Dario Argento is back in great Giallo horror tradition just one year after his debut.
Ennio Morricone returns working again with Argento (and though the tone is different—Morricone is another bridge between the Spaghetti Westerns and Giallo horror).
Argento’s camera tracks forward in his now trademark point-of-view style- pushing through doors
A marvelous cinematic and formal touch employed by Argento is the closeup of the eyeball (of the killer- not to reveal the killer’s identity of course). Argento splices to it at least eight to ten times.
A blind man witnesses the murder (a great Karl Malden)- and of course he is a former journalist. As the POV murders rack up the “maniac theory” is suggested. They use genetic testing for a XYY gene—common in serial killers.
De Palma certainly shares the genre (whether he is Giallo or not depends on who you talk to)- but with the split diopter (a stunner at the 78/79-minute mark- great depth of field shot with James Francisus’ Carlo in the background left- above) seedy/murderous content, tracking point of view camera movement—there are many similarities (Argento predates De Palma’s use of these).
Though Mario Bava is the greater overall influence, one can feel Blow-Up again here just like in Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. Here, a photo of the murder is blown up again.
The title is about the number of suspects.
Big, bold, beautiful gawdy 1970s wallpaper
a stairwell showoff scene at the 60-minute mark
poisoned milk just like Hitchcock
flickering scene transitions just like 1969’s Easy Rider
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