|
 Who
Saw Her Die? (Chi I'ha Vista Morire? - 1972)
R0 / PAL DVD
Shameless Screen Entertainment / 2008
Directed by Aldo Lado
Written by Francesco Barilli, Massimo D'Avak, Aldo Lado &
Ruediger von Spiess
Cast: George Lazenby, Anita Strindberg, Nicoletta Elmi &
Adolfo Celi
Review by: Phillip Escott
French Alps, 1968. A Child is murdered by a figure in black.
Forward a few years to Venice as Franco (Lazenby) awaits the
arrival of his daughter, Roberta (Elmi). The two enjoy the
sites of Venice and meet Franco's friends, all of whom seem
a little on the edgy, perverted side. Tragedy comes when the
figure in black strikes again, taking poor Roberta and
leaving her lifeless body floating face-down in a canal.
Distraught by the lack of help from the police, Franco
decides to bring the killer down himself, with the help of
his ex-wife Elizabeth (Strindberg), but his hunt for the
truth will lead him down a dangerous path and reveal an
underbelly of Venice that is beyond horrifying. The figure
in black, however, will be the ultimate shock once their
identity is revealed.
Who Saw Her Die? Is a great slice of provocative Gialli.
Tackling a nasty subject matter with thought and restraint,
which is rare for the genre, bringing it head and shoulders
above most of its genre brethren in regards to quality.
Although the body count is kept to a minimum, the
atmospherics are what keeps you glued to the screen; the
menace that seems to radiate from any street in Venice
(admittedly off-season) is the perfect counter for the usual
'Wish You Were Here' imagery we all have of Venice.
Lazenby, reminding me oddly of... the pink panther?! Manages
to carry the film and it's not hard to sympathize with the
poor guy and his plight. Anita Strindberg looks gorgeous and
Lado maximizes her sex appeal with some gorgeously
photographed scenes of her crying while making love to
Franco, in an impressive cross-cut scene. Ennio Morricone
has supplied Lado with an equally haunting score that
matches the visuals perfectly, you may find yourself humming
the theme tune days after viewing. |
