DVD REVIEW: THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE

Shane | 31 October 2015 | Reply

DVD REVIEW: THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE
Shock Entertainment Cinema Cult Series
Directed by Dario Argento
Starring Tony Musanto, Suzy Kendall, Enrico Maria Salerno
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8/10

A taut thriller, The Bird With The Crystal Plumage is Dario Argento’s directorial debut, focussing on Tony Musanto’s Sam, an American writer in Rome who witnesses an attempted murder on an art gallery owners wife.

The attack occurs while Sam is trapped between two sets of glass doors, and the police can’t help but suspect him when they arrive to investigate.

Hitchockian in feel, the curious Sam investigates the crime on his own, with the silent approval of a police detective who has managed to discover very little on his own. He knows Sam saw more than he can recall, and hopes that reliving the case will shock his memory back, unlocking potentially vital clues.

Argento builds the suspense like a seasoned veteran rather than a first-time director, helped along by Ennio Morricone’s wonderfully haunting score, and there is some wonderful cinematography utilised to create the mood before the final reveal, which in all honesty, came as a surprise.

Shock are doing a great job bringing these obscure cult works of cinema to DVD and Blu Ray, and The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (the meaning of the title will come apparent at the very end of the film) is a worthy addition to any movie collection.