The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Encyclopedia
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970
giallo
suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento
(his directorial debut). The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo
genre. Written by director Argento, the film is an uncredited adaptation of Fredric Brown
's novel The Screaming Mimi, which had previously been made into a Hollywood film, Screaming Mimi (1958), directed by Gerd Oswald
. The film was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe award
for best motion picture in 1971. The film was originally cut by 20 seconds for its US release and received a GP rating, though it was later re-classified as a PG. It has since been released in the US uncut. It was awarded 272nd place on Empire Magazine's 500 greatest movies of all time list. Upon its release the film was a huge Box Office
hit grossing 1,650,000,000 Italian Lira (roughly about $1 million) twice the production cost of $500,000. The film was also a success outside of Italy gaining 1,366,884 admissions in Spain.
) is an American writer currently living in Rome with his model girlfriend Giulia (Suzy Kendall
). Suffering from a writer's block, Sam is on the verge of returning to the U.S., but witnesses the attack of a woman (Eva Renzi) by a mysterious black-gloved assailant dressed in a raincoat.
Attempting to reach her, Sam is trapped between two mechanically-operated glass doors and can only watch as the villain makes his escape. The woman, Monica Ranieri, the wife of the gallery’s owner, survives the attack, but the local police confiscates Sam’s passport to stop him from leaving the country; the assailant is believed to be a serial killer
who is terrorizing the city, and they believe the writer to be an important witness.
Sam is haunted by what he saw that night, feeling sure that some vital clue is evading him, and soon finds that both he and his girlfriend are the killer’s new targets.
Receiving menacing phone calls he manages to isolate an odd cricketing noise in the background, which is later revealed to be the call of a rare bird from the Southern Caucasus, called "The Bird with Crystal Plumage" due to the diaphanous glint of its feathers. This proves important since the only one of its kind in Rome is kept in the Italian capital's zoo
, allowing Sam and the police to identify the killer's abode.
In the end, Sam chases the mysterious assailant through a darkened building. He is trapped once more, this time pinned to the floor by release of a wall-sized sculpture of wire and metal. Unable to free himself, he becomes the prey of the person he was pursuing—the attractive, deranged wife of the gallery owner. This climax to the mystery, with strong sado-masochistic elements, has the knife-wielding lady teasing Sam in preparation to stabbing him. She fails, of course, and Sam provides the obligatory wrap-up scene with his girlfriend.
Argento managed to derail the project injecting heavy doses of violence and implied sexual titillation in the movie, meshing them in a lustrous and visionary cinematographic style which captivated both the general public (thrilled by the most lurid plot elements) and the critics (enthralled by the audacity of the camerawork and the montage).
Argento borrowed heavily from crime thriller literature (some plot elements derive from works of Fredric Brown
; Musante's character is named after an early incarnation of Raymond Chandler
's iconic character Philip Marlowe
) and from previous Italian thrillers (the killer's attire was lifted from Mario Bava
's Blood and Black Lace
, of which he closely imitated the gory murder sequences) but he managed to make the end result fresh and provocative instead of derivative.
Following murder movies from Argento would treasure these elements along with the recurring plot point of the protagonist seeing something of great importance but finding himself either unable to realize or remember what he saw (another favourite of some Bava movies, who was fascinated by the idea of cinema as sensory illusion).
by VCI with the restored violence but had problems with a sequence of shots referred to as "the panty removal scene." Later pressings fixed it. It was later when Blue Underground
obtained the rights and re-released the film showing it completely fully uncut plus an extra shot of violence previously unseen. It was completely restored in picture and the sound was remixed into both 5.1 audio for both Italian
and English
, but contained another soundtrack remixed into DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete in English
.
Blue Underground has confirmed a 24 February 2009 release on Blu-ray. Tech specs will see a BD-50 dual-layer presentation with newly-remastered 1080p
video and English
audio tracks in DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Surround. The original Italian
audio track is also set for inclusion.
1970 in film
The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
(his directorial debut). The film is considered a landmark in the Italian giallo
Giallo
Giallo is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language it refers to a genre similar to the French fantastique genre and includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism...
genre. Written by director Argento, the film is an uncredited adaptation of Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
's novel The Screaming Mimi, which had previously been made into a Hollywood film, Screaming Mimi (1958), directed by Gerd Oswald
Gerd Oswald
Gerd Oswald was a director of American films and television. The son of German film director Richard Oswald, he was born in Berlin and died in Los Angeles, California....
. The film was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for best motion picture in 1971. The film was originally cut by 20 seconds for its US release and received a GP rating, though it was later re-classified as a PG. It has since been released in the US uncut. It was awarded 272nd place on Empire Magazine's 500 greatest movies of all time list. Upon its release the film was a huge Box Office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
hit grossing 1,650,000,000 Italian Lira (roughly about $1 million) twice the production cost of $500,000. The film was also a success outside of Italy gaining 1,366,884 admissions in Spain.
Plot
Sam Dalmas (Tony MusanteTony Musante
Anthony Peter Musante is an American actor.Musante was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Natalie Anne , a school teacher, and Anthony Peter Musante, an accountant. He attended Oberlin College and Northwestern University.Musante has acted in numerous feature films, in the United States...
) is an American writer currently living in Rome with his model girlfriend Giulia (Suzy Kendall
Suzy Kendall
Suzy Kendall is a British actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her blonde attractive looks got her leading roles in some fairly prestigious productions...
). Suffering from a writer's block, Sam is on the verge of returning to the U.S., but witnesses the attack of a woman (Eva Renzi) by a mysterious black-gloved assailant dressed in a raincoat.
Attempting to reach her, Sam is trapped between two mechanically-operated glass doors and can only watch as the villain makes his escape. The woman, Monica Ranieri, the wife of the gallery’s owner, survives the attack, but the local police confiscates Sam’s passport to stop him from leaving the country; the assailant is believed to be a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who is terrorizing the city, and they believe the writer to be an important witness.
Sam is haunted by what he saw that night, feeling sure that some vital clue is evading him, and soon finds that both he and his girlfriend are the killer’s new targets.
Receiving menacing phone calls he manages to isolate an odd cricketing noise in the background, which is later revealed to be the call of a rare bird from the Southern Caucasus, called "The Bird with Crystal Plumage" due to the diaphanous glint of its feathers. This proves important since the only one of its kind in Rome is kept in the Italian capital's zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, allowing Sam and the police to identify the killer's abode.
In the end, Sam chases the mysterious assailant through a darkened building. He is trapped once more, this time pinned to the floor by release of a wall-sized sculpture of wire and metal. Unable to free himself, he becomes the prey of the person he was pursuing—the attractive, deranged wife of the gallery owner. This climax to the mystery, with strong sado-masochistic elements, has the knife-wielding lady teasing Sam in preparation to stabbing him. She fails, of course, and Sam provides the obligatory wrap-up scene with his girlfriend.
Assessment
Argento was already a successful screenwriter and movie critic at the time; he borrowed money from his well-off father to produce his directorial debut. Additional funds were gathered from German producers interested in a run-of-the-mill "krimi" such as the Edgar-Wallace inspired movies which were a staple at West German box offices in the day.Argento managed to derail the project injecting heavy doses of violence and implied sexual titillation in the movie, meshing them in a lustrous and visionary cinematographic style which captivated both the general public (thrilled by the most lurid plot elements) and the critics (enthralled by the audacity of the camerawork and the montage).
Argento borrowed heavily from crime thriller literature (some plot elements derive from works of Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
; Musante's character is named after an early incarnation of Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
's iconic character Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of novels including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep published in 1939...
) and from previous Italian thrillers (the killer's attire was lifted from Mario Bava
Mario Bava
Mario Bava was an Italian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the "golden age" of Italian horror films.-Biography:Mario Bava was born in San Remo, Liguria, Italy...
's Blood and Black Lace
Blood and Black Lace
Blood and Black Lace is a 1964 Italian thriller film directed by Mario Bava. Bava cowrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Barilla and Marcello Fondato. The film stars Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok...
, of which he closely imitated the gory murder sequences) but he managed to make the end result fresh and provocative instead of derivative.
Following murder movies from Argento would treasure these elements along with the recurring plot point of the protagonist seeing something of great importance but finding himself either unable to realize or remember what he saw (another favourite of some Bava movies, who was fascinated by the idea of cinema as sensory illusion).
Cast
- Tony MusanteTony MusanteAnthony Peter Musante is an American actor.Musante was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Natalie Anne , a school teacher, and Anthony Peter Musante, an accountant. He attended Oberlin College and Northwestern University.Musante has acted in numerous feature films, in the United States...
... Sam Dalmas - Suzy KendallSuzy KendallSuzy Kendall is a British actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her blonde attractive looks got her leading roles in some fairly prestigious productions...
... Julia - Enrico Maria SalernoEnrico Maria SalernoEnrico Maria Salerno was an Italian theatre & film actor, also a film director. He was also the voice of Clint Eastwood in the Italian version of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy films, and the voice of Christ in The Gospel According to St...
... Inspector Morosini - Eva RenziEva RenziEva Renzi was a German actress and the mother of Anouschka Renzi. Her father was from Denmark and her mother was French...
... Monica Ranieri - Umberto Raho ... Alberto Ranieri
- Renato Romano ... Professor Carlo Dover
- Giuseppe CastellanoGiuseppe CastellanoGiuseppe Castellano was an Italian general who negotiated the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces on September 8, 1943.-Military career:...
... Monti - Mario AdorfMario AdorfMario Adorf is a German film and stage actor, best known for his lead role in the 1978 film The Tin Drum.-Biography:...
... Berto Consalvi - Pino Patti ... Faiena
- Gildo Di Marco ... Garullo
- Rosita Torosh ... 4th Victim
- Omar Bonaro ... Police Detective
- Fulvio Mingozzi ... Police Detective
- Werner Peters ... Antique Dealer
- Karen Valenti ... Tina, 5th Victim
Alternate versions
- West German theatrical version was cut by ca. 10 minutes (plot scenes). For TV broadcasting these scenes were reinserted but the violent scenes were trimmed instead.
- When inspector Morosini meets Sam at the hospital after he has escaped from the hired killer, he asks him if he could recognize him. In the US version he says he could not, explaining he didn't see his face clearly; in the Italian version he says yes because "You don't easily forget a face like that"
- Initial pressings of VCI Entertainment's DVD release incorrectly restored part of the "panty murder" sequence. The shot of the killer holding the panties was re-inserted *before* he actually removes them from his victim. Some of the more recent pressings of the DVD have the scene restored correctly, in the proper order.
Home Media
In the US, the film was later released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by VCI with the restored violence but had problems with a sequence of shots referred to as "the panty removal scene." Later pressings fixed it. It was later when Blue Underground
Blue Underground
Blue Underground is an American company specializing in releasing authoritative editions of cult and exploitation movies on Blu-ray Disc and DVD....
obtained the rights and re-released the film showing it completely fully uncut plus an extra shot of violence previously unseen. It was completely restored in picture and the sound was remixed into both 5.1 audio for both Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, but contained another soundtrack remixed into DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Blue Underground has confirmed a 24 February 2009 release on Blu-ray. Tech specs will see a BD-50 dual-layer presentation with newly-remastered 1080p
1080p
1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard....
video and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
audio tracks in DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 7.1 Surround and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Surround. The original Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
audio track is also set for inclusion.