Giornata nera per l'ariete (1971)

Director:

Luigi Bazzoni

Writers:

Luigi Bazzoni (writer)
David McDonald Devine (novel)

Release Date:

January 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

An alcoholic journalist finds himself on the trail of a murderer after the police make him a suspect in their investigation.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Victim | Drink | Journalist | Police

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Franco Nero	...	Andrea Bild
Silvia Monti	...	Helene
Wolfgang Preiss	...	Police Inspector
Ira von Fürstenberg	...	Isabel Lancia
Edmund Purdom	...	Edouard Vermont
Rossella Falk	...	Sophia Bini
Renato Romano	...	Dr. Richard Bini
Guido Alberti	...	Traversi
Luciano Bartoli	...	Walter Auer (as Luciano Baroli)
Agostina Belli	...	Giulia
Maurizio Bonuglia	...	John Lubbock
Pamela Tiffin	...	Lu Auer
Corrado Gaipa	...	Editor
Andrea Scotti	...	Vogel
Luigi Antonio Guerra		(as Guerra L. Antonio)

Also Known As:

Evil Fingers (USA) (dubbed version)
The Fifth Cord

Runtime:

UK:88 min | Italy:90 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 | UK:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Not Rated

Company:

B.R.C. Produzione S.r.l.

A Giallo to see once you've seen the classics of the genre

The Giallo sub-genre has produced some really great films; films such The House With the Laughing Windows, What Have They Done To Solange, and just about everything Dario Argento made; and with that in mind, The Fifth Cord isn't that good a film. However, as lesser-known Giallo's go; The Fifth Cord will no doubt prove interesting viewing for Giallo fans. It's not great, but the film never really sets out to be; it's a Giallo typical of the film style, and features many of the Giallo trademarks, which will no doubt please fans. The Fifth Cord also benefits from having Django star Franco Nero in the lead role; which lends it a touch of class, and an extra quota of cult value. The plot is typical Giallo, and merely follows a murder investigation. It's the central character, therefore, that is most interesting about this film. Franco Nero stars as an alcoholic journalist, put on the trail of the murder both due to his profession, and the fact that the police see him as a suspect in the investigation.

Ennio Morricone is most famous for his scores to Sergio Leone's masterpieces, but he's also done a lot of work for Giallo's. His score here doesn't rival the ones in the Spaghetti Westerns; but, as ever, Morricone does a good job of setting the right atmosphere for the film, as his score goes from the swinging relaxed mood associated with Italian films, to a more piercing score for the macabre scenes. Nero's performance is a little ropey, and at times he's very hammy; but his screen presence makes up for it, and I really couldn't imagine this film without him in it. The film is well directed by Luigi Bazzoni, who shoots in a number of locations; with many of the scenes (the build up to the ending especially) being memorable due to his location shots. The murders aren't the most imaginative I've ever seen, but most are suitably macabre; and more than do their job in creating a foreboding atmosphere. One of the problems with Giallo is that they're often hard to follow, and this film suffers from that; but the plot is largely well paced, and the ending provides something of a surprise. This film is too insubstantial on the whole to be a 'must see'; but I still won't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Italian horror.