Lizard in a Woman’s Skin

Umbrella Entertainment

R4 DVD

One of the earliest Italian filmmakers to explore the world of giallo was Lucio Fulci. In this lurid and gore ridden title, Fulci combines wild psychedelic sequences, bloody murders, orgies and lesbianism to create quite an impressive thriller. Photographed by Luigi Kuveiller, the man behind the camera in Argento's Deep Red, it is marked by creative and innovative cinematography which belies its limited budget.

The film begins within a wonderfully disorienting and erotic dream sequence full of fast editing, bizarre imagery, slow motion, nudity and a psychedelic score from Ennio Morricone. It seems that wealthy socialite Carol Hammond has been having difficult times recently; she requires regular therapy and is plagued with overpowering erotic dreams of lesbian sex and orgies. Her trauma is exasperated when her neighbour Julia Durer, played by Anita Strindberg, is found brutally stabbed to death.

At first it seems Carol may have killed Julia in a disassociated state. She has recounted the crime to her psychiatrist and her fur and finger fingerprints are found at the scene; it is also her letter open which did the killing. While the evidence all points to Carol it all seems too clean and when her husband Frank is found to be having an affair by her father, a well-respected lawyer; the question arises as to whether she is being framed. Claims of blackmail are thrown back and forth and the police have great difficulty getting to the truth. There are also a couple of hippies who are after Carol who seem to be connected to Carol’s step daughter Joan.

This fascinating and convoluted tale continues with all manner of red herrings, strange twists and turns, brutal murders and an ending you will not expect. Many consider it to be Fulci’s best film and it certainly stands out as one of the better giallo films ever made. An excellent plot with good character development matched with sex, violence and an unexpected ending makes this a very successful tale.

There are some astounding stage set-pieces ranging from the Carol’s lurid psychedelic visions to the truly horrid vivisection scene in the mental institution. There are also some truly great chase sequences including that through the mental institution and through a disused theatre.

While some may find the equating of lesbianism with madness and murder a bit dated, if you appreciate the time in which the film was made, you can enjoy it for what it is.

The edition from Umbrella Entertainment is well presented and the print is in great condition for its age. The available audio tracks include an impressive English DD5.1 and an English and Italian mono track. The score by Ennio Morricone is also pretty groovy!

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No.2 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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