Evil Eye (1963) / Mario Bava / Shudder

 I don't know how much is cut from the American International Pictures release from Nicholson and Arkoff when distributed outside Italy, but, for the most part, what is available on Shudder still captures all that creative magic Bava was cooking up behind the camera. The story isn't the star of this film -- I own the Anchor Bay Volume One of the Mario Bava Collection that features "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" Italian cut -- as much as the use of light and shadow along with all the different placements of the camera to create this very distinctive style and mood that is incredible to experience in a darkened room late at night. I have an IMDb user comments for the Italian cut, I'm guessing should be considered the "Bava cut". I read that the "Evil Eye" cut puts more emphasis on comedy, but I still got all the value of the "Girl/Too Much" cut, for the most part, since Letícia Román is exceptional to photograph. I imagine getting to shoot Román at any angle, under any light, at a distance as she walks, or dropped down just under her eyes wasn't too difficult for Bava. And Román in a teeny-weeny bikini, even if brief, on the beach certainly was valuable to the film. Certain women on film were born to appear before Bava's camera...and while Bava is known for his color films, the chance to see a giallo in B&W, lensed by him, isn't a liability. If anything, Bava just proved he could handle either format, since his skills were so adept at working with whatever was available. I realize he wasn't particularly fond of this film, seemingly not especially pleased with the cast he had -- though, Saxon in a Bava film is just a thrill for a horror mark like me -- or its box office, but it is such a visual dynamo to absorb from start to finish. I still think it will be an acquired taste as giallo fans are particular and specific about what they want from the genre. This is on the PG-13 side, with Bava not yet crossing the line as the genre would do in explicit, challenging detail not too long in the future. Román was visiting Rome in the plot, reacquainting herself with an aunt she had only met once before. The aunt dying of a heart attack, Román's Nora Drowson seeks help, running into the empty night city street, attacked by a thief who takes her handbag, suffering a nasty fall and concussion. This concussion leaves her vision a bit fuzzy, as Nora sees a stabbed woman while behind a statue, catching a glimpse of her killer as pulls out the knife. Later her body is found in a river, with Nora stealing her button, hoping the "Alphabet Killer" will put himself in jeopardy even as her own life is in danger.

I thought this scene, considering it is shot to be funny, actually was very uncomfortable. It was as Bava was able to visualize what it feels like to be an animal in a zoo.

You get your eerie Rome and you idyllic, romanticized Rome. Bava gives you both through clever movie-making tactics and having the ability to set up tone through manipulation of day and night, a particular view, askew sometimes, other times, the camera is balanced and projects a very active, busy, metropolitan city that doesn't seem as threatening as it does when Nora is by herself walking about. There is a scene where that same thief looking to take from her again, looking quite sinister, is socked in the noggin with Nora's purse. This time she got the leg up on him, unlike last time when she wasn't prepared for him.

*****/*****

Sort of Bava's Hitchcock scene with his portrait (he's the aunt's deceased husband she has been unable to recover from) seeming to have eyes for Nora!

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Nora(Letícia Román)comes to Rome to visit her sickly aunt and finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. After her aunt dies, Nora walks out into the dark, quiet Rome streets in shock, sees a female victim with a knife plunged into her back, and a brief glimpse of a man before fainting. Awakening in a hospital(great point-of-view shot of nuns standing over her), she tries to convince her attending physician, Dr. Marcello Bassi(a young, dashing & charming John Saxon)that she witnessed a murder. When no body is found, Nora still persists the fact that she saw this woman with a knife in her back and a killer drawing near. Shortly after attending her aunt's burial, a wealthy citizen nearby named Laura Craven-Torrani(Valentina Cortese)out-of-the-blue offers Nora a place to stay claiming she knew her aunt. Claiming that she was on her way to Switzerland, Laura allows Nora to remain in the house alone..the question is, why is Laura so generous? Nora, undaunted despite the idea of danger(..and the fact she often reads murder mysteries with the thrilling idea of partaking in one obviously motivating her participation in finding the murderer), will pursue the identity of the killer of that missing woman. Marcello, at first reluctant, decides to assist Nora in her sleuthing, falling for her in the process. Marcello even serves as host to Nora showing her Rome and it's many sights(..I felt this was Bava disguised as Marcello bestowing foreign audiences with the place he adores). While staying in Laura's home, she encounters a metal box with newspaper clippings of the notorious, supposedly solved, Alphabet Murders, detailing the serial killings of various women following a distinct pattern, a knife in the back with each female victim's last name starting in alphabetical order. Could Nora be the next victim? During their search, Nora and Marcello encounter a broken, pitiful former newspaper reporter, Andrea Landini(Dante DiPaolo)who followed the Alphabet Murders case and felt responsible for putting the wrong man behind bars for the crimes.

Bava's visual eye shows wonderful things as he shoots this film in B&W displaying a type of Rome both beautiful and, at the same time spooky, equipping the surroundings with the right pinch of dread and danger. The night time scenes are especially atmospheric as any body could be hiding in the dark, with a chance to murder without being caught. I also loved how Bava shoots Laura's house at night with a frightened, cautious Nora often looking over her shoulder as wayward shadows loom thereabouts. You never feel Nora is completely safe, even with Marcello often by her side. If you read the signs, you might figure out who the killer is..I think that mystery can be easily solved by those who have seen their share of gialli and murder mysteries. It's Bava's fantastic presentation that provides the thrills. It doesn't matter whether Bava shoots in B&W or color, he knows how to frame a stunning shot and add just the right amount of ambiance to it. -- November 20th, 2007