What is giallo and why watch them
Miscellaneous / / July 27, 2022
Italian directors anticipated the slasher boom, developed the idea of erotic cinema and made horror more feminine.
What is jallo
Giallo is a trend in Italian cinema that was popular from the mid-1960s to the first half of the 1980s and combines genre features of horror, thriller and erotic cinema. It is this combination that prevents giallo from being called a subgenre of horror.
Giallo is Italian for yellow. In the late 1920s, Mondadory published foreign detective stories that featured bright yellow covers. Mondadory published both classics and uncomplicated dime novels in which the killer turned out to be a gardener. The success of the series led to a boom in detective novels from Italian authors - the new trend was called giallo all'italiana. Writers tried to surprise readers, so they focused on plot twists. Years later, the literary searches of the Italians will influence the cinema and the development of the whole direction.
Mario Bava's film The Girl Who Knew Too Much is considered the first giallo. The picture is replete with references to the work of Alfred Hitchcock, but Bava managed to shoot an original film with elements of voyeurism and an amateur detective at the center of the plot. In his next work, Blood and Black Lace, the director focused less on Hitchcock and devoted more time to the plot, reminiscent of "giallo all'italiana".
From the late 60s to the first half of the 80s giallo was the central direction of Italian cinema. The directors quickly created elements that will accompany the giallo throughout their existence.
In the 70s, giallos appeared, filmed outside of Italy. They are distinguished by low budgets and boring stories, so they have not gained popularity even at home. The Italians themselves treated them condescendingly, and film critics consider them examples of the unsuccessful use of ideas.
Already in the 80s, the popularity of giallo began to decline. Studios from other countries actively adopted elements important for the current, so the foreign distribution of Italian films began to bring less money. The main directors of the giallo increasingly moved away from the movement.
What is the difference between giallo films
Director Dario Argento suggests looking at the giallo as a postmodern movement that draws inspiration from various genres. But, despite the diversity of images, you can find several characteristics that unite these films.
Unique combination of genres
The first giallos resembled a mixture of thriller, detective and erotic movies, but rather quickly horrors were added to the sources of inspiration. So all the cult giallos combine the features of all these genres, their proportion varies depending on the director.
The detective component plays a big role for the giallo. It is very rare for the police to investigate. More often a crime (or conspiracy) is trying to reveal a random person who turned out to be a witness.
Eroticism was no less important. The very first giallo contained explicit scenes, which was unusual for thrillers of the 60s. Only decades later, horror and thrillers began to draw inspiration from erotic films.
There are mystical plots in some giallo, but they are used in different ways. So, in the "Cathedral" there are Christian motives. But more often mysticism occurs in the form of the occult, which exists as a personal hobby of the villain.
POV and voyeurism
Giallo invites the viewer to look at the victim through the eyes of the killer. For this, shooting from the first person is used. The handheld camera and the sounds of breathing (or heartbeat) create a sense of presence - the viewer should feel like a killer. Long observation of the future victim gives rise to a feeling of anxiety, so the climax of the scene is perceived especially vividly.
When shooting from the first person, the hands of the killer are often shown. If he strangles the victim, then surely the camera will capture his gloved hands - this is one of the most recognizable elements of the giallo.
Women in the spotlight
Demonstrating the crime through the eyes of the killer allows you to focus on the victim. As a rule, the main character of the film is a woman - this is what distinguishes the giallo from American horror films of those times. For this reason, actresses from all over the world went to Italian directors to shoot - it was easier for them to get the main role in the film.
The emphasis on women is also beneficial because it is easier to shoot erotic scenes this way - this is an important aspect for promoting the genre.
masks
Jallo villains are characterized by unusual masks. The tradition was founded in the film "Six Women for a Killer" by Mario Bava. But if his hero wore a simple mask that hides his face, then later the killers will be more sophisticated. In "Aquarius" (in the original Deliria) killer wanders around the theater dressed as an owl.
weird movie titles
Cumbersome titles have become a hallmark of the genre. Giuliano Carnimeo's 1972 film Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer? The long title was not accepted in all countries, in Russia the film is more often called "Iris in the Blood". The same thing happened with "Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave", which can be translated as "Your vice is a closed room, and only I have the key to it." Russian distributors called the picture "The Eye of a Black Cat".
Often the pictures were meaningless titles, which do not report anything about the film. "The Crimes of the Black Cat", "Death Shown in Cat's Eyes", "The Black Belly of the Tarantula", "Seven Notes in darkness" - quite natural names for the genre, in which it will not be possible to find a hidden meaning or metaphors.
The meaninglessness of the names allowed localizers from different countries to translate the names as their heart desires. So, the picture "Torment of the Innocent" in the United States turned into "Do not torture the duckling." The picture "A Rainy Day for a Sheep" in the USA was called "The Fifth Cord" - there are no rams or cords in the film.
Unusual soundtracks
Giallo is characterized by orchestral compositions with complex scores. So the directors emphasized the epic nature of what is happening on the screen. It turned out magnificent and baroque.
Not everyone appreciated this approach - for the American release, the producers could change the musical accompaniment and used simpler melodies.
Colorful scenes of violence
The directors who worked with giallo tried to create the most impressive murder scenes. Because of this, many films were censored outside of Italy. The actions of the heroes did not end after the swing of the knife - the victims died long and painfully. All this was accompanied by rivers of blood, severed limbs. The viewer should have been impressed and even scared.
Set designers played a large role in creating the paintings - bright colors became a signature feature of the movement. Work with light in giallo has reached the highest level. In the best examples of movement, color palettes shine throughout the whole picture, in more mundane films, only the murder scenes stand out.
Why watch giallo
Even people who do not like horror and thrillers like the best giallos, and the films of Dario Argento are the undisputed classics of world cinema. Interesting cinematographic finds and masterful work with scenery make giallo a timeless direction.
At the same time, giallos are also interesting as a certain stage in the development of world cinema. Giallo is often referred to as the forerunner of slasher films. Italian directors managed to reassemble horror and showed that the genre, which was treated with disdain by critics, is quite suitable for complex narratives. Giallo also made erotic cinema part of the world mainstream.
Which giallos are worth seeing
Among the hundreds of giallos, you can find many outstanding films, but bad films are more common - not all Italian directors are capable of Suspiria or Bloody Bay. But to start studying the giallo, a few bright representatives of the direction will suffice.
1. "The Girl Who Knew Too Much"
- Italy, 1963
- Horror, thriller.
- Duration: 86 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.
- Director: Mario Bava.
An American student becomes a bystander to a crime in Rome and undertakes to investigate it, learning to spy and gather evidence along the way. This leads to the most dangerous adventure.
"The Girl Who Knew Too Much" is considered the first giallo. The picture inspired a whole generation of directors to create a new direction. The film is worth watching for everyone who is interested in the history of cinema - in two decades after its release, a whole canon will be formed. Interestingly, Mario Bava himself was guided by Alfred Hitchcock.
2. "Four Flies on Gray Velvet"
- Italy, 1971.
- Thriller.
- Duration: 104 minutes.
- IMDb: 6.6.
- Directed by Dario Argento.
The musician notices that someone is following him. One day, he catches a man who was chasing him and accidentally kills him. But someone continues to follow him after the crime.
This is one of the best giallos in history and a milestone film for Argento. During the filming, the operators changed several advanced cameras, experimenting with the number of frames per second - the final scene still looks modern. The music for the film was written by the great Ennio Morricone, who has already made a name for himself on spaghetti westerns.
3. "Bloody Bay"
- Italy, 1971.
- Horror, thriller.
- Duration: 84 minutes.
- IMDb: 6.5.
- Director: Mario Bava.
The plot of the film is so strange and confusing that it is impossible to describe. The main thing is that there are a lot of murders in the "Bloody Bay". The picture is worth watching only if there is a burning desire to understand the essence of giallo - it is unlikely that it will bring pleasure in itself.
4. "The cathedral"
- Italy, 1989
- Horror.
- Duration: 102 minutes.
- IMDb: 6.2.
- Directed by: Michele Soavi.
The main characters find information about secret graves under the church. Having opened the entrance to the dungeon, they let in the world ancient evil.
Michele Soavi is the last giallo genius who made canonical films until the mid-90s. The Cathedral shows how a good director tried to recast the standard giallo elements. Human vices give way to supernatural evil, and urban locations are replaced with a church - while the spirit of the giallo is not lost.
This is probably the last original giallo, after the "Cathedral" there were only remakes.
5. "Suspiria"
- Italy, 1977
- Horror.
- Duration: 99 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.3.
- Director: Dario Argento.
American comes to Germany to learn from a great dancer. From the very first days of being at school, the main character understands that something strange is happening around.
Suspiria is often written out of the giallo, although the film contains all the important elements of the current. Perhaps the point is the greatness of the picture - not everyone wants to put it on a par with more mundane works.
6. "The scent of a lady in black"
Italy, 1974 year.
- Horror, thriller.
- Duration: 103 minutes.
- IMDb: 6.6.
- Directed by: Francesco Barilli.
The girl is told about black magic, so she sees terrible images everywhere. The heroine suspects her acquaintances of witchcraft, and reality ceases to be ordinary.
The plot of the picture remindsBaby Rosemary». Thanks to this, you can compare American horror and giallo - differences in every frame. "The Fragrance of the Lady in Black" is much brighter than the film by Roman Polanski. In addition, Barilli's painting is filled with erotic scenes as opposed to the family scenes from Rosemary's Baby.
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