The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
Grade: C-
Synopsis: After witnessing an attempted murder, an American author in Italy becomes the target of a serial killer.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (L’Uccello dalle piume di cristallo) marked the directorial debut of Dario Argento.
Despite its odd title, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is not a nature film. Instead, it’s a very stylish thriller that helped Argento earn the title of ‘The Italian Hitchcock’. While Argento’s film does share a few of Hitchcock’s favorite themes, it also establishes his own unique style. From the stylistic use of color to the unsettling soundtrack, you can see the beginnings of Argento’s trademarks. Granted, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage lacks the graphic violence associated with many of Argento’s best-known films, but the relative lack of gore should make this film more accessible to a wider audience. MORE »
