Sette scialli di seta gialla (1972)

Sette scialli di seta gialla: Directed by Sergio Pastore. With Anthony Steffen, Sylva Koscina, Giovanna Lenzi, Renato De Carmine. A blind pianist tries to figure out who is responsible for a string of murders using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare.

“The first half of this giallo is fairly undistinguished, especially since it blatantly copies Mario Bava (the fashion-house setting being lifted, yet again, from BLOOD AND BLACK LACE [1964]) and Dario Argento (borrowing its blind hero-turned-sleuth from THE CAT Ou0026#39;NINE TAILS [1971]). However, the film is stylish enough (particularly the zoom-happy murder sequences) and the plot convoluted enough (taking in a plethora of shady characters invariably involved in adultery, drug-taking, blackmail and revenge) to overcome its basic lack of originality; the circus-world back-story, then, should perhaps excuse its uniquely far-fetched murder method…though the seven yellow-silk shawls referred to in the original Italian title are equally insignificant! u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmu0026#39;s pulsating score by Manuel De Sica (son of neo-realist master film-maker and versatile actor Vittorio De Sica) is serviceable but unremarkable, as is the cast led by Anthony Steffen, Sylva Koscina (in what at first appears to be merely an extended cameo) and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart. Its use of nudity is very discreet (though it doesnu0026#39;t appear that any cutting was done, I havenu0026#39;t been able to establish the filmu0026#39;s correct running time; the print I watched was around 94 mins. in PAL format, but some sources list versions running as long as 108 mins.!) and the gore only truly surfaces at the very end (with a particularly nasty shower murder, shamelessly ripping off Hitchcocku0026#39;s PSYCHO [1960] – but remaining, for my money, one of the genreu0026#39;s most memorable set-pieces). After the mystery has supposedly been solved (and the revelation of the killeru0026#39;s identity having thus proved quite lame and lazy, in my opinion), the film manages to pull the rug from under our feet – so much so that I had to watch the ending twice! – by providing one final twist. By the way, the decision to conclude the film in mid-sequence on a freeze-frame is another Argento influence, namely FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET (1971)! u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll in all, a giallo more interesting in its borrowings than for any individual achievements – but one that remains eminently watchable just the same.”