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The Cat O' Nine Tails [1971]
![The Cat O' Nine Tails [1971]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51a-g1f3oiL._SL160_.jpg)
Our Price: £4.33 (subject to change)
UNDERRATED ARGENTO EFFORT
Review date: 2007-10-27 Rating: 8 out of 10
While strolling at night, Franco Arno, (Karl Malden) a blind retired reporter and Lori, (Cinzia De Carolis) his niece, overhear a conversation involving blackmail in a nearby car. Following a break-in at the prestigious Terzi Institute for genetic research, one of the leading researchers winds up killed the next morning, and who happened to be a participant in the blackmail discussion. Teaming up with newsman Carlo Giordani, (James Franciscus) they manage get close to Anna, (Catherine Spaak), the mysterious daughter of the institute chairman, while Arno chases down several clues of his own. When they find that a garrote-wielding killer continues to strike again and again to cover up a deadly secret, they race to uncover it and stop the madman before they're in harm's way.
The Good News: This wasn't nearly as bad as it really should've been. This has a much stronger and much more well-constructed puzzle plot here than in most other giallo films, as a mysterious locket, a champion cursing pro from the underworld, a deadly gay love triangle, chromosome experiments on murderers and a razor-happy barber are all used to help solve the mystery. They manage to not-so-simple task of following along rather nicely and really play out with a simple track for solving it. As usual with these films, the film is driven by a series of strong and sadistic set-pieces. The scene that works for unbridled suspense better than anything is one where one character goes to a barber and the barber starts pointing out against reporters who have claimed that the killer was a barber while shaving him and it rapidly cuts to closeups of the barber's razor trimming his chin as he starts talking about slashing throats with razors. That we are never certain whether the barber knows that he is a reporter too simply makes it that much more frightening. The scene where one of the characters beds a woman and then comes to realize she may have poisoned the milk he is about to drink is classic suspense and really stands out. There are all the usual motifs of half-heard clues and cameras taking the points of view of the killer and creeping up on people. There's also a scene were one character breaks into a house in the middle of the night, unaware that the owner is actually at home. Another features Giordani and Arno going tomb-robbing, and it skillfully manages to take the scene from being comedic to being nail-bitingly tense. One of the absolute best scenes, however, is one where Anna speeds through the streets of Rome in an attempt to shake off a pair of police officers who are trailing her car. Not only is it well-paced and imaginatively shot, it is also one of my favorite ever car chase sequences. Add all these together into a really intriguing pace and it becomes far more watchable than it's reputation has given it.
The Bad News: There isn't a lot wrong here. The film's greatest flaw is its jagged narrative. It starts off by showing us a crime in which seemingly no real damage has been done, and then proceeds to provide a ridiculously large list of suspects. It is made pretty clear that everyone has their own agenda, but the results are confusing, since far too many indistinct characters are introduced. There is a tendency to go off on tangents and often feel more like a series of loosely connected events than a single story. A perfect example of this is the blindness. It's a neat plot device early on, but in the end it does nothing more than create a talking point for the characters. Also, the storyline gets convoluted along the way, especially with all the discussion about XX/XY chromosomes and the link to violent behavior. That makes it so that film sounds surprisingly dialog-heavy, and it does get bogged down with exposition and the explanation of scientific theories. In the context of the film, the lengthy and dull descriptions of various experiments seem extraneous, not to mention somewhat far-fetched at times. All of these combine into a disastrously overlong running time that doesn't help matters much either. Had these been fixed, this would've been a more memorable film.
The Final Verdict: With a couple of minor problems that could've been fixed, this would be a far more remembered entry in Argento's cannon. As it stands, this is a severely underrated effort that has a lot to like about it, and is well-worth tracking down for the true Argento fan while those interested should give it a chance.
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Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Tino Carraro
Pier Paolo Capponi
Carlo Alighiero
Horst Frank
Tom Felleghy
Creators:
Erico Menczer (Cinematographer)
Ennio Morricone (Composer)
Recording label: Blue Underground
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
EAN: 0827058104791
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, PAL,
Release date: 2007-09-25
Universal product code (UPC): 827058104791
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Running time: 112 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1971
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)
Language: Italian (Original Language)