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.

There are some cigarettes smoked in this film. In fact, the amount featured might have blown the budget, as some of the special effects are more than a little rough. Not to worry, we have top-billed Klaus Kinski playing a man apparently being driven mad, so we're in for some enjoyably extreme theatrics, surely?

Well actually, no. Kinski is at the most restrained I've ever seen him. That powerhouse of rolling eyes and bared teeth is subdued and on his best behaviour - or as much as you can be given the circumstances. It's strange seeing Kinski in the Edwidge Fenech/Dagmar Lassandra role (Nora Orland's incidental score has definite echoes of his subsequent work on 'The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh', starring Fenech in the titular role).

A fairly standard giallo, which has moments of great interest - usually involving Kinski.

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.

Some Gorgeous and Slick Color Images Embody the Late 60's Psychedelic London Vibe of New "Freedoms" On-Screen.

Such as Nudity and Drugs, coupled with Outrageous Hair and Clothes Styles.

Klaus Kinski, in a Tempered Role, is Involved with His Wife, a Rich Heiress, and Her Sudden and Tragic Death by Sabotage.

It Sends Him to the London "Underground" Scene and Assorted Characters such as Models and Pornographers.

Typical "Who-Done-It" Plot is Ramped by some Beautiful Cinematography and a Neo-Noir Feel.

It also Employs Modern Tropes of Italian and German Cinema Packaged for an International Market.

It's a Great Film to Look At and Kinski, as always, is an Intriguing Screen Presence.

The Story has some Flow-Problems as the Plot gets Complex but Nevertheless is a Good Example of B-Movie Making in the "Times That Were A Changin".

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.