The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) – Film Review

Director: Dario Argento
Cast: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Eva Renzi
Certificate: 15

By @Roger Crow

A little over 50 years ago, this fascinating offering redefined the ‘giallo’ genre of murder-mystery thrillers and catapulted writer/director Dario Argento to international stardom.

It also established the key traits that would define Argento’s filmography, including lavish visuals and a flare for wildly inventive, brutal scenes of violence. See his offering Tenebrae reviewed elsewhere if you want further proof.

“Grows obsessed”

The plot: Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante) is an American writer living in Rome. He inadvertently witnesses a brutal attack on a woman (Eva Renzi) in a modern art gallery. Powerless to help, he grows obsessed with the incident. Convinced that something he saw holds the key to identifying the maniac terrorising Rome, he launches his own investigation parallel to that of the police, regardless of the danger to both himself and his girlfriend Giulia (Suzy Kendall).

There are times when some of the scenes are maddeningly frustrating, such as the inevitable attack on Giulia. The killer scratching away at a wooden door to gain access may be seen by some as a way of prolonging the suspense, but Kendall’s character is a useless heroine, even in an age when scream queens did little else except fall over a lot and look helpless.

(Suzy was far better in Assault, which was released a year after The Bird with the Crystal Plumage).

“Wondrous score”

A scene with an eccentric artist might leave some cat lovers reaching for the off button. But while the movie may be littered with problems, its positives far outweigh the negatives. And one of the best things about it is I was still guessing who the killer was in the final few minutes.

The cinematography by maestro Vittorio Storaro is terrific. He memorably lit The Conformist in the same year, and set the bar absurdly high for all Directors of Photography.

The wondrous score by Ennio Morricone only adds to one of the most acclaimed genre offerings of 1970.

It looks terrific in its HD glory, and thanks to a twist in the final minutes, you may get the urge to watch the whole thing again from a different perspective.

Watch it as a double bill with Tenebrae and you’re in for a thrilling night.