Man, I love a good giallo. As formulaic and hokey as the genre is, there's nothing quite like watching bad actors run around the sparsely populated streets of some European city, trying to catch a sadistic killer who wears black gloves. Just try to think of something more amusing, I dare ya. Porn doesn't count.
As is and was the case with spaghetti Westerns, Japanese horror flicks, and 70's kung fu films, I go through giallo phases from time to time. I usually end up seeking out a few I've never seen before, and that takes care of my hunger, which goes back into hiding until a later date. You could almost compare it to other things of a recurring nature, like herpes, acne, or in my case, weird-azz staph infections that seem to come from nowhere.
The last time I found myself in a giallo craze, I sprung for a four disc collection that consisted of (check out these titles- they're so characteristic of the genre) "The Bloodstained Shadow", "Short Night Of Glass Dolls", "The Case Of The Bloody Iris", and yes, "Who Saw Her Die?". None of them really rank up there with Argento or Bava in terms of popularity, but I found that each has a special magic of its own. And on that note, let's zero in on what makes the last movie such a treat for the corneas.
"Who Saw Her Die?" (aka "Chi l'Ha Vista Morire?") is, to the best of my knowledge, the only Italian slasher to feature a former James Bond. Yes, George Lazenby, the guy who played 007 for exactly one film ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service"), was somehow recruited to play a sculptor living in Venice, one who is separated from his hot-azz wife (played by frequent giallo actress Anita Strindberg) and currently responsible for his visiting red-headed daughter. I don't feel that I'm giving too much away by informing you all that said offspring ends up dead rather early on.
Since my tendency to kick out spoilers seems to upset people, let me just say that it's not too hard to guess the killer. Most giallos are full of red herrings designed to keep you speculating, but this one makes it somewhat obvious before the exciting climax (not the kind of climax you're thinking of, but there are about three of those throughout the film). The real mystery is what the hell is going on for much of the movie, since the plot gets a little left-field at times.
"WSHD?" came out in 1972, when the giallo trend was at its peak. Director Aldo Lado allegedly wanted to film in his hometown of Venice so that he could break the the city's image as a place "for lovers only". Nicholas Roeg's superior "Don't Look Now" came out around the same time and did a far more effective job of bringing out the gloom of Venice, but Lado definitely worked the scenery to his advantage. In fact, all of those empty courtyards, gloomy canals, and decrepit buildings conspire to steal the show from the actors and actresses involved.
What we have in the film is Franco (Lazenby's character) running all over the place in an effort to solve his daughter's murder, eventually with the help of his estranged wife. Every now and then he gets sidetracked into playing a ping-pong game or laying the pipe to some exotic hottie, but he finally succeeds in the end. Unfortunately, unless you're a fan of this specific genre and its very rigid set of conventions, watching Franco shuffle from place to place will probably only annoy you.
Lado did a pretty good job with the murderer, who is shown as a creepy woman with a face obscured by a black veil. The killer's attempts to get Franco's daughter are frustrated at first, and Lado was intelligent enough to not show her murder. Still, you gore wh*res need not worry-several of the other characters get dispatched in typically gruesome ways.
Something else Lado did with skill was present a handful of eccentric suspects. Most successful giallos keep the audience guessing by throwing out a truly bizarre cast of characters, and this one at least got that part right. Was it the pedophile lawyer that killed the girl, or was it the shifty art dealer? How about the horny fencing instructor? Or the priest? Or Daddy's sweaty fat friend, who caresses the girl's hair in a somewhat creepy way? Sorry- you gotta watch it to find out.
Soundtrack legend Ennio Morricone came up with the score (as he did on many other giallos, including Dario Argento's first three), and it serves to effectively heighten the tension. Of course, putting a wall of children chanting behind "Napoleon Dynamite" could probably make that movie eerie, so it's not like Ennio went out on a limb.
Weaknesses would have to include a seriously convoluted plot, acting that ranges from passable to hilariously bad, and a rather dull use of violence. Of course, most giallos are known for their nonsensical storylines and mediocre (or worse) performances; you could almost say that they're part of the charm. However, the few murders that do occur are rather tame by the genre's standards, and that might put off those who are looking for a Friday night gore extravaganza. That's OK, though- the atmosphere is more important and it does its job in that regard.
Pick this one up if you're already into Italian thrillers. If not, sharpen your knife on the classics first (especially those made by Dario Argento), then come around for a look at this.
Related giallo reviews:
Suspiria
http://www.epinions.com/content_182147059332 The Bloodstained Shadow
http://www.epinions.com/content_239821491844 The House With Laughing Windows
http://www.epinions.com/content_182927789700
