WHO SAW HER DIE: MURDER IN VENICE

Arrow Video has done an amazing job of bringing life to the giallo genre over the past few years. Movies that had been relegated to poor quality offerings from companies that most likely had less than legal access to films and were even less inclined to clean up those offerings for a decent copy had left the genre with a bad taste in the mouth for fans. Arrow changed the rules though by finding the best quality source material to begin with and then taking the time to make sure they were lovingly restored.

In so doing they’ve released some of the best looking editions of classic films in the genre as well as lesser known titles and some that perhaps weren’t at that top of the heap. It doesn’t matter in the end. The fact that they’ve done so and preserved for generations to come movies that had been lost or overlooked is to be applauded. One of their latest offerings is WHO SAW HER DIE.

The film opens on a snowy forest where a young girl and her nanny are playing hide and go seek. The young girl is murdered and hidden in the snow. Fast forward years later and we’re now in Venice. George Lazenby stars as Franco Serpieri, an artist living there who collects his young daughter Roberta (Nicoletta Elmi) as she gets off a plane. Franco and his wife are separated and his daughter is there for a vacation.

A foreboding figure we never quite see but dressed in a black dress and black lace gloves follows the father and daughter around as they explore the sights and sounds around them. It isn’t long before Roberta finds herself alone after several children she’s been playing with abandon her and this is when the killer strikes. Unable to find his daughter Franco seeks the help of the police who seem unable to accomplish anything until Roberta’s body washes up in the canals of the famed city.

Unable to accept the fact that no one can be found Franco begins seeking the murderer of his child. His estranged wife Elizabeth (Anita Strindberg) shows up and aids him when she can. But the clues that he discovers lead him to several prominent citizens and a secret group that may be able to prevent him from finding the truth. The more people who become involved in the case the higher the body count rises until a final confrontation takes place.

The film looks great, the acting is above most films and the plot is well conceived. That being said some of the clues dropped along the way seem to do just that, appear out of nowhere. And the clues that are offered lead to the red herrings in the film and not the actual murderer. I felt like few clues ever directed anyone to decipher who it was doing the killing. At the same time, perhaps as a jaded viewer of too many movies like this, I found myself guessing who it was early in the film and guessing correctly. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the film though. And in watching the extras director Aldo Lado provides a possible reason for the film being constructed this way. He notes that he doesn’t like mysteries where the suspects are gathered together for the killer to be revealed. It shows in this film.

I never tire of singing praises for Arrow Video and here I am doing so again. Let’s begin with the look of the film and the quality of the image on hand. The film is a brand new 2K restoration of the full-length Italian version of the film from the original 35mm camera negative which explains why it looks fantastic. And as if that weren’t enough they’ve once more included a number of extras that you’ll enjoy as well. Those include a new audio commentary track by author and critic Travis Crawford, “I Saw Her Die” a new video interview with director Lado, “Nicoletta, Child of Darkness” a new interview with actress Elmi, “Once Upon a Time in Venice” a new video interview with co-writer Francesco Barilli, “Giallo in Venice” a new video interview with author and critic Michael Mackenzie, the original Italian and English theatrical trailers, a poster and fotobusta gallery and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Haunt Love'.

Fans of Arrow and the giallo genre will want to add this one to their collection. It may have been released in the past but it’s never looked this good or included extras like this. Make this the copy you have on your shelf. 

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