Blood and Black Lace

Blood and Black Lace is perhaps Bava’s most influential work, as it is the cornerstone not only of giallo films, but also of the first wave of American slasher flicks. Not only is its colourfulness reminiscent of Minnelli’s musicals, its narrative structure is also similar to that of a musical. It is not about the victims, who can be joined by practically anyone at any time, so identifying with any one character wouldn’t make a lot of sense. Nor is it about the detectives, who don’t reveal much, so we won’t get much pleasure out of the uncovering of new connections. It’s about the murders and their immediate emotional impact. The individual murders are staged as lavish musical numbers that are generally unnecessary for the development of the narrative (besides the symbolism of colour, music also plays a significant role in these scene). However, an aesthetically satisfying impression is made in them through a combination of unusual camera positions (the shot from the fireplace), ambiguous mise-en-scène (the terrifying mannequins) and extreme violence (which would still be extreme even by today’s standards, if we could just see more of it). In between, the men fall into frustration, the women engage in intrigue and paranoia rises. A baroque psychosexual thriller with everything that involves. Amare o lasciare. 75% (06/09/2015)

One of the very first Giallo films and also one of the best. Mario Bava at the top of his game. (22/01/2012)