Double Face

Is Riccardo Freda's "Double Face" a giallo, yes or no? Many people are likely to say no, but it's definitely a giallo in the humble opinion of yours truly. I think there exist two types. The prototypic and most common (and certainly also the most entertaining) giallo deals with a perverted, masked & black-gloved killer butchering scantily clad fashion models with a variety of sharp objects. There's usually a high body count, lots of gratuitous sleazy and nudity, and a fun "whodunit" aspect even though the end-twist regarding the identity of the killer is grotesque and far-fetched. The second, and slightly less popular, type of giallo generally deals with unfaithful husbands driving their mentally unstable wives crazy, for example via framing them for murder or faking their own deaths. These gialli have low body counts, psychedelic atmospheres, and for some strange reason they often star Carroll Baker as the leading lady in distress ("The Sweet Body of Deborah", "Orgasmo", "So Sweet So Perverse", "Paranoia", ...).

I really think "Double Face" fits neatly into this second giallo-category, although admittedly the trademarks are turned upside down. Here, it's the male protagonist - Klaus Kinski - who's being cheated on by his wife (with another woman, moreover) and driven insane. It's a highly unusual role for Kinski, but he's absolutely splendid as John Alexander who suspects that his wife Liz still hangs out in sex clubs and appears in pornographic movies, even though she supposedly died in a horrible car accident. The plot is a little thin to full a complete film with, so "Double Face" is overall rather dull and contains too much pointless padding footage. The climax is tense and fairly surprising, though, and the cast is full of beautiful people! Kinski's charisma and grimaces are indescribable, and the male spectators are spoiled with no less than three gorgeous women: Christiane Krüger, Annabella Incontrera and Margaret Lee. If you're still not convinced, I can also add that the idea for the story comes from the almighty Lucio Fulci! Check it out, Italian cult-cinema lovers!

On a less relevant note: watching the DVD-version that I own was an adventure to itself. It was a restored version, so poor quality footage constantly interchanged with high quality images, and the spoken language randomly switched back and forth between English, German and French.

This London-based giallo starts off with a Keystone cops-type sped up car chase that ends with a toy train crashing into a toy car. We shortly afterwards see Klaus Kinski and his wife badly superimposed onto a ski-slope pretending to slide down a mountain. I'm guessing the budget for this one wasn't too high, but at least it lends a daft edge to this film.

Fugly Klaus Kinski isn't too happy that his wife hates him and clearly parades her lesbian lover in front of him all the time, which makes him the prime suspect when the car she's in crashes and explodes. The real question is, Klaus hated his wife, but is he the one that killed her? We follow our subdued Klaus around London as he searches hippy filled freak out dens looking for answers.

It's in one of these stinking holes full of unemployable idealistic morons that Klaus discovers his wife starring in some sort of porno film. Her face is covered, but a scar on her neck and a distinctive ring are enough proof for Klaus. He hooks up with a hippy chick to continue his search and gets a good kicking in a porn studio for his trouble. However, as shifty as Klaus looks, someone else may be up to something - why else would Klaus be being drugged?

We get a calmer Klaus here, but you still get the usual traits from him too - staring, glowering, looking etc. Nothing is quite revealed until the end so feel free to nap through some of the film - I had a feeling I did, and didn't seem to miss anything either. This isn't the best Riccardo Fredda film - If you want giallo, try his incredibly daft and enjoyable Iguana With the Tongue of Fire and if you want horror, my preference is the Ghost. Boob fans however will not feel let down by this one.

In an alternative universe, Klaus Kinski would have been the ideal actor to play Mark E Smith of The Fall.

Surprise! Surprise! There are not many movies where Klaus Kinski doesn´t play a bad guy. This is one of them. And it´s rather twisted. He´s a prime crime suspect, and we follow him solving the case right to a surprise ending. It´s a German Edgar Wallace adaption directed by classic Italian director Riccardo Freda and , yes, it´s a typical Giallo. So I guess all the fans of those "normal" German Edgar-Wallace-Movies didn´t like it very much. It´s only for fans of the director and, of course, the brilliant, astonishing, unforgettable Klaus Kinski.

It has to be said that Riccardo Freda wasn't the greatest Italian director to ever live and, as such, his films don't tend to rank among the best of the genres he's worked in. Double Face is not one of the best Giallo's ever made, though it's a hell of a lot better than Freda's later The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire, and it's a pretty decent genre entry in its own right. As is the case with most Giallo films; the central focus of the plot is on murder, but rather than following a string of murders as many of these films do; this time the focus is on just one murder and the investigation into said crime. The plot centres on John Alexander, a successful business man whose wife just happens to be a lesbian. She is, unfortunately, killed in a car crash towards the start of the film and John then encounters Christine; a sexy and uninhibited blonde seductress who seems to have a keen interest in him. One thing leads to another, and John ends up seeing a blue movie starring Christine and, apparently, his wife! The mystery then builds as John comes to believe that his wife is still alive.

The stand out star of the film is definitely Klaus Kinski. It's quite odd seeing him in this role as I'm so used to seeing him play the bad/insane antagonist, whereas here he finds himself in the hapless victim role. Kinski keeps it together well and while this performance isn't as great as the ones where he gets to go over the top; it has to be said that he gives a solid performance in the lead role. He is joined by fellow German Christiane Krüger, who takes up the role of sexy leading lady well and the central cast is rounded off by Margaret Lee, who appeared in a handful of Giallo's, including Slaughter Hotel and The Killers Are Our Guests. The film is never overly exciting and sometimes it seems too content to just wallow in the plot; but there are some interesting scenes to help fill out the running time. The film is set in London, although it wasn't shot on location and that fact clearly shows. The final ten minutes are the best of the film as the plot finally reveals itself and mostly makes sense. Overall, I cant say that Double Face is one of the best Giallo's ever made; but it's good enough and certainly worth seeing.

The premise of 'A Doppia Faccia' ('Double Face') is very good, actually. A wealthy woman dies in a car accident and the husband inherits a fortune, but soon after, clues lead him to believe she's still alive. What's going on?

It's an old-school, late-sixties giallo, not a lot of sex and violence, more of a psychological thriller in the Hitchcock vein. While there are some interesting twists and turns, and the direction and acting are pretty good, it just misses the mark due to several issues.

First and foremost, Kinski just isn't right as 'the good guy'. He's a very good actor, but he's well-known for playing creepy characters, especially in the Edgar Wallace krimi films, the predecessors to the gialli. This character needed us to find him likeable and to care, but Kinski's strength isn't his charm and empathy, it's his intensity and anger.

In terms of craft, the photography is quite good, except that silly scene in the snow, which really should have been cut. Sometimes effects don't work. The acting and directing were competent.

The script is another weak point. They should have spent more time making us believe the relationship was authentic and they loved each other, so we'd believe his obsession with finding out if she was still alive. There are quite a few nothing conversations that could have added to the character development. The police investigation and red herrings could have been more fleshed out.

Really, they did a pretty good job overall, considering how quickly and cheaply they pumped these films out. But a bit more time on the script and a different casting choice would have made this one really sing.