Blood and Black Lace, 1964.
Directed by Mario Bava.
Starring Eva Bartok, Cameron Mitchell, Thomas Reiner, Arianna Gorini and Mary Marden.
SYNOPSIS:
After a model is brutally murdered by a masked killer, a fashion house becomes the centre of a mystery as police and the house’s staff try to figure out who among them lurks behind the mask.
As you can probably guess by the fact that I spend all October talking about it, I love horror in all its forms.
However, there is one particular sub-genre of horror that has always fascinated me while also being one that, until now, I don’t think I’ve ever covered. That is the distinctly Italian brand of horror known as the Giallo.
Its name derived from from the Italian word for “yellow”, the Giallo sub-genre drew inspiration from pulp novels that told grisly mystery tales laced violence and sex, with the books noted for their by their distinctive yellow covers.
Appropriately enough for today’s entry, we’re looking at a film that, while perhaps not the first, was the one that set the template for many of the Giallo’s that followed. This is Mario Bava’s colourful, ultraviolent slasher masterpiece Blood and Black Lace.
As with many of the Italian horror films I’ve previously reviewed, Blood and Black Lace is a European production with a cast of mostly non-English speaking actors. Thus, I won’t talk much about the acting too much given that everyone seems to be dubbed (at least in the version I watched). In fairness, however, the dub actors do a pretty good job in translating the emotions of the characters.
Blood and Black Lace though is a film where the characters and dialogue are very much secondary, with it being a masterclass in “style over substance” film-making.
From the neon of street signs to the blood-red colour of the fashion house mannequins, Bava bathes his film in lush heavy shades of red and green in a manner that is inspired and intoxicating to watch. The more technical aspects of the cinematography are also stunning, with the film full of fluid camera moves and creative lighting that makes every shadow loom large and every colour pop right off the screen. Honestly, you could remove all the story and characters from this film and I would still watch it, with the film being a truly exquisite visual feast for the eyes.
I especially loved the opening credits sequence that introduces the cast as they look on ominously while often bathed in neon lights. It’s a stylish and cool opening that perfectly sets the tone for what’s to come, even if the brassy music does make it seem like you’re about to watch some kind of Italian James Bond knock off.
The film’s overpowering stylishness is so omnipresent that it extends even to the character’s appearances, with every woman being a fashion model often wearing a glittering glamorous dress, while every man seems to be clad in a finely tailored suit. One sequence of the various suspects in a police station is filled with so many sharp threads that it’s less like a police line-up and more like something you’d see on the cover of GQ.
The film’s impeccable dress sense extends to such a ridiculous level that even the masked killer is well dressed, committing his brutal acts while sporting a very cool coat fedora combo, complete with the Giallo standard; a pair of black leather gloves. Is it wrong that I want that combo for my Halloween costume?
The story itself is a solid “whodunit” that keeps you guessing as to who the killer might be, with director Bava throwing enough red herrings to fill a stall at a fish market. While it might be obvious to some who the killer is, and you might find me stupid for admitting this, but I honestly had no idea who the killer was it was until the final reveal. And that constant confusion and guessing is a testament to Bava’s skill at creating a genuinely entertaining mystery. Half the fun of the film is just playing armchair detective, even if you turn out to be a really shitty one.
From start to finish, I f**king loved Blood and Black Lace. Beautifully shot, impeccably dressed and boasting an old school whodunit mystery that masters the slasher genre better than most of the rubbish that came out of the 1980s, Blood and Black Lace is easily one of the coolest horror films out there. Check this one out.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Graeme Robertson
