The Bird with the Crystal Plumage Reviews

(OK) Argento found all done by Hollywood, by Bava and 'giallo' films; but made a nice new package of it, with details pushing for twists and plot points...

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is Dario Argento's first film and despite being a very tame giallo, all the elements that make Argento who he is are all here at such an early stage. POV shots and exquisite framing, black leather glove-clad killer, ordinary Joe caught up in a mystery, etc. That being said, the style and violence are toned down considerably compared to his later work. Tony Musante makes for an enjoyable lead as an American writer who witnesses an attempted murder and then assists in the investigation. Some classic sequences include the attempted murder at the art gallery and lusty counter-culture chick Suzy Kendall trapped in her apartment with the killer trying to get in. The creepy library score by Ennio Morricone is also a nice treat. Now to the disappointing ending, we are given a sculpture with spikes all over it that you would think is going to be used to violently impale the killer (see Tenebre). Instead it is used to temporarily trap the hero? Bollocks. Add to that a cheesy "psychiatrist explains the killer's motive" epilogue a la Psycho? Aside from the ending, it's a decent little murder/mystery worth seeing for the maestro's debut.

Argento score card:
Blood - 2
Scares - 4
Music - 7
Lusty women - 5
Camera work - 5
Color palette - 3
Crazed animals - 1 (one point for the cats)

Total score: 27/70