One of the most self-assured debuts of all time, a work so certain in its conception and execution that almost 40 years later I'd still quickly rank it as one of Argento's finest.
Comment
05/31/09
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1969)
91 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 22
Fresh: 20
Rotten:2
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: The first directorial effort by Italian suspense master Argento. An American writer in Italy becomes an amateur sleuth when he witnesses a failed attempt by a serial killer to take the life of the... [More]
Starring: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Eva Renzi, Werner Peters
Director: Dario Argento
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Reviews for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Those familiar with Argento's films should be able to see the groundwork that was being laid for later classics like "Deep Red" in this one.
08/04/08
Argento's decision to focus more on tense plot twists and less on gore (there's relatively little here) gives this an audience beyond the usual hardcore horror fan.
09/26/07
Top CriticA heart-stopping horror melodrama with excellent acting from all involved.
03/28/07
Top CriticDario Argento's undistinguished Italian thriller was an unexpected hit in 1969, thanks largely, one suspects, to some violent scenes that were unusually graphic for their time.
03/28/07
Top CriticShort on ideas.
02/25/07
Now king of the spaghetti slasher, Argento made his directorial debut with this tightly constructed thriller.
06/24/06
Dario Argento came into his own with this outstanding widescreen Italian suspense flick in which an American writer witnesses a murder through a huge plate glass window.
05/26/06
... the story is only a structure for Argento to spin his painstakingly choreographed visions of violence and terror with a fluid camera and carefully controlled colors.
12/14/05
The genius of Argento once upon a time was the understanding that every mystery is, at its essence, existential and subjective.
12/04/05
No review available.
07/04/05
Terrifying and tense in a Hitchcock way.
06/15/05
[It] has the energy to support its elaborateness and the decency to display its devices with style. Something from each of its better models has stuck, and it is pleasant to rediscover old horrors in such handsome new décor.
05/09/05
Top CriticIts scares are on a much more basic level than in, say, a thriller by Hitchcock. It works mostly by exploiting our fear of the dark.
10/23/04
Top CriticEarly Argento and a pretty stylish thriller.
10/01/03
No review available.
07/20/03
An excellent breakthrough film for director Dario Argento with a magnificent use of space and a great Ennio Morricone score.
04/29/03
One of Argento's earliest films, this is the one that launched the director on the horror track.
03/10/03
No review available.
01/31/03
No review available.
01/22/03
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