Themes: Crime Sprees, Witnessing a Crime, Haunted By the Past
Main Cast: Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, Giuliano Gemma, Mirella D'Angelo
Release Year: 1982
Country: IT
Run Time: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Dario Argento leaves a distinct and bloody impression with this Italian horror film that took the slasher genre to graphic new limits at the time of its release. Novelist Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) jets into Rome to promote his new book. Simultaneously, a killer obsessed with Neal begins a brutal series of murders that are followed by cryptic notes to the author. Inspector Germani (Giuliano Gemma) questions Neal, who then begins his own investigation into the bizarre case with the help of his assistant, Anne (Daria Nicolodi), and local youth Gianni (Christian Borromeo). Neal and Gianni follow leads to the home of a TV talk-show host (John Steiner), who is axed to death in front of Gianni while Neal is knocked unconscious. As they close in on the killer, flashbacks show the killer's murderous beginnings and an obsession with red shoes. Meanwhile, Neal's publicist, Bullmer (John Saxon), is revealed to be having an affair with the author's ex-lover, Jane (Veronica Lario), making them both potential suspects. Inspector Germani insists that Neal leave town, but even when he does, the killer strikes again, knifing Bullmer in broad daylight. At the same time, Gianni returns to the home of the dead talk-show host and recalls an important detail about the murder. However, he is strangled before he can tell anyone. At her apartment, Jane is brutally slain just as Inspector Germani arrives to discover the murderer's identity, along with the shocking, twist-filled truth behind the entire case. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
Review
One of Dario Argento's best thrillers, this horror film has gone on to cult status due to its shocking, bloody style and twist-filled story. Available in America for many years in only a badly cut version titled Unsane, Tenebre tells the story of an American novelist (Anthony Franciosa) whose P.R. trip to Rome to promote his latest tome becomes tied to a series of slayings. The murders -- slashing, stabbing, axing, and strangling among them -- are extremely graphic, but are enacted in a stylish manner that makes them all the more disturbing. Such startling visuals are the film's finest point, and credit goes to both Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli for this aspect. One particularly strong shot has the killer putting out a bare light bulb by running a razor blade through it. Another great shot (later used on the U.S. video box cover) lingers on a murdered woman who is left with her head dangling through a shattered window pane. Most memorable is a sadistic flashback by the killer in which three youths hold him down while a woman forces her high heel into his mouth. The script is a simple murder-mystery that does a good job of throwing the audience off track and keeping things suspenseful as each potential suspect is knocked off. The film's final reel is easily one of the bloodiest ever made and features a couple of great surprises. Performances are generally dull, but they don't take much away from the film's horror impact. The unmistakable score was performed by members of the group Goblin, who performed under their last names due to legal issues. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
