Bloodstained Butterfly, The (Blu-ray/DVD)
Anthony Arrigo
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Starring Helmut Berger, Giancarlo Sbragia, Ida Galli
Directed by Duccio Tessari
Distributed by Arrow Video
The giallo. A genre of film as notable for Gothic style, black-gloved killers, and arterial spraying as it is for red herrings, confusing plotlines, and multiple misidentified characters. Nearly all gialli adhere to this “formula” but a few notable titles have stuck a leg outside the box and tried to do things a bit different. Director Duccio Tessari’s The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971) is a prominent example, placing less focus on the acts of a faceless killer and devoting more screen time to the trial of a man implicated in the opening murder. It is a novel approach, turning a genre traditionally focused on slashing into a veritable courtroom drama, eschewing much of what horror fans have come to expect from these Italian thrillers. Does it work? Sort of. There are some brilliant moments of scripting, including a fantastic denouement, but for most of the run time the “action” moves at a pace comparable to freezing molasses.
On a sunny day in the park, a young woman is brutally murdered, her lifeless body rolling down a steep embankment to the horror of onlookers while her killer makes a mad dash out of the public eye. The cops are on the case immediately and in no time at all they have a suspect, Alessandro Marchi (Giancarlo Sbragia). He’s a local sports commentator who appears to be buried under an avalanche of evidence – his prints are on the murder weapon, the victim’s clothing has traces of his car seat fabric on it, and his trenchcoat contains chemical compounds found (apparently) only in the dirt in that particular park. He also has a personal connection to the victim: she was a friend of his daughter, Sarah (Wendy D’Olive). It would seem his goose is cooked. That is, until similar murders continue to occur, leading police to wonder whether or not they have the right guy after all.
Alessandro continues to fight his case, led by Giulio (Gunther Stoll), his attorney who is both having an affair with his wife AND trying to hook up with his daughter, Sarah. It would be acceptable to say the guy is a scumbag but, then, you already know he’s a lawyer. At least Giulio is a good lawyer because his saving grace for Marchi hinges on the alibi of a mistress whom Marchi was seeing that day, though the story of his affair that afternoon may be questionable. That combined with the copycat murder makes for a strong case to see him released. Sarah, meanwhile, passes the time with her new friend, Giorgio (Helmut Berger), a former flame that may be hiding something in his fractured mind.
The best compliment I can give The Bloodstained Butterfly is it keeps the audience guessing right up to the big climactic reveal. There are a number of twists and turns – perhaps a few too many at that – and when you lump that in with the already confounding nature of giallo films it at least makes for some serious head scratching. The picture makes it almost too obvious that Alessandro isn’t the killer; how often is it that the actual murderer is apprehended right off the bat? Or maybe this time the cops did get their man? A number of players, both shady and seemingly clean, are introduced as well and as any giallo aficionado knows the motivation for every killer is often withheld until the eleventh hour – and this film does not make it easy to deduce who might have a bone to pick.
So, outside of a unique approach to the story what is there to keep the events interested? Not a whole lot. The murders are sporadic and uneventful; the film’s focus is toward procedure and not the glorification of violence. Those expecting to see cascading crimson waves of blood will be sorely disappointed. This is a more sophisticated effort for the genre and it makes a few bold decisions to clearly inform viewers this won’t be another Argento or Fulci or Bava imitator. Whether or not it has succeeded is up to the viewer. For me, the pace was too languid, the plotline too obfuscated for fear of revealing salient points, and the kills were rote. But I will say that once we finally arrive at the climax, and all is revealed, I did find my interest piquing as the story suddenly got that much more interesting. This isn’t a film for casual giallo fans or those who need an introduction to the genre, but longtime lovers of those pulpy pictures might find some value in this alternate view.
Arrow touts a “new 4K restoration” for the film’s 2.35:1 1080p image, though the results here aren’t quite as spectacular as some of their recent work like Microwave Massacre (1983) or Slugs (1988). The best way I can describe the picture here is “cleaned up ‘70s”, with a healthy amount of film grain and a vintage aesthetic present while still making it obvious this is an HD image. Dirt and debris are eliminated. Clarity is very strong, often stunning when the lighting is just right. Colors looked a little dull and lacking saturation to my eyes, and there is very little effort made to give this film any sort of exciting visual palette.
Viewers can choose to watch the film with either the original Italian audio or an English dub track, both of which are presented via LPCM 1.0 mono. I went with the dub since I find a fun, nostalgic quality in listening to them. The quality is great, with excellent levels, a nice balance of dialogue, sound effects, and music –speaking of which, the score by composer Gianni Ferrio is typical of early ‘70s Italian productions, jazzy and orchestral. Subtitles are available in English.
Helmut Berger provides an optional introduction to the film. He’s a weird dude.
There is an audio commentary track with Alan Jones and Kim Newman, if you’re looking to get schooled.
“Murder in B-Flat Minor” is a visual essay by author Troy Howarth. If you’re into these sorts of pieces, this is a fast-paced, highly informative offering.
“A Butterfly Named Evelyn” is a lengthy interview with actress Ida Galli, focusing on her career in film.
“Me and Duccio” is a sit down with Lorella de Luca, actress and wife of the film’s director.
“Mad Dog Helmut” is an interview with Helmut Berger, former teen heartthrob.
Also included is a promotional image gallery, Italian and English trailers, a DVD copy, booklet containing essays and technical information on the a/v quality, and reversible cover art.
Special Features:
- Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
- Original Italian and English soundtracks in DTS-HD MA mono 1.0
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
- New audio commentary with critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman
- Murder in B-Flat Minor, a new visual essay on the film, its cast and crew by author Troy Howarth
- New career retrospective on director Duccio Tessari
- Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
- Gallery of original promotional images
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin
- Limited edition 36-page booklet illustrated by Tonci Zonjic, containing writing by James Blackford, Howard Hughes and Leonard Jacobs
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The Bloodstained Butterfly
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
