Dark Friday is another exceptional example of greater Euro B Cinema, old school, even though relatively a later one, this movie also confirms Aldo Lado's extraordinary gift for visionary and always compelling, sophisticated, complex, and, amazingly edited, shots composed of rich chromatic visuals, so stunningly formidable to seem more like belonging to a masterful Bernardo Bertolucci's film, than to a more modest genre, late dark "Giallo", with thrilling and erotic moments, all extremely tastefully shot, and, pertinent to the core of a tight, complex, and, intricate story that, doesn't always completely comes together at the end, but, that still manages, with exemplary mystery and twists, decadent touches and truly arousing scenes, to achieve an incredible crescendo, confirming this film a real example of virtuoso's filmmaking, and, nailing perfectly this thrilling social commentary that is also a pitch black, hard boiled tale of luxury, and, morbid, manic obsessions, very well appointed to a certain well known group of rich young and gorgeous misfits, so called "Black Aristocrats" a term defining in Italy, and, especially in Rome and Venice, where the story is primarily taking place, the remains of a certain fascist, monarchic, often depraved and vicious youth, coming from old, and, of course corrupted wealthy, privileged backgrounds that used to be 'titled' in the old Italian Monarchy, which had been prohibited by the Republic, right after World War 2, however, its same class, apparently because of their roots, managed to stay illegally at the power, somewhat hiding their origins, while, even, among them still using such titles like Prince, Count or Marquis, and, very often the new generations born after such abusive and sick families, would aggressively use such old, and abused privilege as a form of intimidation and even of corruption or just of the same abuse of power against anyone, discriminating more as a form of deadly game and bored illness, and, without apparent motive! These "terrible friends", who seem to know all each other's and way too well, are most of all atrociously bored, and, secretly, but not even so much, either hating their families, regretting their past, or sarcastically judging it with cruel detachment, and, always mostly involved with hard drugs, like opiates and heroin! A sad scenario of a youth spending enormous amounts of money into nonsense or celebrations of vices of any kind and standing, just playing dangerous games with each other, in order- it seems- to kill time. They are apparently devoted to incest and very strange, often sadomasochistic's sexual practices, or other atrocities, and, while often publicly condemning homosexuality, are almost all, at the same time, bisexually attracted to one another, and, often playing orgies or breath taking scenes, where inevitably, at least one of them, turns out at the end to be the designated victim of a design even to cruel to be serious, yet "cleverly thought" just to create the amusement of the stronger wolves in the group, especially when we see how truly heart broken or in despair, one of them can be easily reduced by his same friends! They are all living, carrying often unforgiving secrets, and, feeding their dissolution with devouring passions, often all manifestations of an endless thirst for lurid, and, prohibited habits or desires they seem to live just in order to satisfy, to the point they could bring to mind a certain reminiscence with the fascinating, if ill and deadly, world of vampires (and, in fact, they could all be a group of vampires just coming out by one of Anne Rice's most sickening and cruel tales, as well!) just ready to betray each other, or to even kill, in order to satisfy that ultimate thrill, and, to somehow so find a few days of peace or sleep. An atmosphere always "suspended", ecstatic, and, drugs induced, that reminds very much of Hawks' film version of "The Big Sleep", these horribly "great friends", at one tragic point, decide to kidnap a couple of innocent and morally correct young women, just guilty of being "boring", shallow, and, of not wanting to play their ultimate deadly, depraved games, that quickly begins with subtle, but, cruel psychological violence, and, develop slowly into sexual abuses, to switch into tortures of any kind, until.. The film succeeds perfectly to portray, with few, but, extremely stylized touches, the lives of such degenerated, decadent, desperate rich youth, brought up with no love or morals, no example of democracy, or integrity, but, just with anger and abuse, excess and hate. And, Lado is great, also with the help of a savvy casting (especially notable are a blond and 'damned" Arcangeli, ex model Boals, and, the gorgeous, enigmatic Savoy, but, also all others are great!), a refined use of incredibly real gorgeous homes, and, clever shooting of a few, but, unforgettable exteriors sequences, great costumes, and, superior, dark cinematography, often dramatized by the use of unsettling colors, sudden fogs, or the use of sinister images, where dark reds, gold and black are the dominant tones, opposing each other's in some unusual, conceptual artistic games of shadows and mirrors, and, must cite too, with a musical comment, reminiscent of certain Morricone's classic themes of the late 1960's more dramatic pictures, (again) Lado manages to create a terrific portrait, if deliriously cruel, and, bravely never captivating, it is always repulsive, in its almost esoteric beauty, re-creating convincingly a certain youth that, at the end, seems to be born without almost a reason to live, but, only to represent evil and all the agony of a slow decadence, paying for centuries of injustice and corruptions at the highest level of power, politics and even of the Roman Church! Troubling,enigmatic, elegant, but.. not for the faint of heart! Intense!
