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Post by peteyt on Dec 30, 2020 8:37:14 GMT -5
The last giallo film I watched, The Bloodstained Butterfly, was a giallo that tried to do a few things differently, mainly in how it focused more on the procedural and court elements. Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion kind of falls into the same area.
The film stars Dagmar Lassander as Minou, who has recently married a businessman. Her husband is often away due to his job and so Minou is often bored and lonely. One day she is stalked and attacked, the stranger removing some of her clothes. He tells her that her husband is actually a murderer and constantly keeps harassing her and blackmailing her, forcing her to perfom sexual acts. However when she decides enough is enough, the stranger does everything to discredit her. As no one else appears to have seen her, people start to question her sanity, wondering if the stranger is even real.
Firstly I really loved the way the film opened because it seems like a typical giallo opening, someone being stalked and then eventually killed. A lot of giallo films open like this, what becomes the first of often many murders. It was a nice surprise when the apparent victim was allowed to escape alive and it also led to an interesting concept – what would you do if you found out the person you loved was possibly a killer? In the film, it is evident Minou loves her husband as we see her willing to be blackmailed and forced into sexual acts to protect her husband.
What actually makes the film more interesting compared to other giallo’s is there aren’t really any murders apart from a few at the end that aren’t really graphic at all. As I mentioned above, to me a typical giallo tends to involve multiple killings, often graphic. Usually someone will get involved, often an innocent bystander, who will try and solve the mystery of the killers identity. There’s no black gloved/mask wearing killer to unmask here, with the film more focused on the question of is her husband a killer.
At first I wasn’t actually keen when I first started watching this film because I generally prefer what I’d class as a traditional giallo, the type mentioned above. However part way through the film, when I realised this wasn’t following the usual path, I found myself accepting this and I started to thoroughly enjoy the film for what it was. I did find the film became more interesting in the second half, and found the use of tension great. I’m not sure if it was the mystery mixed with the tense atmosphere but I could hear my heart beating in anticipation for the reveal. The mystery element is really what makes the film work – There are elements that will make you think the stranger is real and then times when you question Minou’s sanity. There’s also a female friend that you never fully know whose side she is on.
I should also add the film is shot beautifully and this is complimented by the late Ennio Morricone’s beautiful score – Ennio Morricone tends to crop up in a lot of giallo films, and while you can tend to identify it’s him, I always find each score tends to compliment the films so well.
I don’t think there’s a lot I can say, certainly without giving too much away. I will say, like the previous film, if your maybe not the biggest Giallo fan but like a good thriller/mystery, I’d recommend this film, as it sets itself apart from most Giallo’s. There really isn’t much violence at all, and even though one of the main characters is a sex maniac, the nudity is actually very tame.
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Post by NDX on Dec 30, 2020 8:39:59 GMT -5
That's a great title.
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Post by peteyt on Dec 30, 2020 16:24:44 GMT -5
Ha yeah - Giallo films certainly know how to grab your attention. For example there's a modern Giallo I've yet to see that has the title The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears. A great one I watched last year was called The House with Laughing Windows and then there's Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key and many others |
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