Who Saw Her Die?
Shameless Screen Entertainment
Certificate 15
OK, hands up (and be honest), how many of you are aware of George Lazenby’s acting career away from his entry into the James Bond franchise? Who Saw Her Die? was only his third picture and once again his voice (in the English version anyway) was dubbed but it’s a great insight into his work and this effective giallo was perfect for his acting style.
Lazenby portrays Franco Serpieri, a sculptor recently separated from his wife (Anita Strindberg). He invites their young daughter, Roberta (Nicoletta Elmi), to spend time with him in an autumnal Venice. As father and daughter joyfully make up for lost time exploring the city, their idyllic bonding is shattered when Roberta becomes the target of a dangerous child-killer lurking in the city's foggy canals. Consumed by grief and driven by a thirst for justice, a tormented Franco embarks on his own investigation, uncovering vicious depravity in the highest echelons of Venetian society controlled by a Machiavellian art-dealer Adolfo Celi (Largo in Thunderball).
For all the giallos made at the time, this one is probably the most human one. The story of losing a child is powerful to start with, when connected with a serial killer its even more chilling. For many it will conjure up thoughts of Nicola’s Roeg’s Don’t Look Now thanks to it setting and similar plot, but where this has the edge is the fact that the giallo infused plotline adds mystery rather than symbolic chills. Lazenby is better suited to this role, playing the grief-stricken father role incredibly well, he actually lost weight for this role so his gaunt expression seems even more pronounced.
The movie is beautifully shot, not just using the more familiar locations usually seen for Venice but the darker, and much smaller staircases and doorways which hide plenty of mystery. Director Aldo Lado captures the tension between the players perfectly whilst staying true to the format. There’s some sex, a black gloved killer and a cool yet eerie score from Ennio Morricone.
The transfer is beautiful, filled with colour and light even when the canals are filled with fog and seeing as this has been restored from the original negative it captures the period of time perfectly. The soundtrack is exactly as you’d expect from a Shameless release and as hiss free as possible, retaining the crispness the equipment of the time would capture.
Extras include an Interviews with Director Aldo Lado, Producer Enzo Doria, writer Francesco Barilli, and Aldo Lado Q&A courtesy of the 'Abertoir International Horror Film Festival'
If you’re new to the genre then start with this then check out more of the Shameless back catalogue.
