Cult Epics
R0 NTSC DVD
Tinto Brass is a well known art film maker who has
primarily made his name in the field of erotica. In this rather unusual
cinematic experience he decided to try his hand at a Giallo film. Deadly Sweet
aka Heart in his Mouth is a mixture of art film and crime-murder thriller. Made
in 1967 based on Italian screenwriter Sergio Donati’s novel “The Tomb of Paper” it has a uniquely comic book style. It
should be remembered when seeing such bizzare artistic flourishes as split
screens, comic book style comments and colour filters, that Brass used these
techniques before the development of what later became known as Cinema Fumetti
(comic book movies) such as Barbarella. The cartoons are especially impressive,
created by Guido Crepax, a celebrated erotic artist.
Bernard, a French actor stumbles into the back room of
a trendy night club to find his business partner murdered. Jane Burroughs, a
very attractive yet underage girl is huddled in a dark corner muttering “I
didn’t do it, I didn’t do it” . She starts to babble about a conspiracy which
also involves the murder of her father.
Rather than call the police, on impulse Bernard grabs
the girl and sets off to find the killer(s) before the police arrive. Now they
are both implicated in the killing and are up against London’s criminal
underground as well as the authorities.
The story features a very convoluted plot, loaded with
twists and red herrings and, not surprisingly, lots of love and eroticism.
The look of the film is quite unique combining a pop
surrealism with split screens, black and white segments, sparkles, on screen
comments and more. This approach is very different and when combined with a groovy
soundtrack is certainly effective. The soundtrack is by composer Armando
Trovajoli and the theme song “Love Girl” is quintessential psychedelia !
This is actually a fairly “modest” film for a Brass
production, not much graphic sex or violence and the nudity and eroticism is
more playful that anything else. Deadly Sweet is a bizarre mix of crime,
suspense, eroticism and “art-film” and is a very entertaining experience.
Cult Epics have done a great job offering a restored
and uncensored Director’s Cut which is 16 x 9 enhanced. The picture is very
clear with good quality sound with bright white subtitles. There is also a commentary
by Tinto Brass, a Lobby Card Gallery and Trailer.
This review will appear in Volume 2 No.3
(2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.
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