“You will not leave this house alone.”
Paintings are known to inspire a variety of responses. We perceive art through the lenses of our own experiences and particular images are bound to evoke a smattering of complex issues – for better or worse. While an externalized representation of an upsetting event will often lead to recovery and healing, sometimes an artistic piece sparks painful memories and a trauma response causing physical harm. We see the latter scenario in Dario Argento’s debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. When a string of grisly murders rocks the city of Rome, a violent painting provides the key to a long-ago crime that may have incited new violence.
Sam (Tony Musante) is preparing to move back to the US after a few unsuccessful years in Rome when he stumbles upon a scuffle that will change his life. In a darkened art gallery, a mysterious man in a black coat and hat stabs a woman then flees, leaving her to bleed to death among the exquisite statues. Unable to assist, Sam must watch through the gallery’s glass doors while hoping the police will arrive in time to save the poor woman’s life. As the sole witness to this horrific crime, Sam finds himself pulled into a string of similar murders targeting vulnerable young women. Along with his girlfriend Julia (Suzy Kendall), Sam must uncover the reason for these brutal slayings before he becomes the next victim.
The Lady Killers continue Hot Girl Summer with the giallo master’s first feature film. Co-hosts Jenn Adams, Rocco Thompson, and Mae Shults explore the subgenre’s particular quirks and strengths while chatting about the role of art in this intricate story. What’s so intoxicating about the juxtaposition of art and murder? Why does that first onscreen kill feel so icky? Is it true that nothing much happens in Italy and why would anyone want to make love to a metronome? They’ll answer these questions and more while discussing a complex female killer and her surprisingly sympathetic motive.
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