If I were to sit here and rate and write reviews of every old movie based on their importance to cinema, I'd have to give the majority of them a perfect score. I don't write reviews like that, and I find people who do misleading. If you look over most of the positive reviews for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage on any site, you're likely to find they talk about the history and importance of the film, but never the film itself. More specifically, never the typical story itself. If that's what you base your opinions on, there isn't anything I can say to change your mind. However, if anyone is sick of hearing on-sided praise for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, simply because it's old or simply because it's Dario Argento's first film and want and honest review of the movie, read this.
First and foremost, this is not even close to Dario Argento's worst film. Compared to his most recent, Mother of Tears, this film is unarguably better. The main problem I always have with Argento films is that he unabashedly pumps his movies filled with cheese; The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is nothing like that. It has a typical Giallo plot that is solid and doesn't allow room for cheese. And that's also it's flaw. Being solid, the plot is also unoriginal, even for its time, and just downright average at best. It ends with the average reversal of expectations that if you don't expect at the end of movies like this, you're simply naive. The plot most resembles the four-year-younger, and somewhat superior slasher Black Christmas. That isn't saying much, however, because, as I've said, the plot has been used so many times I'm sure people were even sick of it back in 1970.
With all that said, not too many people are going to find this uninteresting. It opens with a very memorable first scene and ends with a very memorable ending. Between those two points, the whodunit elements are all fairly fast-paced and even a little immersing. Argento uses a lot of small elements and some interesting plot points to keep the pace up. Sadly, you realize it's all just a formulamatic mess.
Argento's directing is simply flawless here, even more so than his more popular movies. His repeating use of white is stunning, likewise is the music. Everything reeks of his personal style that I've yet to see another director imitate. He understands how to make a scene the most effective it can be, and that is the single reason I give The Bird with the Crystal Plumage as high of a score as I am. Without the directing, this wouldn't even be worth watching.
And that is simply all there is to say. The movie is light on plot and heavy on atmosphere. By 1970s standards, this must have been a somewhat entertaining, if not typical, whodunit. By today's standards, however, there is little reason to watch The Bird with the Crystal Plumage unless you're a horror buff or a cinema buff.
3/10
First and foremost, this is not even close to Dario Argento's worst film. Compared to his most recent, Mother of Tears, this film is unarguably better. The main problem I always have with Argento films is that he unabashedly pumps his movies filled with cheese; The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is nothing like that. It has a typical Giallo plot that is solid and doesn't allow room for cheese. And that's also it's flaw. Being solid, the plot is also unoriginal, even for its time, and just downright average at best. It ends with the average reversal of expectations that if you don't expect at the end of movies like this, you're simply naive. The plot most resembles the four-year-younger, and somewhat superior slasher Black Christmas. That isn't saying much, however, because, as I've said, the plot has been used so many times I'm sure people were even sick of it back in 1970.
With all that said, not too many people are going to find this uninteresting. It opens with a very memorable first scene and ends with a very memorable ending. Between those two points, the whodunit elements are all fairly fast-paced and even a little immersing. Argento uses a lot of small elements and some interesting plot points to keep the pace up. Sadly, you realize it's all just a formulamatic mess.
Argento's directing is simply flawless here, even more so than his more popular movies. His repeating use of white is stunning, likewise is the music. Everything reeks of his personal style that I've yet to see another director imitate. He understands how to make a scene the most effective it can be, and that is the single reason I give The Bird with the Crystal Plumage as high of a score as I am. Without the directing, this wouldn't even be worth watching.
And that is simply all there is to say. The movie is light on plot and heavy on atmosphere. By 1970s standards, this must have been a somewhat entertaining, if not typical, whodunit. By today's standards, however, there is little reason to watch The Bird with the Crystal Plumage unless you're a horror buff or a cinema buff.
3/10