The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [Blu-ray]

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [Blu-ray]
by Dario Argento

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [Blu-ray]
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DVD details

Actor: Enrico Maria Salerno, Eva Renzi, Suzy Kendall, Tony Musante
Director: Dario Argento
Brand: RYKODISC
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language); Italian (Original Language)
Format: Digital Sound, Dolby, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-02-24
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Blue Underground
Product features:
  • BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE BLU-RAY (BLU-RAY DISC)

DVD Reviews of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [Blu-ray]

DVD Review: For fans of Italian cinema and of crime phenomena ...worth it.
Summary: 3 Stars

L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo (The Bird with the Crystal
Plumage) (1970) will attact fans of Italian cinema, in general,
and viewers fascinated by crime phenomena that affects each and
every society, particularly.

The story that will send chills down the spine of viewers a few
times, with the added special effects that, although minimal, are
completely effective, from their subtle use. In addition, several
outstandingly lovely and charming women are featured, coupled with
a consistent "style" from start to finish. This involves
individuals of the upper or wealthy classes, men and women,
surrounded by art, sculptures, paintings, beautifully furnished
large homes, with the protagonists geared in elegant clothes.

As a viewer having visited Portugal and Spain, so much of what is
filmed in Italy feels intensely real, such as the streets, the
automobiles (Fiat, Alpha Romeu, etc), the architecture of the
buildings and streets, the cobble stone pavements, the windows, the
large contrast between of city to rural when they're not very
distant from one another. Even the exact design of the ladders
shown on film, (that are cut unprocessed direct from trees) are
seen quite often in Europe vs. plastic or aluminum imports lately.

The pacing of the action is entirely successful, and the surprise
twisted ending is a totally unexpected, and powerful, as a kind of
horror climax, done to perfection.

The acting is campy, friendly and collegial, featuring above all a
book author and writer, played by Tony Musante, and the police
detective accomplishing his duties, with Enrico Salerno.

That said, the movie would have had an even greater impact, had the
soundtrack and transfer from film to DVD been done at least 5 times
better. There was no effort by the Director in capturing live audio
from the actors during the scenes, having chosen instead a complete
dialog overdub done afterwards, albeit by the original Italian
actors. The inconsistency is perceptible but not a major
distraction.

In terms of the soundtrack, it's a split decision by the jury,
considering the frequent unexplained and annoying use of a mantra
or chant from hippies used randomly, over the course of the film,
by Ennio Morricone. In other moments, the choices are acceptable,
and appropriate and even "modern" such as the muted horn,
Miles-David fusion style, etc.

The DVD release is letterbox, 16 x 9, which is great, yet the
transfer seems to be timid on color, and resolution, unlike some
other transfers I've seen, (ie. the outstanding ones from Enzo G
Castellari.)

In sum, the film adheres to a special police-detective style that
it either created or wanted to target in terms of viewer niche.
It's reminiscent of Damiano Damiani's The Most Beautiful Wife, or
How to Kill a Judge, for example, in terms of editing and montage.
Worth the rental or buy.

DVD Review: Excellent release.
Summary: 5 Stars

A great genre pick, this Giallo typifies what would become the standard for Argento's work in the late 1970's and 1980's.

Great twists, interesting characters and beautiful music and colors. A must-own for fans.

DVD Review: off to a flying start . . .
Summary: 3 Stars

Stylishly shot, with suspenseful plot twists, multiple murders, and oddball characters, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970), is the directorial debut, of Italian horror specialist Dario Argento (Susperia).

The giallo is set in Rome, where a serial killer is suspected in the deaths of several women. American author Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), is passing by and art gallery, when he sees a woman stabbed by a mysterious figure with a coat and hat. Wounded but alive, Monica Ranieri (Eva Renzi), is the wife of the gallery's owner. Sam cooperates with Police Inspector Morosini (Enrico Maria Salerno), who is convinced that the American knows something that can help solve the case. After he nearly gets his head smashed in, Sam begins to actively investigate, with the help of his girlfriend Julia (Suzy Kendall). An eerie painting provides a clue to the killer, who continues to slice and dice. As Sam and Julia get more deeply involved, the level of danger becomes more acute.

Employing some unusual camera angles, and creative editing with mostly implied gore, Dario Argento weaves a fairly complex tale, that holds together pretty well, although how the killer accomplishes some rather remarkable tasks is not explained. Comparisons to Hitchcock may be a bit of a reach, as the "Master of Suspense's" style was very different, and did not rely on continuous violence, or contrived terror. This is still a very strong start for Argento, and first of his so called "animal trilogy", which also includes the films Cat O'Nine Tails (1971), and Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971).

Some gialli do not quite live up to the hype, but if you are new to the genre, The Bird With the Crystal Plumage is a good place to start. While there are some gray areas, it is overall a well executed thriller, with the requisite twist ending. Ennio Morricone's unnerving, "la la la" soundtrack, adds a chilly atmosphere to the proceedings, and isolated and available as a bonus feature.

DVD Review: Argento classic on Blu-ray at last.
Summary: 5 Stars

After Blue Underground's dreadful release of Stendhal Syndrome they needed to up the ante with this one. What we get is a very nice print of Argento's directorial debut, the colours are particularly vibrant and whilst not as pristine as some Blu-ray releases, the picture quality is an improvement on the older dvd releases of this title.

The movie itself is a classic example of the giallo movie. Based on the novel The Screaming Mimi by Edgar Wallace, Argento treats us to one of the most impressive debuts ever committed to celluloid, and one of my personal favourite giallos. Argento is often accused of being committed purely to style, and whilst his movies are among the most stylish and beautifully shot, there is also a great deal more substance to his work than he is credited with.

This disc is naturally highly recommended to fans of Dario Argento, but also to fans of the giallo and quality European cinema in general.

DVD Review: Further Showcase of Argento's Genius
Summary: 5 Stars

Dario Argento's first film, 1970's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a brilliant achievement. Terrific not only in its genre, but as a film of any kind.

This is only the second film I've seen by Argento, after the masterpiece Deep Red. This film clearly bares the mark of the same creator as the aforementioned film, employing a similar plot and artistic structure. I'm no Argento aficionado so this opinion could be flawed, but The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is the blueprint for the style and artistry that finally culminated with Deep Red.

Tony Musante plays Sam, an American living in Rome with his girlfriend Julia. Due to return to America in just a couple days, Sam witnesses a woman brutally attacked in a gallery. After being questioned by police, Sam's passport is confiscated and he is almost murdered on his way home. He soon becomes obsessed with the case and begins investigating it himself.

There are two things this film does brilliantly. It builds genuine, edge-of-your-seat tension, something Argento seems to excel at as a director, and it expertly exploits our fear of the dark.

Fear of the dark is one of the most universal fears out there. Argento knows this and employs this knowledge in many scenes. A particularly effective one is when the killer attacks Julia in her apartment after cutting the power.

As I said, this is Argento's first film and it's apparent he had a pretty set standard for his filmmaking technique. Stylistically and artistically, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage showcases a master talent with a unique vision. Ironically, Argento doesn't even fulfill his full potential with this film.

That said, few film debuts are as good as this, and even fewer horror films are as good as this one. Due to Argento's creative direction, the brilliant use of cinematography, and an atmospheric musical score by the legendary Ennio Morricone; The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a highly inventive, highly effective thriller.

As I said about Deep Red, it makes one remember that horror films can be made by people who know how to make films and that horror can be considered an art form when in the right hands. It doesn't match the artistic achievement of Deep Red but it's still a masterpiece of its genre and a great film.

A-

Side-note; my only complaint is not about the film itself, but rather the DVD. The edition I have is bogus! There's no menu, no special features, no subtitles, and no Italian-audio. The English-dubbing is not awful, but it is an annoyance and I would much rather see the film in its intended form. Still worth a watch though!

Description of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [Blu-ray]

THE STUNNING DEBUT BY DARIO ARGENTO - THE ITALIAN MASTER OF TERROR

In his first film as writer/director, Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED, TWO EVIL EYES) single-handedly created the giallo genre and instantly emerged as the filmmaker critics worldwide hailed as 'The Italian Hitchcock.' Tony Musante (TRAFFIC, WE OWN THE NIGHT) and Suzy Kendall (CIRCUS OF FEAR, TORSO) star in this pulse-pounding suspense thriller about an American writer in Rome who witnesses - and is helpless to stop - a brutal assault, the cunning vengeance of a maniac, and the heart-stopping horror that lives - and kills - deep in the dark.

Blue Underground is proud to present this legendary shocker in striking High Definition, remastered from its original camera negative (including recently discovered never-before-seen footage of explicit violence) and remixed in 7.1 DTS-HD and 7.1 Dolby TrueHD. Illuminating Extras include four featurettes with Dario Argento, Oscar(R) winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, legendary composer Ennio Morricone, co-star Eva Renzi and much more!

EXTRAS:
Audio Commentary with Journalists Alan Jones and Kim Newman
"Out Of The Shadows" - Interview with Co-Writer/Director Dario Argento
"Painting With Darkness" - Interview with Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
"The Music Of Murder" - Interview with Composer Ennio Morricone
"Eva's Talking" - Interview with Actress Eva Renzi
U.S. Trailer
Italian Trailer
TV Spots

Dario Argento takes sole writing credit for his directorial debut but The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is actually an unofficial adaptation of Fredric Brown's novel The Screaming Mimi. Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), an American novelist in Italy, is a helpless spectator to a vicious attack in an art gallery. Initially a suspect, Sam becomes the key witness to the attempted murder, the fourth in a month but the first survived by the victim. Something about the attack haunts him and so he launches his own investigation as the murders continue, the killer finally turning on Sam. Argento exhibits a sure hand in his first film, creating an easy to follow thriller spiced with tightly choreographed murder scenes and leavened with character humor (his colorful cast includes a genial stuttering pimp and an eccentric artist who lives in a house with no doors). But it's his gift for arresting images and cinematic inventiveness that gives this thriller its edge, from the opening murder where Sam impotently watches the bleeding victim while trapped in a veritable glass cage to the killer's naked eye peering through a peephole at Sam's girlfriend (Suzy Kendall) as she hysterically searches for an escape from the killer's pounding attempts to break into her apartment. Future Oscar winner Vittorio Storaro shot the film and Ennio Morricone provides an unusual, often eerie score arranged for human voices. While less baroque than Argento's later work, it's a fine first film and a standout in the giallo genre. --Sean Axmaker

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