A professor, Stefano(Lino Capolicchio), returns home to visit his brother Don Paolo(Craig Hill), a parish priest, and finds that someone is bumping off specific citizens in gruesome ways. We get a séance reading with the spiritualist after earlier seeing her receiving bribe money in an envelope in the café where the brothers feast and chat about old times. The spiritualist is strangled by someone in black leather gloves and raincoat as a storm rages outside with Paolo hearing her death scream from his room above. He doesn't see the person responsible only later receiving threatening fragmented riddled letters informing him to remain silent or else. Stefano will pursue the identity of the killer, out of devotion to his brother. Stefano meets an art decorator, Sandra(Stefania Casini), on his train to home, with a blossoming relationship resulting as the murders to several who partook in the very séance held by the spiritualist before she was killed, continue to increase. Sandra's ill mother, once a very talented artist, has a specific painting which might yield a clue to the overall mystery that opens the film in slow motion..an innocent girl was strangled by someone(..the killer, of course, off camera)and as she falls to the ground, ripping pages from a book tossed away. Also, the way the letter "t" is printed on the threatening letters to Paolo, an image that haunts Stefano, an abortionist with a mentally ill son, and the aforementioned painting someone is very interested in requiring all play a hand in who is committing the murders. Those who sought after by the killer include a wealthy aristocratic homosexual Count who likes to fondle boys, an atheist doctor often clashing with the priest, Sandra's own artist mother, and quite possibly the abortionist and Paolo himself.
Stylish giallo from director Antonio Bido perhaps is a bit slow in places, but is convoluted enough with a pretty good cast and sordid characters which should satisfy the giallo thriller crowd. I thought Craig Hill as the troubled priest was very good, quite expressive as his face displays tormenting thoughts and paranoia. This giallo does have a sex scene between Stefano and Sandra which should also satisfy the ones expecting it in their gialli. Not as violent as other thrillers of it's ilk, and the film takes it's time telling the story. Very story-driven with the mystery unveiling bit by bit. Those who are familiar with this genre might find a twist(..used in films such as "Don't Torture a Duckling" & "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids")rather derivative, but I think this giallo works well enough. Some beautiful, effective uses of the island the director shot the film representing his own form of Vienna. My favorite set-piece would be the following point-of-view shot as someone is walking behind Sandra through alleys of Vienna and across corners as she makes her way to home.
Stylish giallo from director Antonio Bido perhaps is a bit slow in places, but is convoluted enough with a pretty good cast and sordid characters which should satisfy the giallo thriller crowd. I thought Craig Hill as the troubled priest was very good, quite expressive as his face displays tormenting thoughts and paranoia. This giallo does have a sex scene between Stefano and Sandra which should also satisfy the ones expecting it in their gialli. Not as violent as other thrillers of it's ilk, and the film takes it's time telling the story. Very story-driven with the mystery unveiling bit by bit. Those who are familiar with this genre might find a twist(..used in films such as "Don't Torture a Duckling" & "Seven Blood-Stained Orchids")rather derivative, but I think this giallo works well enough. Some beautiful, effective uses of the island the director shot the film representing his own form of Vienna. My favorite set-piece would be the following point-of-view shot as someone is walking behind Sandra through alleys of Vienna and across corners as she makes her way to home.