STACK April 2016 Issue 138

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visit DVD&BD FEATURE
34 APRIL 2016
DVD
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If you're an adventurous viewer who's eager to leave the comfort zone
of generic Hollywood blockbusters, let STACK's Scott Hocking point
you towards strange and exciting new frontiers in cinema, and explain
what you need to know prior to taking the plunge.
[Note: Some titles discussed may not be available on DVD and Blu-ray, so please check the JB Hi-Fi website.]
Distinguishing Characteristics
Largely indebted to the aforementioned
novels and the films of Alfred Hitchcock,
giallo thrillers are murder mysteries featuring
nonsensical plots and characters, deceptive
flashbacks, and embellished with graphic
violence, nudity, groovy
soundtracks and a
distinctively colourful and
slick visual style.
The protagonist is
often a foreigner visiting
Europe (usually Rome) who
witnesses a brutal murder
and then attempts to solve
it. The police and detectives are portrayed as
clueless idiots who only serve to hinder the
amateur sleuth’s investigations.
The killers wear black leather gloves and/or
a black trenchcoat with a high collar and a hat
to obscure their identity. They are frequently
female, or there can be two murderers in order
throw the audience off the scent. Their weapon
of choice is usually a straight razor or a large
knife, although some are more creative.
The killer’s motivation usually stems from
some form of childhood trauma, sexual
deviancy or strange medical condition (eg.
an extra Y chromosome inducing criminal
tendencies).
The murder set pieces are graphic and
highly stylised, with victims
often dispatched in brightly
lit apartments, museums or
galleries, sometimes in full view
of a witness.
Giallo films have very long
and extravagant titles that
sometimes include reference
to an animal: The Bird with
the Crystal Plumage, The Cat o' Nine Tails,
The Black Belly of the Tarantula, Four Flies on
Grey Velvet, The Night Evelyn Came Out of the
Grave, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, and the
best one of all: Your Vice is a Locked Room and
Only I Have the Key.
The filmmakers favour bold primary colours
and close-ups of eyes (a nod to the voyeuristic
nature of the films), bathroom taps and running
water. They frequently cast international stars
(like David Hemmings and Karl Malden) to
increase sales potential outside Italy. Their
composers of choice include Ennio Morricone
and the prog-rock group Goblin.
The films are technically accomplished,
boasting inventive cinematography and style to
burn. This compensates for failures in plotting
and characterisation. There are exceptions
to the rule, but giallo films are best enjoyed
for their visuals and mood rather than their
narratives.
Where to Start
A killer stalks models in a prestigious fashion
house in Rome and suspicion falls upon just
about everybody in Mario Bava’s visually
ravishing and incredibly atmospheric Blood and
Black Lace (1964). The prototype of the giallo
thriller, it introduces the key
elements that would define
the genre.
Bava’s groundbreaking film
established the template
for gialli and Dario Argento
expanded and popularised
it with his debut feature
The Bird with the Crystal
Plumage (1970). A huge
BEGINNER’S
GUIDE
#1 - ITALIAN GIALLO THRILLERS
What is giallo?
Italian for ‘yellow’ – the distinguishing colour of the covers of Italian-translated crime fiction
paperbacks from authors like Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler. The term
giallo was adopted
for the cycle of Italian-made film thrillers popular during the 1960s and ‘70s, featuring murder mystery
elements.
The giallo cycle bridged the gap between the crime-thriller and the slasher movie, and was highly
influential on directors like John Carpenter, Brian De Palma and Guillermo del Toro. Some cineastes
argue that giallo is a style, not a genre. Blood and Black Lace