The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970)

Sam sees an attempted murder which is linked to a series of murders, but knows there is something missing from his recall. With a little help from the police he begins his own investigation.
While not the first giallo this is surely the first hugely important giallo film made. The version I saw cut out most of the violence so I'm not too sure how restrained the Italian maestro was in this, but even in its cut form it is an exceptional thriller with the soon-to-be accustomed black gloved killer, outageous red herrings and twists and turns firmly in place. Argento instantly comes across as a natural director and there are plenty of set pieces within the story to keep fans satisfied. The most accomplished giallo until Argento capped the whole genre with his outstanding Profundo Rosso (Deep Red) a few years later. If there are minor niggles (and they are minimal) they are neither here nor there when taking the film as a whole. There is quite often a Hitchcockian feel, which is meant as a compliment. A fine debut from Argento, who is, admittedly, one of my all-time favourite directors.