Who Saw Her Die? Blu-ray Review

THE MOVIE — 3.0/5

Plot Synopsis: Sculptor Franco Serpieri (GEORGE LAZENBY) welcomes Roberta (NICOLETTA ELMI) – his young daughter from a failed marriage – to Venice, unaware that a disturbed child-killer is stalking the city’s canals. When Roberta’s body is found floating face-down on the river, the lives of Franco and his estranged wife Elizabeth (ANITA STRINGBERG) are ripped apart. Desperate for vengeance, Franco turns detective in a bid to track down his daughter’s killer, and in the process unearths shocking evidence of depravity and corruption which implicates some of the most respected figures in Venetian society.

Quick Hit Review: I do have a fondness for the giallo-style crime-thrillers and even when some of the choices the characters tend to make, or how the story tends to deviate from its main plot, they do hold some entertainment value. The latest one I saw, Who Saw Her Die?, certainly has its moments, and seeing George Lazenby, post his sole appearance as James Bond, was a lot of fun, even though the English-language was dubbed by someone else. So the performance is a bit half-baked, though Lazenby looked good, and I suppose his dubbing actor did a satisfactory job…

What keeps the movie from being merely okay instead of anything all that good is the storytelling feels a bit choppy at times and it certainly does take time to build up the story, though arguably the time spent to develop the relationship between Franco and his daughter was necessary, however on an emotional level was lacking.

Beyond the lacking of emotions, there were plenty of confusing moments (like having a sequence at an abandoned port where, as it happens, a character is living in some cheap apartment). Lots of coincidences and awkward red-herrings lead to a satisfying enough finale… until a body goes up in flames and falls out of a balcony window. At that point I could only chuckle, not a macabre sort of way but how not only dramatically it was shot (replaying different angles) but the score from Ennio Morricone ratchets up before cutting out with the thud of the body. Was supposed to be vivid but instead came across as unintentionally hilarious.

Who Saw Her Die? was directed by Aldo Lado, and he also worked on the script in some fashion, and he does utilize the beautiful Venetian land and cityscapes so it did at the very least set itself apart from other giallos of that era.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5

This release comes with a 36-Page Booklet and in a clear HD keep case.

Audio Commentary – Author and critic Troy Howarth provides yet another informative and educational track delving more into Italian cinema and into the story.

Interviews:

• I Saw Her Die (56:55) is a lengthy new interview with Director Aldo Lado
• Nicoletta, Child of Darkness (27:25) is another new interview, this with actress Nicoletta Elmi who played the daughter, looking back at her experience working on the film.
• Once Upon a Time, in Venice (31:29) — Co-writer Francesco Barilli provides his story about his career and his script in this new interview.
• Giallo in Venice (26:17) – Author and critic Michael McKenzie discusses many aspects about the film from the director to the filming locations.

Rounding things out is an Image Gallery (1:40), the Italian Trailer (3:13) and English Trailer (3:13).

VIDEO – 4.5/5

AUDIO – 4.0/5

OVERALL – 3.5/5

Who Saw Her Die? isn’t a great film within the giallo subgenre but it is noteworthy that is stars, at least in physical form, George Lazenby but the movie itself doesn’t have the best pacing and does take its time to get the plot moving along. This Blu-ray release by Arrow Video is, as always, a great set with some excellent new interviews and a commentary to along with outstanding video and audio transfers.