Death Smiles on a Murderer

Aristide Massaccesi (aka “Joe D’Amato”) stylishly directs a late-Gothic tale that puts its best foot forward with its refined cinematography (supervised by the director himself) and its turbid atmosphere.

The story, wrapped in an aura of icy Decadentism with continuous blasts of morbid melodrama blowing through it (Berto Pisano’s music is spot-on), proceeds without any set goal, finally reaching a cryptic conclusion that leaves more than a few unanswered questions. The cast is top-notch, although actors such as Klaus Kinski and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart have to settle for supporting roles. The special effects, not always up to snuff, tend to be on the gory side.

The overall result is a decidedly bizarre film which could be best appreciated by viewers willing to turn a blind eye to a screenplay that’s certainly not without its problems (among other things, the characters’ psychological motivations leave a lot to be desired), as well as a couple of unintentionally funny scenes (the servant Simeon’s death being at the top of the list).