In 1970, young first-time director Dario Argento (Deep Red, Suspiria) made his indelible mark on Italian cinema with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage – a film which redefined the ‘giallo’ genre of murder-mystery thrillers and catapulted him to international stardom. Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante, We Own the Night), an American writer living in Rome, inadvertently witnesses a brutal attack on a woman (Eva Renzi, Funeral in Berlin) in a modern art gallery. Powerless to help, he grows increasingly obsessed with the incident. Convinced that something he saw that night holds the key to identifying the maniac terrorizing Rome, he launches his own investigation parallel to that of the police, heedless of the danger to both himself and his girlfriend Giulia (Suzy Kendall, Spasmo)… A staggeringly assured debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage establishes the key traits that would define Argento’s filmography, including lavish visuals and a flare for wildly inventive, brutal scenes of violence. With sumptuous cinematography by Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now) and a seductive score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in the West), this landmark film has never looked or sounded better in this brand new 4K Ultra HD presentation from Arrow Video!
For thoughts on The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Arrow Films presents The Bird With The Crystal Plumage with a stunning 2160p transfer in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the original 35mm 2-perf Techniscope negative and graded in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision. On the most basic level, this transfer does not register anything in the way of print damage. This new release is respectful to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more natural. When it comes to the encoding, there does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with the perfect amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves well with no fluctuations detected at any point. The texture on display in the costumes and within the setting are a revelation. Even the makeup effects blend naturally which brings a level of artistry to the morose.
A standout aspect of the disc is the application of Dolby Vision for increased color output that deserves high praise for its lustrous beauty. The new restoration features some colors in the clothing and production design that really make a splash with a dazzling vibrancy. This disc handles every distinct aesthetic choice with ease. The black levels are outstanding with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming. The creative choices of Argento might get more bold as he develops as a filmmaker, but there is a lot to admire here. Nearly every single moment offers something to admire. This presentation is a five-star effort from the crew at Arrow Video.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with DTS-HD 1.0 mono tracks in Italian and English, both of which represent the film in a pleasing manner. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately rendered so that nothing ever feels off. The dialogue itself comes through crystal clear without being crushed by the sound effects or score. There are moments of light scuffles that add some intensity without becoming a muddled mess in the action. The memorable music throughout the film brings a very distinct mood to the proceedings that is represented well in the mix. Everything is presented with an excellent fidelity with only the occasional instance of sound presenting as a bit thin or boxy. The dialogue has been post-looped which results in some loose sync instances that may be annoying to some, but it is a product of this period in filmmaking. The environment of the city creates a din of sound that creeps through to provide some excellent ambient details. This presentation is mostly free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Another top-tier effort from Arrow Video.
Special Features
The Limited Edition Collector’s Set of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of The Bird With The Crystal Plumage comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer case and includes a 58-page bound book featuring three essays from Howard Hughes, Jack Seabrook and Rachael Nisbet which delves into the film and Argento further. These works provide a great analysis of the film and the genre at large in a thoughtfully written style. This package also includes a double-sided poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films, delivers an enthusiastic and informative commentary track in which he discusses the elements that stand out in this debut feature, Argento’s relationship to performers, the camera work, the direction of Argento, the creation of the soundtrack, Argento’s work with Sergio Leone and much more. This is a very fun listen for those new to Argento.
- Black Gloves and Screaming Mimis: A 32-minute interview with author and critic Kat Ellinger in which she explores the film’s themes of the film and its relationship to both the giallo and Fredric Brown’s novel The Screaming Mimi. There are interesting examinations of voyeurism, explicit points of view, accusations of misogyny, subversion of expectations and more.
- The Power Of Perception: A 21-minute visual essay from Alexandra Heller-Nicholas which explores Argento’s career and his desire to challenge the perception of the audience and his characters. A spoiler warning is issued for several films within Argento’s filmography, but those unafraid of having anything ruined should seek out this highly entertaining piece.
- Crystal Nightmare: A nearly 32-minute interview with writer-director Dario Argento in which he discusses what sparked his initial ideas for the film, his experiences during production, disagreements he had with his performers, the music of Ennio Morricone, initial reactions to the film and much more. It’s always a blast hearing Argento discuss his career.
- An Argento Icon: A 22-minute interview with actor Gildo Di Marco in which he discusses getting into acting, her earlier career, his appreciation for Plumage, his feelings about his performance, future collaborations with Argento,, the fading away of his career and more.
- Eva’s Talking: A nearly 12-minute archival piece from 2005 with actor Eva Renzi in which she discusses the influence her husband had on her career, turning down the role of a Bond girl, her thoughts on her role in Plumage, memorable scenes from the film, memories of her co-stars and more. This is a really blunt and refreshing piece.
- Trailers: This disc includes the Italian Trailer (3:11), the International Trailer (2:48) and the 2017 Texas Frightmare Trailer (0:55).
- Image Galleries: The disc contains image galleries for Posters, Lobby Cards, Promotional Materials, and the US Publicity Stills.
Final Thoughts
The Bird With The Crystal Plumage is a tremendous debut effort that shaped the Italian filmmaking landscape more than anyone ever would have predicted. Even without the added layer of historical appreciation, the film is just immensely entertaining with a propulsive narrative and some great surprises and thrilling deaths that do not lessen with repeated viewings. Argento really made his mark from the very beginning which allows you to understand why he has been such an enduring presence since. Arrow Video has released a Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an flawless A/V presentation and a wonderful amount of special features. This set is sure to please any Argento fan. Highly Recommended
The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (Limited Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
