By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Who Saw Her Die (1972) is a unique horror movie where the children are the victims. It’s one of those films that you have to see to believe. The beginning is in French without dubs or subtitles, so I was about to shut it off when it then shifted to Sicily, Italy. Once it hits Italy the movie is dubbed so for the English speaking world, keep the movie going as it will definitely be worth it.
In France, a young red-headed girl is murdered by an unseen individual. All that is known about the assailant is that they appear to be in mourning. A veil covers their face and black gloves hide their hands.
In Italy, the same killer is stalking Franco’s (George Lazenby) young daughter who also is a ginger. Eventually, the murderer gets his moment and takes the girl’s life. Franco’s main focus is to find the person responsible which puts a strain on the relationship with his lover Elizabeth (Anita Strindberg).
Everyone is a suspect, as Franco confronts a rich lawyer who is a well-known pedophile. Though, the attorney claims to know nothing, he is very mysterious as is most others in town.
The police ask Franco to back off and let them do their job, but he refuses. He needs to know who killed his daughter and why. Soon, it becomes clear that there isn’t just one crime going on nor is there just one villain.
Though, the conclusion isn’t exactly shocking, it is brilliant. Everything from the motive to the identity of the killer is fantastic. The reason the murderer is wearing the clothing they are is also extremely well-explained and even better filmed.
The dialogue, acting, and sheer brutality of killing children is done with some of the best cinematography put to screen. There is a level of intensity and some genuinely creepy scenes that separate this from the usual mainstream whodunit productions.
Italian horror has a different look, style and feel than its American counterparts. Often, the Italian movies are far superior and this is not an exception.
I would love to see some modern horror take the risks and the no-holds-barred effort that was put into the 1970s films.
I can’t suggest this movie enough. It’s available to rent on Amazon and I would even suggest the buy as once you watch it, you’ll want to go back and rewatch to see if you missed any clues or answers.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8.5/10
