REVIEW: A Blade In The Dark

- By @TheBlueTook

BEHOLD! My first entry into the annals (that’s annals, people!) of UKHS’s/The Slaughtered Bird’s review writing multi-universe! And what better way to begin than with a bit of Bava – Lamberto, not Mario. “How unfortunate” I hear you exclaim, but you’d be wrong with this one - A BLADE IN THE DARK is a giallo joy!

Although considered the predecessor of the modern slasher genre, giallo is the Marmite of horror lovers and continues to divide audiences. While I’m a fan, I can understand people’s difficulty in totally immersing themselves in a world of brash, overpowering synth scores, vibrant lighting, aggressive editing, and often hilariously dubbed vocal acting (all of these, incidentally, being the reasons I loves ‘em!). Also, when your old man is Mario Bava – a horror legend, mentioned in the same glowing terms as Dario Argento – you’re going to struggle winning people over. Make no mistake, though; A BLADE IN THE DARK (only Lamberto’s 2nd film) is an edgy, well-paced, claustrophobic horror on par with a lot of his father’s work (the outstanding Blood & Black Lace and Bay Of Blood aside).

‘Giallo’ - the simple definition (in terms of literature and cinema) being an Italian thriller/mystery, but that falls some way short of capturing what makes this sub-genre so utterly fascinating. Usually, as with ABITD, we’re thrown a central character that sets out to investigate a series of gorgeously shot and scored, overly-colourful murders, uncovering sinister truths about themselves and others in the process, with the plot commonly a by-product of an unspoken, viscerally charming filmmaking competition amongst the directors of that era. This particular vessel gives us composer Bruno (Occhipinti), on his first night in a secluded villa, tinkering with a horror soundtrack he’s been hired to create. Finding a comically flirty young woman called Katia in his cupboard, he then proceeds to have a casual flick through her diary (that’s not a euphemism), only to discover there are a few secrets surrounding the house’s previous tenant that someone is desperate to keep hidden.

Of course, there are parts that will annoy the perfectionists among us - fuck, there’s moments that made me burst out laughing at their absurdity – but when something blatantly doesn’t take itself too seriously, why should we? While the quality of his later films fell away dramatically and it became easier to be dismissive of his talents, there’s a passion driving A BLADE IN THE DARK that helps us ignore any glaring imperfections, which in turn aides the intensity of the numerous shocking set-pieces (particularly the infamous bathroom scene). Also, everything is kept simple and small (cast, locations), and filled with clever techniques to make us uneasy: unexpected, smooth camera swoops and jarring musical blasts. As our characters grow uncomfortable, so do we. Although, the downside to this small cast means it’s pretty easy to guess our killer as the final third plays out!

Adding to the film’s charm is the presence of Michele Soavi, both as assistant director AND Bruno’s landlord, Tony - charismatically stealing scenes during his limited screen time, even with the dodgy English dubbing! That being said, despite him being involved, Dardano Sacchetti’s script suffers from some baffling dialogue interactions - notably between our lead and the various, attractive female characters, who do everything they can to woo our reserved hero within seconds of meeting him - that hinder the film’s integrity. This may partly be due to the fact ABITD was initially invented as a 4-part television series, but later edited into a feature length film.

Despite trendy claims Lamberto Bava relied on his dad’s reputation to get a cinematic leg-up, he’s created a solid, enjoyable entry to the sub-genre here. Considering the small budget, A BLADE IN THE DARK makes a nice companion piece for giallo heavyweights such as Suspiria or any super Mario classic. Besides, the man gave us DEMONS, for fuck’s sake! LAY OFF HIM!!!

A HUGE thanks to Andy at UK Horror Scene for the film. Please head over to his awesome site by clicking HERE!

@TheBlueTook