Bonkers Half-Assed Midnight: 'The Fifth Cord'

The success of Dario Argento’s "The Bird with The Crystal Plumage" ushered in a wave of new, modern takes on the giallo thriller. Some rose above the crowd thanks to skillful execution and stylistic experimentation. Case in point: "The Fifth Cord", which, in the hands of director Luigi Bazzoni (Le Orme, the Possessed), turns a conventional premise into a visually stunning exploration of alienation and isolation.

When a man barely survives a brutal assault en route home from a New Year’s party, washed-up, whisky-swilling journalist Franco Nero (DJANGO) is assigned to the case. Before long, the maniac strikes again, this time with fatal results. As the body count rises, Nero is under suspicion himself, making it even more imperative that he crack the case. His only clue: black gloves found at the location of every attack, each with a finger cut off…

“Remember that classic scene in "Crystal Plumage" where a victim-to-be ascends a dark staircase, lit only by a flickering candle in her hand? Ever want to see an entire movie shot so beautifully? Thanks to Vittorio Storaro (1900, Apocalypse Now), the same cinematographer, this fascinating giallo has enough visual style to fuel a dozen other thrillers.” — Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

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