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The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, 1970
Sam (Tony Musante) is an American writer living in Italy with his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall). One night while out walking, Sam witnesses the attempted murder of a woman named Monica (Eva Renzi) by a mysterious figure in black. Monica survives, but Sam becomes aware of a series of killings of women taking place in the city. Working alongside a police detective named Morosini (Enrico Maria Salerno), Sam becomes determined to identify the killer.
Sometimes a really excellent scene can bless a film with good vibes, and that was definitely the case for me with this one. Yes, there is some silliness that ensues (some intentional, some not), but the opening sequence was incredibly thrilling and it put me in a good mood that endured for the rest of the film.
Walking along the street, Sam catches sight of two figures struggling at the top of a staircase. Seeing what he sees, the camera dips back so that the figures are out of sight, then forward again to get a better look. As Sam draws close, Monica is stabbed in the stomach. Trying to help her, Sam goes through a set of glass doors, only for the killer to close another set behind him. Trapped between the two sections of glass, Sam can only watch powerlessly as Monica slowly drags herself along the floor, reaching her bloodied hand out for help that he cannot give. The scene stretches on and on. Sam is finally able to attract the attention of a man who calls the police, but we can feel the time and the feeling of impotence as he watches a woman dying in front of him.
Nothing else in the film is as good as this opening, but the rest is perfectly serviceable. The killer is fond of taunting the police---and later Sam--with phone calls. Sam must track down several leads, including a strange painting connected to one of the victims and interviewing a pimp who was a suspect in one of the killings. Musante makes for a good lead, and the rapport between Sam and Julia adds some fun to the film.
We only really see one murder, with the rest of the thrills coming from different attacks on Sam himself and against Julia. At the same time, I enjoyed the repeated flashbacks to the original attack, as Sam tries to figure out what he noticed that just wasn't right.
It's definitely hard to take some of the police technology with a straight face. While it might have been era-appropriate, many of the science elements just feel a little silly. A lot of it feels made up (like using an oscilloscope to tell if two voices came from the same person) and it's hard to take it seriously.
Overall a solid thriller with some good twists right up until the last few minutes.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, 1970
Sam (Tony Musante) is an American writer living in Italy with his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall). One night while out walking, Sam witnesses the attempted murder of a woman named Monica (Eva Renzi) by a mysterious figure in black. Monica survives, but Sam becomes aware of a series of killings of women taking place in the city. Working alongside a police detective named Morosini (Enrico Maria Salerno), Sam becomes determined to identify the killer.
Sometimes a really excellent scene can bless a film with good vibes, and that was definitely the case for me with this one. Yes, there is some silliness that ensues (some intentional, some not), but the opening sequence was incredibly thrilling and it put me in a good mood that endured for the rest of the film.
Walking along the street, Sam catches sight of two figures struggling at the top of a staircase. Seeing what he sees, the camera dips back so that the figures are out of sight, then forward again to get a better look. As Sam draws close, Monica is stabbed in the stomach. Trying to help her, Sam goes through a set of glass doors, only for the killer to close another set behind him. Trapped between the two sections of glass, Sam can only watch powerlessly as Monica slowly drags herself along the floor, reaching her bloodied hand out for help that he cannot give. The scene stretches on and on. Sam is finally able to attract the attention of a man who calls the police, but we can feel the time and the feeling of impotence as he watches a woman dying in front of him.
Nothing else in the film is as good as this opening, but the rest is perfectly serviceable. The killer is fond of taunting the police---and later Sam--with phone calls. Sam must track down several leads, including a strange painting connected to one of the victims and interviewing a pimp who was a suspect in one of the killings. Musante makes for a good lead, and the rapport between Sam and Julia adds some fun to the film.
We only really see one murder, with the rest of the thrills coming from different attacks on Sam himself and against Julia. At the same time, I enjoyed the repeated flashbacks to the original attack, as Sam tries to figure out what he noticed that just wasn't right.
It's definitely hard to take some of the police technology with a straight face. While it might have been era-appropriate, many of the science elements just feel a little silly. A lot of it feels made up (like using an oscilloscope to tell if two voices came from the same person) and it's hard to take it seriously.
Overall a solid thriller with some good twists right up until the last few minutes.