Sergio Martino excels with his debut giallo!

Snake-666

Edwige Fenech stars as Julie Wardh, a beautiful woman with a colourful past, trapped in a dull marriage and stalked by her sadistic ex-lover, Jean (Ivan Rassimov). All the while, a series of savage murders are taking place in the city eventually drawing Julie into a twisted game.

Italian director Sergio Martino's first foray into the giallo is a luscious and vibrant picture, brimming with violence, subversive sexuality, misogynism and treachery. Perhaps the most endearing quality of Martino's film is the way in which it transcends the somewhat standard and overdone concept of the giallo's black-gloved butcher and is instead given a more plot-heavy approach. In essence, Martino takes the viewer by the hand and leads forth on a journey of discovery through a nightmarish world of both questionable and despicable characters culminating in one of the more impressive finales this particular brand of film-making has to offer. Ernesto Gastaldi's screenplay takes an imaginative and ingenious approach to relaying both common and unique themes and one cannot doubt that 'The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh' is all the better for it. Clearly, this startling piece of cinema adds new intelligence to this class of film-making and aims to supplement such positive points with a strong coherency in a genre notorious for incoherency and illogic and it is this story, with its serpent like twists and strong nightmarish qualities, which leaves such a lasting impression upon the viewer. Perhaps the conclusion lends itself to the fanciful but 'Wardh' is such a celestial experience that this matters little.

While gialli are often considered inherently visual experiences, 'The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh' is first and foremost a profoundly aural experience. Martino may lack some of the visual flair of genre auteur Dario Argento or Italian horror Godfather Mario Bava but the way in which he makes use of audio elements is virtually unsurpassed. Every footstep, door opening and creak is presented ominously; every shrill scream stabs at the viewer's soul; every slash of the killer's blade leaves a sickening impression. Such masterful use of simple auricular elements works to both thrill and engross as Martino seizes the onlooker by the throat and never once relents until the inventive and bleak climax and one cannot forget the enchanting musical score that impresses further still. This fine use of sound is accompanied sublimely by some truly alluring cinematography courtesy of Emilio Foriscot. With an emphasis on making the important sequences as absorbing as possible, Martino and Foriscot merge their respective talents begetting a thick atmosphere rife with a funereal gloom. Foriscot's photography fully aids and develops Martino's almost unique way of filming such harrowing scenes of violence and Martino also demonstrates a true understanding of the importance of suspense, creating almost unbearable tension while Foriscot ensures with aplomb that the director's efforts are fully supported.

'The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh' is not a beautiful film. There are no lavish shots of the breathtaking cities of Europe nor does one see any overt attempt to dazzle the viewer with style. Instead, we are presented with a sleazy, bleak and repellent film brimming with atmosphere and brutality and from which one can take a vulgar sense of enjoyment. A few minor pacing problems aside, 'Wardh' is perhaps as close to perfection as one may ever see from a giallo and unquestionably this film redefines the rules while Martino elevates this to the highest echelon of excellence. 9/10

score 9/10

Snake-666 24 December 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1255800/