Perfume of the Lady in Black Blu-ray review
Release Date: May 10
Pre-Order your copy of The Perfume of the Lady in Black here!
“In our country there are still certain cults which conduct human sacrifices. The victims are unaware they’ve been chosen for these mysterious purposes, but when the time comes they are either killed or driven mad by means of potions and secret rites. It is a kind of challenge thrown to the face of the powers of evil. Such practices, of course, take time and patience. They are like a test of man’s mental strength over his weaknesses HAHAHAA! Did I frighten you?”
Some films defy description, and the 1974 unsung masterpiece THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK is one of them. Often pegged as a Giallo or straight-up horror flick, it’s really neither and barely even a thriller for that matter. It combines elements of three disparate sources: The descent into madness of REPULSION, the apartment cult of ROSEMARY’S BABY and contemporary voodoo. If that doesn’t sound like a compelling film then there’s truly no hope for you.
The story follows our protagonist Sylvia, played by Mimsy Farmer from Dario Argento’s FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET and Lucio Fulci’s THE BLACK CAT. Sylvia is a chemist with a seemingly logical mind, but the careful order of her life is increasingly shattered as she begins having strange visions of a traumatic event from her past involving her mother, father, sex and murder. Is there a conspiracy afoot, or is she simply becoming unhinged from reality? Is it both?
Those are the basics of what could have very well been a standard trip down the Giallo well, but in place of a hack and slash we find an oddly lyrical meditation on the nature of memory, both the distorted and repressed variety. Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” also figures prominently in both imagery and the odd assortment of characters Sylvia comes across on her bizarre journey. The infamous ending cannot be discussed without ruining the experience, yet is integral to a proper discussion of the themes director Francesco Barilli (HOTEL FEAR) and his co-writer Massimo D’Avack (WHO SAW HER DIE?) are exploring.
Aside from its many twists, the film also boasts a gorgeous score by Nicola Piovani (LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL) that feels like it belongs in a GODFATHER movie rather than an underseen Italian genre picture. The exquisite cinematography by Mario Masini (PADRE PADRONE) also does wonders for making the case for this as a legit arthouse film, and Raro Video‘s beautifully clear transfer is spot-on.
This is a shocker, to be sure, and though it may test your patience and/or sanity at times trust us when we tell you it is well worth the ride.
Special Features
This was a long-delayed re-release for Raro, and perhaps the reason lies in the assortment of special features, which differs significantly from the prior DVD.
Most prominently they have replaced their previous doc “Portrait in Black” (itself merely a long interview with Barilli) with a new extended interview with the filmmaker. During what is essentially a long soliloquy, Barilli spends far less time discussing the ins-and-outs of making LADY IN BLACK than he does expounding on the sad current state of the film industry and why he was never able to find more work as a feature director, despite his success as a documentarian and painter. It’s a bleak-yet-arresting talk that presents the bitter reality of a promising filmmaker who never got his due. Those who are looking for a more detailed overview of the film’s production may want to seek out the DVD, where Barilli is equally frank about the problems incurred during production, including a boyfriend character forced on him by producers and difficulty with lead actress Mimsy Farmer, whom he nevertheless describes as “perfect for the film.”
Another new addition to the Blu is a 23-minute long short film titled THE WANDERING KNIGHT (Il Cavaliere Errante), which is a fun oddity. It’s a more recent effort by Barilli that follows death as he loses then searches for his scythe, while people cease dying around the globe. A well-shot-if-haphazard little film that drags on a bit, even as it keeps throwing in curious visuals like a puppet narrator/Greek chorus.
There’s also the original trailer, a two-page booklet with a brief analysis by an unknown writer, as well as a new and improved English subtitle translation in addition to the fine dubbed version. If you’ve never experienced this film we cannot recommend it enough!
