The Bird With The Crystal Plumage is a fine first feature from Italian auteur Dario Argento, which establishes him as a master of the giallo genre.
Stylishly shot, it tells the mystery of a sadistic serial slasher, who stalks and stabs his victims...only to leave a witness, in the form of an American naturalist who was hired to release a book on birds in Italy.
After finishing his book, he observes the killer in the act, on his way home...leaving him to intervene, and act to save the woman he sees being shanked.
Having been swept up in the investigation, he becomes obsessed with solving the case, himself...which leads him (and his girlfriend) to become targeted by the murder (or murderers).
In typical Argento fashion, we are led to suspect a number of characters, which prevents us (as viewers) from easily identifying the true culprit.
Thus, he establishes, here, many of the techniques and stylistic qualities that he will continue to hone in later pictures- and make them readily identifiable as his own.
While not as masterful as Deep Red, or Suspiria, it clearly shows that he was born to be a director of mystery films.
The plot structure, mise en scene, misdirection, clever use of foreshadowing, and twists are all present here, as they are in later films...showing us that he was a master of his craft from the get go.
But, like in some of his future films, the story ends with some clearly unanswered questions, like, how did his girlfriend know the detective before this case came to fruition?
But considering this is the first film in a series of three- which has come to be known as "the animal trilogy", alongside the films Cat'O'Nine Tails and Four Flies On Grey Velvet- it is possible that these loose ends are explored further in those films (like Inferno explores the questions we are left with in Suspiria).
Either way, it is really a rather excellent first feature for any director.
And would help establish Argento as the auteur he is known as today.
A really entertaining and engaging mystery.
7 out of 10.
Stylishly shot, it tells the mystery of a sadistic serial slasher, who stalks and stabs his victims...only to leave a witness, in the form of an American naturalist who was hired to release a book on birds in Italy.
After finishing his book, he observes the killer in the act, on his way home...leaving him to intervene, and act to save the woman he sees being shanked.
Having been swept up in the investigation, he becomes obsessed with solving the case, himself...which leads him (and his girlfriend) to become targeted by the murder (or murderers).
In typical Argento fashion, we are led to suspect a number of characters, which prevents us (as viewers) from easily identifying the true culprit.
Thus, he establishes, here, many of the techniques and stylistic qualities that he will continue to hone in later pictures- and make them readily identifiable as his own.
While not as masterful as Deep Red, or Suspiria, it clearly shows that he was born to be a director of mystery films.
The plot structure, mise en scene, misdirection, clever use of foreshadowing, and twists are all present here, as they are in later films...showing us that he was a master of his craft from the get go.
But, like in some of his future films, the story ends with some clearly unanswered questions, like, how did his girlfriend know the detective before this case came to fruition?
But considering this is the first film in a series of three- which has come to be known as "the animal trilogy", alongside the films Cat'O'Nine Tails and Four Flies On Grey Velvet- it is possible that these loose ends are explored further in those films (like Inferno explores the questions we are left with in Suspiria).
Either way, it is really a rather excellent first feature for any director.
And would help establish Argento as the auteur he is known as today.
A really entertaining and engaging mystery.
7 out of 10.