Director: Luigi Bazzoni
Screenplay: Mario di Nardo, Mario Fanelli, Luigi Bazzoni
Based on a Novel by: David McDonald Devine
Starring: Franco Nero, Silvia Monti, Wolfgang Preiss, Pamela Tiffin, Ira von Fürstenberg, Edmund Purdom
Country: Italy
Running Time: 93 min
Year: 1971
BBFC Certificate: 12
Dario Argentoās feature film debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, wasnāt the first giallo but when it was released in 1970 it proved to be a huge success and launched a tidal wave of similar films over the next few years, turning the genre into the household name it is today (at least in film-buff households). One of the titles jumping on this band-wagon was Luigi Bazzoniās The Fifth Cord. The director hadnāt made many features prior to it, but one, The Possessed, was a sort of āproto-gialloā which may have helped him get this gig. He didnāt make many films after The Fifth Cord either, directing only 10 features in his lifetime (5 of which are chapters in the same documentary series) despite living to the ripe old age of 82. Heās never been considered one of the great Italian genre directors, but Arrow Video have deemed his work fit for reappraisal, releasing both The Fifth Cord and The Possessed in typically polished and extras-packed Blu-Ray packages. I was tempted to give both a try, but didnāt have time and opted for The Fifth Cord as Iād heard it mentioned before as an underrated giallo thatās worth checking out.
The Fifth Cord stars Django himself, Franco Nero, as Andrea Bild, an alcoholic journalist whoās trying to solve a series of killings before the police. Heās not just keen to stop the killer, but keen to clear his name as each death seems to be connected to Andrea and a group of his friends who were at a party together one night. The further Andrea seems to dig though, the closer the crimes become connected to him.
Also implicated in this mystery is Andreaās ex-wife/partner Helene (Silvia Monti). The investigation gives him a chance to try to reconnect with her, but sheās moved on and seems comfortable looking after her young son by herself (itās unclear whoās the father, as another former partner is mentioned). Andrea persists while trying to figure out who the serial killer is and why everyone around him seems to be mixed up in it.
Unusually for a giallo, the story is based on a novel by a Scottish author, David McDonald Devine. This isnāt obvious on screen though, as itās been transposed to Italy and makes the most of its locations in modern areas of Rome. The plot and some other tropes feel quite by-the-numbers for a giallo too, with its journalist protagonist solving a murder mystery rather than the police and the killer making good use of black leather gloves.
What it lacks in comparison to a lot of the more famous gialli though, is elaborate and bloody murder set-pieces. Yes, there are a few killings, but theyāre pretty mild compared to the likes of Argento or Fulciās classic scenes of terror. One murder even ends with the victim dying of a heart-attack rather than a razor blade or similar.
I found the pace a little laid back too, so it disappointed me in terms of typical thrills. The finale is very effective though, with a genuinely tense sequence where we discover the next victim might be a child left alone at home. This is followed by an exciting showdown against hero and villain in an abandoned warehouse. Itās a shame the final cracking of the case leading up to these scenes is rather flimsy, involving days of the week and astrology.
The Fifth Cord does have something over other gialli though; its cinematography. The giallo is a genre crowded with stylishly shot films, particularly those directed by Argento. The Fifth Cord isnāt as stylised as many of them, but each shot is gorgeously crafted and the film looks simply stunning. This will come as no surprise when you learn the DOP was Vittorio Storaro. Thought by many to be the greatest cinematographer who ever lived (heās still knocking around now in fact), Storaro lensed such eye-poppingly beautiful films as Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, Last Tango in Paris, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and a film I consider possibly the best shot of all time, The Conformist. The latter was made only a year before The Fifth Cord and you can see some of Storaroās same considered use of framing and depth to reflect the situations and psychological states of the filmās characters. Shadows and silhouettes play a big part too and thereās great use of colour, subdued in comparison to many gialli, but very attractive nonetheless.
So, although The Fifth Cord is a little by-the-numbers in terms of plot and isnāt the most exciting, violent or fast-paced of gialli, it is one of the best-looking and thatās saying something. A strong finale helps make up for the mediocre build-up too. So itās a worthy example of the genre, even if it doesnāt quite match up to the very best.
The Fifth Cord is out on 4th February on Blu-Ray in the UK, released by Arrow Video. It looks great, doing justice to the beautiful cinematography. It sounds good too, with both Italian and English dubbed options available (I watched the Italian version in case anyone cares).
There are plenty of special features included in the set too. Here’s the list:āØāØBLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTSĀ āØ
– Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
– High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
– Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
– English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
– New audio commentary by critic Travis Crawford
– Lines and Shadows, a new video essay on the filmās use of architecture and space by critic Rachael Nisbet
– Whisky Giallore, a new video interview with author and critic Michael Mackenzie
– Black Day for Nero, a new video interview with actor Franco Nero
– The Rhythm Section, a new video interview with film editor Eugenio Alabiso
– Rare, previously unseen deleted sequence, restored from the original negative
– Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
– Image gallery
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Haunt Love
– FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kat Ellinger and Peter Jilmstad
Itās a pretty stacked selection considering the film isnāt one of the better known gialli of the period. In the commentary, Crawford does a good job of covering as many bases as he can in the filmās relatively short running time, although he over-repeats his point about the way Bazzoni and Storaro shoot characters through windows and obscure them in other ways. Nisbetās essay covers this a great deal too and it felt like she was maybe overanalysing a film I found fairly generic for the most part. Her points were largely valid though, so maybe I should have been watching with a more critical eye rather than expecting a lurid bloodbath.
Mackenzieās piece provides further food for thought and the Nero interview is enjoyably nostalgic. He talks of his friendship with Bazzoni and Storaro. Heād made one of his first films, a short, with the pair and in this interview he says he took on this role during a blossoming international career due to their involvement.
I actually havenāt had chance to watch the Alabiso interview yet as I tend to listen to special features when Iām out and about rather than watch them and this is in Italian, but pieces on editors are always welcome (Iām an editor myself). Speaking of editing, the deleted scene is surprisingly good. I quite often skip over these as Iām rarely interested in the offcuts of a film. However, this is a really nicely flowing montage with a couple of wonderful shots. You can see why it was cut out though as it doesnāt really drive the story forward.
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