Blood and Black Lace - Mario Bava
Maybe it's the backlash of seeing this after a masterpiece of imaginative film-making like ' Lisa and the Devil', but this was one Bava film I found quite underwhelming.
Billed as one of the early giallo films, B&BL is about a series of murders of models from a fashion house by a mysterous black-gloved killer. The film begins with the killing of the model Isabella, whose death sends ripples among the other members of the fashion house and apparently, not for reasons of sympathy alone. As the plot unfolds it turns out that more than one person would benefit from the death of Isabella. The subsequent murders that occur are mainly to suppress information that could divulge the killer's identity.
The story is presented in an efficient but pedestrian manner, and none of the characters, including someone who atleast looked a good deal like Peter Lorre, make any big impression. The only really commentable aspect of the screenplay is the brow-raisingly incompetent way in which the police attempt to solve the murders - In one scene, a policeman accuses one of the people of being a cocaine addict and when asked what makes him think that, drawls that "it's written all over your face" (and no, the guy doesn't have an inflamed nose). In another scene, the policeman arrests all the males associated with the fashion, simply because he thinks that one of them could have committed the crime (whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?).
Technically too, the film, while decent enough, is not one of the exceptional moments of Bava's career. There are some nice flourishes with colored lighting (one of the murders that takes place in an antique shop with flashing blue and green hues must have surely inspired a certain Mr. Argento) and some of his customary use of mirrors and shadows. There is an excellent shot towards the end of the film where the camera (from the POV of the killer?) glides through a dimly lit room littered with wireframe mannequins. But a lot of the camerawork is workmanlike rather than artistic.
In the end I come away from B&BL somewhat disappointed, given how much good word this film has.
Maybe it's the backlash of seeing this after a masterpiece of imaginative film-making like ' Lisa and the Devil', but this was one Bava film I found quite underwhelming.
Billed as one of the early giallo films, B&BL is about a series of murders of models from a fashion house by a mysterous black-gloved killer. The film begins with the killing of the model Isabella, whose death sends ripples among the other members of the fashion house and apparently, not for reasons of sympathy alone. As the plot unfolds it turns out that more than one person would benefit from the death of Isabella. The subsequent murders that occur are mainly to suppress information that could divulge the killer's identity.
The story is presented in an efficient but pedestrian manner, and none of the characters, including someone who atleast looked a good deal like Peter Lorre, make any big impression. The only really commentable aspect of the screenplay is the brow-raisingly incompetent way in which the police attempt to solve the murders - In one scene, a policeman accuses one of the people of being a cocaine addict and when asked what makes him think that, drawls that "it's written all over your face" (and no, the guy doesn't have an inflamed nose). In another scene, the policeman arrests all the males associated with the fashion, simply because he thinks that one of them could have committed the crime (whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?).
Technically too, the film, while decent enough, is not one of the exceptional moments of Bava's career. There are some nice flourishes with colored lighting (one of the murders that takes place in an antique shop with flashing blue and green hues must have surely inspired a certain Mr. Argento) and some of his customary use of mirrors and shadows. There is an excellent shot towards the end of the film where the camera (from the POV of the killer?) glides through a dimly lit room littered with wireframe mannequins. But a lot of the camerawork is workmanlike rather than artistic.
In the end I come away from B&BL somewhat disappointed, given how much good word this film has.
