"Who Saw her Die?" follows an artist in Venice whose daughter is murdered in cold blood. In his search for her killer, it is revealed that a young girl met a similar fate at a ski resort in the French Alps five years earlier. His search leads him to various suspects, including a pedophile lawyer, a priest, and others.
Stylishly directed by Aldo Lado, who some credit as an auteur, "Who Saw her Die?" is a fairly standard giallo in that it doesn't offer its audience much in the way of innovation or newness—the narrative follows the giallo route through-and-through, hitting its marks along an intriguing (albeit sometimes slow) trajectory. It is at times dialogue-heavy with lots of "he said, she said" interactions and red herrings, and at times this grows tedious.
The upshot here is the film contains some inventive and disturbing murder sequences, including a covert movie theater strangulation (predating 1980's "He Knows You're Alone" and 1997's infamous "Scream 2" scene), and the opening murder of the young girl in the Alps is palpable and disturbing. The killer in the film is also remarkably spooky, shrouded from head to toe in black garb and donning a funereal veil; the POV shots take advantage of this, as the veil is literally lifted over the audience's eyes. An eerie score by Ennio Morricone permeates through these scenes, sometimes over-played, but no less effective.
The final reveal of the killer is rather bold given the time period and nation in which the film was made, although there is a slight twist that punctuates the last moments. All in all, this is a fairly routine giallo that is well-done in some regards, and a bit wonky in others. Fans of the genre will likely find something to be enjoyed in this mildly atmospheric outing. 6/10.
Stylishly directed by Aldo Lado, who some credit as an auteur, "Who Saw her Die?" is a fairly standard giallo in that it doesn't offer its audience much in the way of innovation or newness—the narrative follows the giallo route through-and-through, hitting its marks along an intriguing (albeit sometimes slow) trajectory. It is at times dialogue-heavy with lots of "he said, she said" interactions and red herrings, and at times this grows tedious.
The upshot here is the film contains some inventive and disturbing murder sequences, including a covert movie theater strangulation (predating 1980's "He Knows You're Alone" and 1997's infamous "Scream 2" scene), and the opening murder of the young girl in the Alps is palpable and disturbing. The killer in the film is also remarkably spooky, shrouded from head to toe in black garb and donning a funereal veil; the POV shots take advantage of this, as the veil is literally lifted over the audience's eyes. An eerie score by Ennio Morricone permeates through these scenes, sometimes over-played, but no less effective.
The final reveal of the killer is rather bold given the time period and nation in which the film was made, although there is a slight twist that punctuates the last moments. All in all, this is a fairly routine giallo that is well-done in some regards, and a bit wonky in others. Fans of the genre will likely find something to be enjoyed in this mildly atmospheric outing. 6/10.