For the past month I’ve been researching a particular type of film called the “giallo,” a highly stylish kind of suspense film, usually from 1960s and 1970s Italy . It’s difficult to define, but gialli usually involve a killer with black leather gloves, amateur sleuths, copious amounts of nudity and beautifully staged, creatively violent murders. But as I’ve since found out, simplifying gialli to mere boobs, blood and black gloves is merely skimming the surface.
What’s made me rethink my opinion is a fantastic little blog called Killing With Style, by Sylvain L. Though I don’t quite agree with all of Sylvain’s opinions (I thought the pleasures of The Case of the Bloody Iris far outweigh the flaws), I have to admit that many of the posts have me reevaluating certain aspects of a giallo-themed project I’m working on, all for the good. Sylvain’s lyrical little thoughts on giallo are revelatory while retaining a crisp brevity that allowed me to zip through the entire blog in one sitting. All in all, a great primer for someone just starting to explore this dark corner of World cinema or as an alternate view on the subgenre for the more experienced giallo aficionado.
