The titles of classic 1970’s giallo can be quite abstract, so it’s something of a relief when Luciano Ercoli’s Barcelona-set drama turns out to be about forbidden photos of a lady above suspicion. The lady in question is Minou, played by Dagmar Lassander, who is introduced planning to tell her industrialist husband Peter (Pier Paulo Cappoli) that she’s leaving him for another man; she sees this as a way of keeping him keen.
Before Minou can get this plan into action, she receives a warning that her husband is a murderer, and is guided to a cassette-recording of him ordering the death of a man using the decompression chamber essential to deep-sea divers as a weapon. That’s only the first piece of bait in an elaborate blackmail plot; but who is responsible? Does mutual friend and lover Dominique (Nieves Navarro) have anything to do with it?
The prolific Ernesto Gastaldi is the screenwriter here, and he weaves a story of unusual restraint for a giallo; violence and murder take a back seat to intrigue and suspense, and a conclusion that’s both surprising and inevitable in Mametian terms. There’s also an air of sexual expression that’s fairly wild; suburban women coyly invite each other over to watch projected slideshows of their latest nude photographs, while incidental pleasures include a wacky nightclub straight out of Austin Powers and a groovy lounge-core score from the great Ennio Morricone.
If some giallos seem a little nasty, Forbidden Photos is a good example of a non-exploitive one; there’s a touch of Breaking The Waves about the way the female protagonist links her own potential degradation to her husband’s fragile well-being. It’s a stylish, perverse entertainment, and looks great on this fresh transfer, currently streaming on the Arrow channel.
Cultural experts have informed me that the trailer below is NSFW, so watch at your own risk.
“If some giallos seem a little nasty, Forbidden Photos is a good example of a non-exploitive one.”
So, it’s nothing like the trailer then?
You should see the other ones. This one is mild in comparison.
I still always think of ice cream when y’all go on about giallos.
Gelatos are something different.
Gelatos ARE my friend though…
I’ll pop some through your letterbox.
Mon dieu hope Booky doesn’t watch the trailer, he’ll have the vapours!
Oh, and total crope.
Sigh. I might be outlawing that word. Unfortunately I can’t vet all films for his unique sensibilities…
I watched the trailer, doesn’t do much for my sensibilities either. Also, dreadful dubbing.
Sigh. You have to let art just wash over you.
Nope. Nope I don’t. And that isn’t art, it’s tits oot for the lads by the looks of it.
Nothing wrong with the human body. Look, my choices to review are not compulsory, you can choose to watch other things, and I’m sure you regularly do. This is an older film and reflects attitudes from a different time. I’m not so woke that what I review reflects my own personal tastes or belief. You are entitled to take it or crope it, as you see fit.
Ah man Eddy, didn’t mean to ruffle the ol’ feathers, just being my usual annoying self. Feel free to delete my comments and I’ll write a yep instead.
No, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Besides, a daily audience of thousands expect to hear your voice, so I wouldn’t want to change or miss a thing.
Why not?
Asking for a friend….
Is your friend Aerosmith?
Aerosmith is not my friend.
Noted. I don’t delete comments without a reason. It’s a big moment in my day to hear the input of the WP4 and the community beyond.
How’d we move into deleting comments territory? I feel like I missed a train change….
I said I wouldn’t delete fraggle’s Crope comments. That’s the context.
Ohhh. “Why not” was supposed to be a reply to your statement that you didn’t every review every movie for my requirements.
Aha, the court will strike the previous exchange from the record.
I have yet to fully embrace making my every review fit your own taste. But I’m pleased if we can agree.
I keep re reading this hadn’t had such a good laugh for ages!
Definitely had a ‘whose on first’ vibe going 🙂
As my very young friend recently asked me, “what’s a cassette?”
I’m not sure that the era of this film every existed. But the use of new dangled cassettes as a plot device really dates it…