
Nando Sarlo	...	Man in Black Tie (uncredited)

Directed by
Luigi Bazzoni

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Luigi Bazzoni
David McDonald Devine		novel (as D.M. Devine)
Mario di Nardo
Mario Fanelli		(as Mario Fenelli)

Produced by
Manolo Bolognini	....	producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro

Film Editing by
Eugenio Alabiso

Production Design by
Gastone Carsetti

Costume Design by
Fiorenzo Senese

Makeup Department
Maria Angelini	....	hair stylist
Vittorio Biseo	....	makeup artist
Marisa Marconi	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paolo Frascá	....	production manager
Carlo Giovagnorio	....	production manager
Ugo Valenti	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luciano Marin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Claudio Cinini	....	assistant production designer

Camera and Electrical Department
Angelo Novi	....	still photographer
Mauro Pezzotti	....	grip
Enrico Umetelli	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Lorenzo Costantini	....	assistant editor
Giuseppe Romano	....	assistant editor

Production Companies

• B.R.C. Produzione S.r.l.

Distributors

• Scotia American (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Salvation Films (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• Blue Underground (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Evil Fingers" - USA (dubbed version)
"The Fifth Cord" - USA (DVD title)

Runtime:

UK:88 min | Italy:90 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Not Rated | Germany:16 | UK:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Company:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in Giornata nera (2006) (V)

Ambiance, architecture, atmosphere...

A stylish, atmospheric giallo. Great score, great locations, superb cinematography by the great Storaro. The story, however, is quite muddled, but here, the mood makes up for that to a large extent. The cheesiest moments are the killings, where the cinematography jarringly becomes quite sloppy and day/night continuity goes out the window. This film makes me more curious about Luigi Bazzonis Footprints On The Moon/Le Orme, which I came across on VHS in a second-hand store many years ago. I was intrigued by the cover and the summary on the box, but I stupidly did not buy it. Regretting that the day after, I went there again and it was gone. Now my hope lies with Blue Underground, may they soon release it on DVD. Back to The Fifth Cord, its interesting to watch the blocking of some dialog scenes. What could easily have become, in a lesser director and cinematographers hands, simple crosscutting between two talking heads, here often becomes beautifully composed wide shots, sometimes with a dolly, sometimes static, using the rooms, spaces and architecture in a very cinematic way, and with great variety of the framing. A great lesson for aspiring filmmakers.