Giallos - The thriller à italiana.
Consequent of a purely aesthetic cinema as Hitchcock´s North by Northwest (1959) or Psycho (1960), the giallos was a popular wave of films that followed the success of spaguetti westerns in the European box offices. It was one of the most popular genres in the early 70s and marked its period with its stylish narrative, assumed sadism, eroticism and lots of violence.
Its basic screenplay ingredient was a mystery decryption (or more simply the discovery of a killer) narrated with a maximum of cinematographic virtuosity. The word giallo (yellow) defined the Italian thrillers because of the suspense pulp literature that was published in books with yellow covers in Italy.
The giallos – with its plots full of surprises and twists as in Psycho – had been experienced since the 60s in the Italian production on such films as Sei Donne Per L'Assassino (1964), or Il Dolce Corpo Di Deborah (1969). It was with L'Ucello Dalle Piume di Cristalo (The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, 1969) of Dario Argento that the genre has gained an ideal aesthetic model, proved its potential at box office and launched a series of extravagant titles. Argento almost resorted to the fundamentals of the genre thriller and gave primary attention to the technical aspects of film production. The way of tell was more important than the plot itself. Thus, angles, framing, editing and unusual photographic effects were determinants of aesthetic proposal more than directing actors or develop logical narrative. Many resorted to flashbacks to surprise revelations and some, like Il Diavollo Nel Cervello by Sergio Sollima, even used to repeat sequences in which the truth was altered as the narrator's point of view (as in Rashomon).
Mario Bava and Claude Chabrol are the precursors references in the genre. Bava with Sei Donne Per L'Assassino (1964) and Chabrol with A Double Tour (1959) – as well as Psycho – can be identified as the precursors of what Dario Argento and the giallo film intensified. The styling was the very essence of the show and in it was included the soundtrack. The proposal of the genre that shattered the character´s life in a physical and psychological threat nightmare had their correspondence musical in the radical often experimental soundtracks.
Ennio Morricone, a friend of Argento from some time, offered to do the music for L'Ucello Dalle Piume di Cristalo and again (as happened with the westerns) established a model to be followed in the nest years: climate music bordering musical abstraction to contrast the beautiful main themes, romantic and evocative. The musical disorientation provided by these extremes gave the emotional tone of the movies. Morricone and Argento repeat the successful model in Il Gatto a Nove Code (Cat of Nine Tails, 1970) and yet to do a third partnership with 4 Mosche Nel Velutto Grigio (Four Flies on Grey Velvet, 1971). The three compositions are available in several editions (original, expanded, definitive etc.), but a DRG edition summarizing the music of three films to the essential. The immediate mention can be given to the beautiful track Ninna Nanna in Blue from Il Gatto a Nove Code, which with its climate macabre lullaby song, is about the great defining issue of music in giallos. In L'Ucello the romantic theme is derived from bossa nova and 4 Mosche employs rock rhythms (the protagonist is a drummer).
Also as happened with westerns, Ennio Morricone would be great demand for giallos and the concept in musical accompaniment created in L'Ucello – romantic theme opposing to climate abstractions – he would be reused in several other films like La Tarantula Del Ventre Nero (1971), Il Diavolo Nel Cervello (1972), Mio Caro Assassino (1972), and La Corta Notte Della Bambola di Vetro (1971) among many others. Some of the main themes such as Cosa Avette Fatto a Solange (1972) or Spasmo (1974) are among the most beautiful of his creations.
The production of Morricone for Italian thrillers was so important to his career as were the westerns for the possibility to experiment with unusual instrumental combinations and sounds. Some of his soundtracks in the genre have participated the avant-garde group Nuova Consonanza. Some results, such as macabre transcendence of Un Tranquilo Posto di Campagna (A Quiet Place in the Country, 1969), reveal the thriller genre (and period) as one of the most fertile in producing pioneering music full of avant-garde experiments. The effect achieved in Elio Petri suspense is remarkable in the economy of means: the insecurity and the possible mystical happenings that goes taking the film are induced by subtlety of the music. The menace can really be supernatural or just be the growing madness of painter Leonardo (Franco Nero). The music has one of the best performances of Edda Dell'Orso, remarkable vocalist of many Morricone soundtracks, but instead of the lyrical beauty of the westerns arias, here Edda vocalizes ghostly modulations to great effect.
But Ennio Morricone was not the only highlight in the compositions for suspense. His frequent partner (in arrangements and conducting the recordings) Bruno Nicolai, also left his name in history with one of the leading composers of the genre. His music for Perche Quelle Strane Gocce di Sangue Sul Corpo di Jennifer (1972) is one of the best soundtracks of giallos. La Coda Del Scorpione (1971), La Notte Che Evelyn Usci Dalla Tomba (1971) and Tutti Il Colori Del Buio (1972) are other great moments of Nicolai, also a composer with remarkable passage by police movies and westerns. The prolific Stelvio Cipriani has great examples in giallos as Il Medaglione Insanguinato (1975), La Polizia Chiede Aiuto (1974) and Una Farfalla Con Le Alle Insanguinati (1972) in which he adapted excerpts of the Concerto No. 1 for Piano, by Tchaikovsky to pop format. The essential Torso (1973) had creative score by brothers Guido & Maurizio De Angelis.
Also of importance is the work of Nora Orlandi for Lo Strano Vizio Della Signora Wardh (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, 1971), film directed by Sergio Martino and one of the founders of the giallo conventions. Nora was one of the few female composers working for cinema and had an interesting career doing music for thrillers, erotic movies and even westerns.
Recognized as the biggest name in Italian jazz pianist, composer and conductor Giorgio Gaslini is often remembered for collaboration with Michelangelo Antonioni in the film La Notte (1961). But his film career oriented to the popular cinema and several thrillers and horror movies as Profondo Rosso (1975), La Notte Del Diavolo (1972) and Omicidio Perfetto al Termine Di Legge (1975) soundtracks that are noteworthy as quite original creations that exceeded the usual generic clichés.
The golden age for the giallo was from 1970 to 1975, and despite that guiding formulas have been followed in countless versions/variations, the genre produced many interesting in films and music. It is quite interesting to note that their tracks (even following models) are sufficiently inventive in its experimental daring. With Profondo Rosso (1975) director Dario Argento started a new era. The soundtrack of group Goblin would make an unusual inclusion of rock.
