Dario Argento is renowned as one of cinemas great masters of horror, but before he emerged in that genre, he cut his teeth making Noir-like crime thrillers that belong to the Italian giallo genre (violent, sexy Italian crime films). The very first film he directed is also one of the best films of this genre and is credited as the film that led to the popularization of Italian giallo. “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage”, is this first movie, boasting a startling and almost perfect combination of artistic flair and sleazy pulp art. Tarantino was staring straight at Argento and this movie when he developed his own distinct style with, “Pulp Fiction”.
Sam Dalmas (Tony Musente) is an American writer vacationing in Rome with his English model girlfriend Julia (Suzy Kendall), when he comes across what looks like an attempted murder. The attack occurs in an art gallery and Sam is trapped between two mechanically operated glass doors while the attack is taking place. He witnesses a woman being attacked by a mysterious raincoat wearing, black gloved, knife wielding assailant. It is Sam’s call for help that seemingly saves the woman from certain death. A serial killer is running rampant in Rome, and Initially the police suspect it is the same person who attacked the woman, and regard Sam as a person of interest, disallowing him from leaving the country until the end of their investigation. He in turn uses this time to do his own investigation into the murders, which results in making him and Julia targets of the killer. In addition, Sam keeps getting flashbacks to the attack he witnessed, and has a nagging feeling that something was not quite what it seemed in the attack.
This is probably one of the most Hitchcock referenced movies that I have ever seen. Argento pays homage to Hitch numerous times in the film. From Sam being considered a suspect, to Sam knowing too much for his own safety, he is a typical Hitchcockian hero. His witness of the attack, while trapped between two glass doors is reminiscent of Jimmy Stewart witnessing a murder in, “Rear Window”. To top it all off, the movie ends, like Hitch’s, “Psycho”, with a long explanation to the motives of the killer by a psychiatrist. Paying homage to a master if done with style is not a bad thing and “The bird with the Crystal Plumage”, is loaded with style.
With this movie Argento was sharpening a style that would serve him well when he eventually moved into the horror genre. The use of filming from the point of the view of the victim adds an edge of terror to the murder scenes. From there the point of view of the killing reverts to that of the killer. The result is that I was first allowed to feel the fear of the helpless victim before thrust into the mind of the deranged. At this point I was still identifying with the fear of the victim while watching her die through the eyes of her killer. This is a trick that Argento would return to time and again during his successful forays in the horror genre.
Working alongside the great cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, Argento includes some very impressive set pieces in the movie, such as a death fall seen through the eyes of the man about to die, and the entrapment of Sam by an almost torture chamber like piece of artwork. The killings that are shown cut away from the act at the last moment before zeroing in on splattered blood. There are complex edits of the killings that rival Pyscho’s shower scene. A visual beauty to many of the scenes found in the movie belay its trashy source material.
In addition to being a stylistic thriller, “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage”, is also a great mystery, that has an extremely satisfying ending. That is a rare feat, as endings to mysteries can either be obvious or contrived. Here it is neither, as not only did I find the surprise ending believable, but it also adds more depth to everything that came before it.
“The Bird with the Crystal Plumage” gives homage to a master, using a crime film premise, while adding its own unique style that is refreshing and new. It is a terrifically entertaining thriller, that is a feast for the eyes.
1001 Movies before you die 