The Bloodstained Butterfly

One of the best gialli to come out of Italy in the 1969-77 period, it's very stylish and (of course) convoluted, but always interesting and ultimately quite clever. For once the solution to the mystery actually matters (and makes sense!), and the motive behind the murders and the finale are worthy of Agatha Christie. I highly recommend it. Great soundtrack too, I just bought the CD.

I only heard about this giallo recently, but it's undoubtedly one of the best examples of the subgenre that I've watched. Besides, from the little I've checked out of Tessari's work so far (incidentally, I've just recorded his Spaghetti Western A PISTOL FOR RINGO [1965] - which I'll catch up with soon enough), it's easily his most significant effort; I should also be getting to PUZZLE (1974), another giallo of his, in the near future.

THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERFLY (as ever, the title is only peripheral to the main narrative) - which opens with an identification of all the major characters - is especially notable for its complex editing structure, with details of plot related throughout in abrupt flashes (as either part of a lengthy trial sequence, which occupies the majority of its first half, or during troubled lead Helmut Berger's regular fits, which remain unexplained till the finale). While characterization is somewhat aloof (with no real female counterpart to Berger, despite a fair number of women in the cast), the principal actors are well chosen and also include such familiar Euro-Cult faces as Carole Andre' (playing a murdered victim), Evelyn Stewart (the wife of the suspected killer), Silvano Tranquilli (the police detective assigned to the case) and Wolfgang Preiss (the prosecuting attorney).

The narrative is a bit on the seamy side - encompassing (if ever so discreetly) rape, infidelity, paedophelia, pornography, prostitution, etc. - but welcome comedy relief is provided by the interaction between the flustered Tranquilli and his long-suffering junior partner. Unlike many films of its ilk, the audience is kept guessing as to the identity of the villain up to the violent climax (resulting in a curt but satisfyingly bleak ending) and, just as thankfully, the script dispenses with the idea (popularized by Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO [1960]) of presenting a forced last-minute explanation - wherein a psychiatrist is appointed to dig into the killer's past, in order to extract some lame motive for his misdeeds. Typically, however, the eclectic score (courtesy of Gianni Ferrio) is masterful - especially in the way a Tchaikovsky symphony is seamlessly woven into the soundtrack!

The film is available on a bare-bones DVD from both Italy and Spain - but it more than merits a decent release in R1 through, say, Blue Underground (given their predilection for such "Euro-Cult" offerings)...

Behind a typically abstruse giallo title (the plot's link to a butterfly of any kind is extremely tenuous) lies a film that rarely feels like a typical giallo, with more police procedure and courtroom drama than usual. Director Duccio Tessari's film opens in familiar territory with the murder of a young woman in a park, the killer, in raincoat and hat, making his escape, but witnessed by several people. The police investigate the crime scene, forensics gathering numerous pieces of evidence, all of which points to TV reporter Alessandro Marchi (Giancarlo Sbragia) as the guilty party. The rest of the first half of the film is dedicated to the trial of Allesandro, with dreary flashbacks and cross-examination making the film something of a chore to sit through.

Found guilty of murder, Allesandro is sentenced to life, but while he is in prison, the killings continue, the modus operandi the same as before, the culprit contacting the police with a whispered phone call. When Allesandro's mistress comes forward with vital information that seems to prove his innocence, Allesandro is freed (much to the annoyance of his wife, who also has a lover). After much intrigue, Tessari eventually pulls together all the plot threads for an unexpected twist ending that goes some way to make the duller moments seem a bit more worthwhile. As far as the death scenes go, they are extremely tame and likely to disappoint fans of Argento or Fulci, and despite a fair few attractive women, the level of nudity is also fairly low.

Perhaps the most notable things about the film are its police inspector's strange obsession with coffee, and the cop who falls over running down some stairs during a chase on foot through the streets of Milan (it looks unintentional and is never spoken of).

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Though Mario Bava had gotten the Giallo ball rolling in 1964 with "Blood And Black Lace" (though some may argue that it was really 1962's "Evil Eye/ The Girl Who New Too Much" that was really the first Giallo), it wasn't really until Dario Argento's 1969 masterpiece "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage" that started the Italian Production trend. But between 1970 to 1972 it was in it's full swing!

They must have been throwing these films out weekly! But Duccio Tessari's 1971 Giallo "The Bloodstained Butterfly" is a standout for many reasons. First it takes a slightly different approach in it's proceedings, anouncing the characters names like an Agatha Christie thriller. It contains a lush hypnotic soundtrack supplied by Gianni Ferrio (that blends out of a jarring Tchaikovsky number), that fits in snuggly with Ennio Morricone's doodlings (yet retains it's own originality). The entire cast is solid, with Helmut Berger's Giorgio (a pianist) going mental every time he hears Tchaikovsky, and Giancarlo Sbragia (the main suspect) looking timid (yet shifty) while trying to defend himself. Red herrings abound (everyone seems slightly guilty and slimey) the story weaves a web of perplexity until the surprising (or not so surprising if you've seen enough Giallos) climax. Dementia out of passion is called into explanation, and this is not just your regular moral avenger or greedy interloper Giallo. Beautiful Wendy D'Olive plays the daughter of the suspect (the only character who isn't dipped in slime), and one can't help but feel that this poor character will probably suffer a nervous breakdown at the end of the chaos. To give away the story would be a crime, because this is what keeps the interest jumping. Again the black gloved assassin is taking the lives of beautiful women, but this tends to feel like a more mature outing with restrained gore. The emphasis is placed on the convoluted, puzzling story. One thing that makes Giallo films so great is that it's stylized trash. Not simply just stalk n' slash fair (unlike so many of America's horror films of the time), but great detail is placed on locations, clothes, interior decoration, and music. Giallo films tend to seduce (before destroying) it's viewer with everything abound incorporating a lushous veneer.

"Bloodstained Butterfly" is a prime example of this asthetic. One of my favourite moments of the film is when Wendy D'Olive is taking a tram through the city, while Helmut Berger is driving his sports car right before their chance (or maybe it isn't?) meeting. The wonderful music glides you through the scene like an Italian daydream, only to drop you into a scene of suspicion. Highly recommended for fans of Italian Cinema!

A girl is murdered in a park. A suspect is tried and convicted but the killings continue.

The Bloodstained Butterfly is a giallo that occupies the more restrained side of the genre. Despite having a plot revolving around a series of knife murders, it doesn't really focus on these killings. One is shown briefly in flash-back, while the others are essentially committed off-screen. Instead, the narrative concentrates more on the mystery. For this reason it is on the more sober and intelligent side of the giallo genre. Quite a bit of the story is taken up with the police procedural angle and court-room scenes. And similar to many others in the sub-genre, an intense melodrama underpins the murder mystery; and, as is often the case, it's populated by a group of quite unsympathetic people. These are made up with the usual concoction of the psychologically troubled and the sleazily untrustworthy.

While the emphasis on melodrama and detective/courtroom dynamics might not be to everyone's taste, it works here. The mystery is compelling and you are kept guessing all the way. I can't say I predicted the outcome either, which is always a bonus. But in amongst all of this are some great typical giallo moments such as the opening scenes in the park with the killer making a get away shot from a number of nice angles. In general, as you might expect from this type of film it is photographed well throughout and has a good soundtrack too. It also has a somewhat unusual opening credit sequence where we are introduced to all of the main characters where they are shown with their moniker displayed on screen. This is quite good, as these films almost always have convoluted plot-lines and this helps ease us into proceedings with a quick look at whose who in the film about to start.

The Bloodstained Butterfly is overall a pretty involving mystery. It isn't a horror-orientated thriller at all though, so if that's what you're after you'd be best looking elsewhere. But it has the specific mood and essence that early 70's gialli have. If you're a fan of the sub-genre you should check this one out.