Coventry Review of The Evil Eye

The Evil Eye (1963)

A Giallo mystery that even Hitchcock himself would appreciate!

[9/10 · 7 March 2005]

"The Girl who knew too much" is a terrific film and I personally have the advantage that it unites two of my all-time favorite cinema persons. Mario Bava (the greatest director who ever lived) directs John Saxon (one of the most charismatic actors ever) in this genuinely creepy and well-constructed Italian milestone. This outstanding Bava effort might be considered as the very first Giallo ever made: the Italian variant on the detective-story, complete with slick plot twists, macabre visuals and extravagant characters. The story centers on Nora, a beautiful young American whose vacation in Rome starts out miserable. She's almost mistaken for a soft-drugs smuggler at the airport, her beloved aunt dies right after her arrival, she's robbed and – on top of all – she witnesses a vile murder during her first night. When she comes to her senses, it seems that all the traces that could lead to the killer have been erased and no one believes her. Along with the handsome doctor Bassi (Saxon!), the stubborn Nora starts her own private investigation that brings her close to "the Alphabet Killer" who was active in the area ten years earlier. Bava stuffs his film with tributes and references towards Hitchcock's repertoire (the title alone is an obvious homage) but he certainly is a good match for "the master of suspense" himself. The soundtrack is perfect and the atmospheric black and white cinematography even increases the already high-tension level. This latter aspect is quite ironic, as Mario Bava is especially famous for his brilliant use of color. I stated this in all my Bava-reviews but I can't repeat it enough: Mario Bava was a genius and every single one of his cinema achievements is an absolute must for horror fanatics. You'll never see so much beauty and elegance in movies that actually handle about morbid topics.