A boy cycling in the woods discovered a couple of women acting strange, and starts spying on them, until he is discovered. That's the start of this film by cult film director Dario Argento. A clear and present homage to the great director Alfred Hitchcock in absolutely all that is done on screen, and more so, even to the art of film.
After the start we get to know a real film buff, working in a room full of movie posters. Is it the young boy at an older age? Yes, it is. He's Giulio, and a real Peeping Tom. Now he gets a chance to spy on a neighboring women undressing, just like the photographer in Hitchcocks "Rear window". I'm already sold... But the references go on. "Strangers on a train", "Psycho", "Dial M for murder", "Blackmail", "Family plot", "Vertigo"...
The film refers to so many classics that it's a gem in itself, and the plot is well made up in this story as well. Filmed in the typical Argento style, with the occasional mystical lingering on nature, city scapes and artful Gothic sculptures, this manages to make the right tension. Add music highly inspired by Hichcock and 80'ies thrillers like "Dressed to kill" (DePalma) and all the other ingredients, even down to finger movements, and you're in for a treat. It's not splattery, except from in one scene. OK, but has so much going for it, that it's impossible to dislike, if you got the references on.
This Italian/Spanish production is English spoken, dubbed probably due to to bad English, though filmed with Italian actors in Turin, Italy. Maybe some might feel it a bit forced and artificial due to this, and the perfect English voice-over which make our hero more recipient than actually possible. Never mind, it does only add to the fascination.
The only disappointment here is that Argento doesn't have a cameo in this film, like sold Hitch did in his!
After the start we get to know a real film buff, working in a room full of movie posters. Is it the young boy at an older age? Yes, it is. He's Giulio, and a real Peeping Tom. Now he gets a chance to spy on a neighboring women undressing, just like the photographer in Hitchcocks "Rear window". I'm already sold... But the references go on. "Strangers on a train", "Psycho", "Dial M for murder", "Blackmail", "Family plot", "Vertigo"...
The film refers to so many classics that it's a gem in itself, and the plot is well made up in this story as well. Filmed in the typical Argento style, with the occasional mystical lingering on nature, city scapes and artful Gothic sculptures, this manages to make the right tension. Add music highly inspired by Hichcock and 80'ies thrillers like "Dressed to kill" (DePalma) and all the other ingredients, even down to finger movements, and you're in for a treat. It's not splattery, except from in one scene. OK, but has so much going for it, that it's impossible to dislike, if you got the references on.
This Italian/Spanish production is English spoken, dubbed probably due to to bad English, though filmed with Italian actors in Turin, Italy. Maybe some might feel it a bit forced and artificial due to this, and the perfect English voice-over which make our hero more recipient than actually possible. Never mind, it does only add to the fascination.
The only disappointment here is that Argento doesn't have a cameo in this film, like sold Hitch did in his!