Italy 1975 Directed by Dario Argento.

Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia.

The jazz pianist Marcus Daly are witness a murder of a clairvoyant person, and believe when he comes to rescue that he has seen a painting in a corridor, that afterwards is gone. He canīt get that damn painting out of his head, and begin therefore an own investigation to track the killer. Hanging round his neck has he a lovesick reporter who wants to help him, but instead expose him for the murderer. Concurrently with that Marcus Daly gather up the threads, are the murders around him tighten up. Is he manage to solve the mystery before the killer takes him?

"Profondo Rosso/Deep Red" (a title that has become a household word) was the film the horror fans became alive to Dario Argento. He started by making straightforward giallos (Italian thrillers with a black-gloved killer), a genre he constantly returned to. "Deep Red" is also a giallo, but here began Argento find an own style there the extremely forced violence made a central part. It marked also the beginning of a long co-operation with the cult declared rock band Goblin.

"Deep Red" is by many regarded as Argentoīs definite masterpiece, but I donīt agree. Itīs just a foretaste of what he later on should accomplish. The time has not been merciful to "Deep Red", that today feels very old. Furthermore almost half the film goes by before it starts to shape up. However, here I must add a thing. My copy is the uncut original version. Usually is that something positive, but not in this case. Argento recommend a version there he cut away 28 minutes love nonsense and talk between Marcus Daly and the reporter. All nonsense take away the suspense not only in the extra scenes, but in the whole film. The cut off scenes was never dubbed into English. The result has been comical when they talking English and Italian by turns. The murder in Argentoīs films are generally beautiful art, but in "Deep Red" are they just brutal and piggish. The story on the other hand are not quite so incoherent as in his coming flicks. That is not to say that it is easy to understand. It has a very tricky plot there the clues actually donīt seems to be related to the killer.

"Deep Red" was Dario Argentoīs first film with Daria Nicolodi (the reporter), who later should be his girlfriend. The relationship with Daria was a happy period for him, and was also rub off on to his movies which after separation by no means maintained the same level. I give "Deep Red" 2,5 in rating, but if I had seen Argentoīs recommended version it had been given at least 3 stars.

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