A product of the Greenwich Village "new wave" breed of filmmaking, Melvie Arslanian's debut picture "Stiletto" is a stylish mood piece matching the cool, remote atmosphere of NYC's young subculture with the deadpan, visually striking format of '40s films noirs.
Using narration to deliver exposition and comment on the characters' behavior, helmer unfolds her stylish tale of revenge, with blonde bombshell Nadja VIdal (cooly played by Tina L'hotsky) arriving in New York City to get the killers of her sister Sasha (Nina Gaidarova).
Violence is treated in "Stiletto" by suggestion, with editing and camera placement creating exciting moments that pose a workable alternative to the modern fixation on blood and gore. Using tantalizing flashbacks of Sasha's murder in a nightclub and flash-forwards of Nadja's activities, fim is an experimental effort which artfully conveys the heroine's indifference to violence.
Appearance is everything in this world, and Michael Oblowitz's high-contrast black & white lensing presents a forbidding New York night scene. Lead L'hotsky resembles a tall, fleshy Sue Lyon and her sang-froid thesping carries much of the action. Dialog writer Gary Indiana contributes comedy relief in a wandering monolog as a bellhop fruitlessly trying to engage the heroine in a conversation.
Richard Landry's energetic jazz score provides an invigorating contrast to the cool visuals and remote characters. Also notable is a nightclub song number by electric pianist Patrick Selinger, who sings in unison with Martine Martin in a distinctive, whispery vocal style.
Film's length is awkward, but it deserves non-theatrical play and marks a promising new helmer in the Belgian-born, New York resident Arslanian.
My review was written in October 1981 after a Greenwich Village screening.
