THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970)
Updated: Oct 29, 2022
A Possible Precursor to the Modern Slasher Genre
Grade: B
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage lies in a category of Italian thriller known as Giallo. This term is an Italian phrase for mystery stories and derives its name from magazines containing such stories with yellow-colored pages, since “giallo” translates to “yellow” in Italian. In other countries, however, giallo is used specifically to describe specifically Italian movies with intense, dark, and violent mysteries that sometimes lend themselves to straight-up horror. Looking at TBWTCP today, one can see how it may have helped to lay the groundwork for movies in the slasher genre, such as Halloween (1978) or Dressed to Kill (1980). While not as impactful or consistent as some of the movies it seems to have inspired, it remains an important piece of giallo with some genuinely clever and frightening moments.
The film establishes suspense in the opening credits, in which scenes of a mysterious figure with a black raincoat and gloves standing in a dark room are interspersed with scenes of said figure taking pictures of an unsuspecting woman walking down the street. Later an American writer staying in Rome named Sam Dalmas (Tony Dusante) witnesses a man with the same black attire attempting to kill a woman in an art gallery and manages to alert the authorities just in time to save her. Sam learns from Police Inspector Morosini (Enrico Maria Salerno) that it is the incident, if it were successful, would have been the latest in a series of brutal murders around Rome. Sam recklessly decides to start his own investigation into the murders, inevitably putting himself and his girlfriend Julia (Suzy Kendall) in grave danger.
The film’s director is Dario Argento, whose name would ultimately become synonymous with giallo and Italian horror in general. He is perhaps best known for directing Suspiria (1977), a supernatural thriller about a girl at a German ballet academy who learns that the school is a front for a coven of evil witches. Suspiria is famous for its score by the rock group Goblin and its use of color, with sets and scenes decorated in an eerie beauty. TBWTCP is Argento’s first film as director, and it is easy to tell that he was still perfecting his craft, as there are only traces here of the terror and visual style he would become associated with.
There are some very well-composed scenes here, such as a vertical POV shot of a high, triangular staircase, and an open doorway appearing as a small rectangle of light in a mostly pitch-black screen. The murders are quite horrific, especially the first on-screen kill where the perpetrator appears in his victim’s doorway before pinning her onto her bed and killing her. A later scene, where the killer repeatedly slashes another victim with a straight razor, appears to be a direct inspiration for the inciting incident in Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill (1980).
One of the best things about the screenplay, written by Argento, is how it peppers the investigation with details that guide us along the way but ultimately mislead us until the Big Reveal. After learning from Forensics that the killer was likely left-handed and likes cigarettes, Sam tosses the husband of the intended victim a box of cigarettes, and he catches it in his left hand. A later scene with Sam, Morosini and a computer scientist suggests that there may be more than one person involved in the killings. The script also adds a few darkly humorous touches in some people encountered by Sam, such as an antique store owner who seems a little too interested in him, and a painter who claims to fatten up cats so he can eat them (now that’s scary!). When one suspect is killed, it is obvious to us (a little too obvious, actually) that the real killer is still out there, but we are still unprepared for their identity.
When the killer is finally revealed, it is an impressive surprise. The movie’s ending makes good use of a plot device that was much derided in the classic horror film Psycho (1960), wherein a psychologists over-explained what is wrong with the killer. Here the explanation is actually needed, and it is kept short, while at the same time tying together some important loose ends.
If there is one word that can be used to describe what is wrong with TBWTCP, it may be “unrefined.” It is well-made, but the execution and writing never quite let the movie be as intense as it probably could be. The scene where Sam is walking home in the fog, while obviously intended to be atmospheric, has a sort of artificial feel to it. En route, he is nearly decapitated by the killer, who runs away into the fog. It is a shocking moment but, rather than becoming traumatized and paranoid, which would have magnified the terror greatly, he just shakes it off and goes home to make love to his girlfriend.
The editing and music are two more problems. There are several scenes that end rather abruptly in unexpected places, to jarring effect. The score, by legendary composer Ennio Morricone, varies in its effectiveness. When the killer is approaching one of his victims, Morricone uses bells to create suspense. Later, though, when Sam is being chased through the streets by a man with the gun, the music becomes too upbeat and jazzy, which creates an uneven tone for the movie.
Despite these flaws, the seeds for later horror movies are unmistakable in The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. Several elements and techniques in the film, such as the POV shots of the killer, their attire and methods, and even one of their kills, would be used to even greater effect by directors like John Carpenter, Brian De Palma, and Bob Clark of Black Christmas (1974) fame. And this was only the beginning of Argento’s career, as he would perfect his craft to create classics of real horror. It isn’t perfect, but TBWTCP is an essential watch for viewers interested in giallo or Argento’s filmography.
Director: Dario Argento
Screenplay: Dario Argento
Producer: Salvatore Argento
Cast: Tony Musante (Sam Dalmas), Suzy Kendall (Julia), Enrico Maria Salerno (Inspector Morosini), Eva Renzi (Monica Ranieri), Umberto Raho (Alberto Ranieri), Renato Romano (Prof. Carlo Dover), Giuseppe Castellano (Monti), Mario Adorf (Berto Consalvi).
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