Massimo Dallamano makes a giallo so amazing for how it makes you feel, how well made it is, and how unafraid he is to tackle taboo and uncomfortable subjects. Coed sex gangs, perversion of the church and specifically the confessional, a killer stabbing women exactly where they don't want to be stabbed, and back-alley abortions is just some of the content Dallamano puts in this. His camerawork gives this movie an identity. It may just be the best camerawork of any giallo. He nails the balance of keeping the characters interesting within the story and not just making them murder suspects. This movie was made around the time of the sexual revolution and Dallamano puts some real life concerns over that into this.
Synopsis: A catholic school for girls is shocked when one of its pupils is savagely murdered. The deed was witnessed by one of the girl's classmates, Elizabeth (Cristina Galbo) while she is having a tryst with her Italian teacher, Enrico (Fabio Testi). Elizabeth only gets a glimpse and doesn't report to the police as it could get Enrico fired. As the killer continues his spree the information erupts and Enrico is a suspect. It is revealed all the students were connected to a tragic event that happened to Solange. -Taken from Troy Howarth's book with some paraphrasing.
The movie starts with a very pleasant theme from Ennio Morricone, as a group of girls rides their bikes together. The music in combination with the orange color filter give the scene a much different feel from how it is presented later in the movie via flashback. The movie then transitions to Enrico and Elizabeth on a boat. Elizabeth sees vague images of a woman running away and the "flash of a knife," as she says. Enrico doesn't believe her and says she always has an excuse as to why she can't have sex with him. Enrico and her leave. Back at home Enrico hears about the murder on the radio. For whatever reason he decides to drive to the scene. This starts the beautiful string of establishing shots Dallamano has throughout this movie as there are trees perfectly in the middle of the shot with the open fields on the sides. The film then transitions to a teacher's meeting at the school where the murdered girl was enrolled. All of the teachers are introduced including Enrico's wife Herta, (Karin Baal) Gunther Stoll as Professor Bascombe, and Antonio Casale as Mr. Newton. Pictures are passed around of the deceased girl, Hilda, at the scene including one very harrowing image of a knife up her groin area. The exiting shot starts something common throughout this movie as it shows a shot through the keyhole of the door. Dallamano and cinematographer Aristide Massaccesi (Joe D'Amato) frequently show camera shots through objects or through the eyes of others.
The film then transitions to Hilda's parents. This also introduces Inspector Barth (Joachim Fuchsberger). Hilda's dad doesn't seem to know anything about her daughter's life, including a possible boyfriend. This is a theme throughout the film with men not really knowing much about their own daughter's lives and how they are much more liberated. This ties into the time the film was made and sexual revolution. Dallamano, not a young man by this point may have been putting some of his own concerns into the story. Another memorable moment in this scene is the X-ray which again shows the knife penetrating through the vagina. It may be important to remember that Hilda went to confession that morning. That is something else great about this film is how little details mean something but they aren't beaten over your head to make the mystery so obvious.
The X-Ray
Enrico's picture was taken near the scene and published in the newspaper. Herta has known something was going on for some time. Their marriage is fractured. Inspector Barth is smart enough to see right through Enrico's facade as he knows something else is on his mind besides his student who died. Eventually he is forced to fess up to the Inspector because his pen was found at the crime scene, just like in so many other times throughout this movie, Herta is seen listening behind the bookshelf. Janet, another girl linked to the murders is eventually killed. This sequence is great for so many reasons. There is some great misdirection with the killer calling on the phone claiming to be Helen's dad asking to borrow her Italian book because Helen lost hers. Morricone's theme is more stringy and more eerie. The killer abducts her in the car just after she finds out it isn't Helen's father and the murder progresses to where we actually see her reacting up close to him putting the knife in. The scene then beautifully transitions to Elizabeth waking up from a nightmare.
Elizabeth eventually tells all the teachers and the Inspector what she knows. It is important to note here that a shower scene is shown in the girl's locker room. While sleazy, the conversations are so nonsensical and there isn't an element of voyeurism to the scene. Rather it shows the innocence and playfulness of the girls. This contrasts to the loss of innocence and voyeurism in a later shower scene. Enrico and Elizabeth plan another. tryst. Enrico doesn't show up in time and Elizabeth is killed. This is a great scene because she is killed by drowning, a much more "classy" way to die so to speak. Since this movie kinda pulls a Psycho and makes her seem like the main character at times she gets a good fight in before dying. The police find hair underneath her fingernails which they try to use to identity the killer to no avail. While Enrico is out in prison and fired after it was discovered she was killed in his apartment. He is let go because Elizabeth apparently saw a priest which clears Enrico.
This is where the film goes through a transition. The second half of the film becomes Herta and Enrico's investigation, while the first half was Elizabeth trying to figure out just what she saw. Now many people could and should criticize Enrico's actions up until this point. The inspector tells Herta that Elizabeth was still a virgin, though we did see Enrico performing oral sex on her earlier. It is implied, though not explicitly stated he slept with other students as well. Herta gets a big smile on her face while finding out about Elizabeth. This is where she sheds her German ice queen type of look and puts on some makeup. Not only do her and Enrico agree to start over but she agrees to help him however she can. While the actions of both can be criticized, the movie does this so naturally that you don't question it much. There is never a doubt their relationship will be strained again. They make a great investigative team as Herta eventually gets the name of a former boyfriend from one of the girls who knew Herta. This is when Fabio Testi goes full on Fabio Testi and beats up that former boyfriend for info when he finds him. He states that the girls had a secret sex club of sorts though they gave up actual sex "after what happened to Solange."
While Fabio Testi's character is skeezy in this he still has charm and an awesome beard
Also on display in the second half of this film is the loss of innocence. Remember that shower scene I talked about earlier? Eventually it is shown that that the locker room has a peephole where Mr. Newton spies on the girl's taking showers. Two of the girls talk about the recent events and how they swore they would never tell anyone anything. It is one thing to think about what was going on, but another to actually know. Eventually one of the girl's maid's is killed. This is after the killer sends a message to Enrico about the maid knowing everything. I love the sequence where Enrico finds the maid's body. Morricone's suspenseful and haunting music on full display. The camera tilts when he discovers the body.
Eventually Solange shows up and Camille Keaton shines with what little time she has in this role. She has mannerisms like a young kid and she seems not quite right. This makes more sense with a reveal later. The last reveal of the film takes that opening sequence and flips it on it's head after the second half where the loss of innocence happens. What I like so much is how Dallamano doesn't blame the girls for their actions. He is more so criticizing how those actions are received by others and how the girls feel like they have to keep it a secret because of that. There is a Psycho type of explanation for the killer's actions at the end and these pins that are the object that link the girls together. It ends on a very nuclear family type of shot which actually ends it on just enough of an ominous note that I like. Buy the Arrow blu-ray or watch the Arrow Print if you can. In HD the detail Dallamano can capture on people's faces is just incredible. This is the guy who shot A Fistful of Dollars after all. I never really thought I'd say this, but after this rewatch Dallamano and Morricone is as great a sound to screen combo as Morricone and Leone were.
Camille Keaton has this mannerism throughout where she has one of her fingers in or around her mouth
Rating: 10/10
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