We saw her die. But we didn't see who did it. Who Saw Her Die? is pretty standard as far as the whodunit angle goes, but it really succeeds in being disconcerting by virtue of two things... (1) the age of "her" (the film is about child murders), and (2) the intense, choir-filled score by Ennio Morricone. It gets all reverby and crazy, and when combined with the subject matter makes the film absolutely chilling at times.
I guess this whole write-up will more or less constitute a spoiler - so if you want to see a pretty creepy and effective giallo, just check it out.
First off, I'm not inherently for or against child killing in movies. When it happens right off the bat (as it does here), it's a bit jarring, but it does the job in terms of setting the tone. But then we spend the first act getting to know another little girl... and honestly, you don't really like her chances. So while it's not a given that a child murder will be shocking, what is surprising here is how much time is spent developing little Roberta as a character while a cloud of doom hangs over her head. I'm just not used to knowing a murder victim quite so well, much less a child.
Anyways, eventually the focus switches to dear old dad Franco, who is played by George Lazenby. While I'm no Bond guy (and haven't seen his turn in the tux), it's hard to imagine Lazenby as Bond. He does have a certain charm, but he reminds me more of a gangly aging hippie here - not the suave cool you expect from 007. Franco feels that the cops are dragging their feet on the case, and begins digging up his own clues involving a globetrotting art dealer (fellow Bond-alum Adolfo Celi) and his beautiful assistant, a priest, and a wealthy lawyer with a history of child molesting. The cast is good is their respective roles... no one stands out as particularly good or bad. The same goes with the story/mystery - other than the subject matter, the story is pretty pedestrian. But the emotion/intensity inherent in a child murder, and well as the crazy score (courtesy of Ennio Morricone and a children's choir) really ups the game of the whole thing.
Who Saw Her Die was recommended to me by the algorithms at Netflix after I had rented The Night Train Murders, another Aldo Lado film. While that was a more explicitly rough watch (with a little too much sexual violence for my liking), there are a lot of similarities between the two. Aldo Lado (besides having a great name) seems to excel in taking taboo subject matter and presenting it matter of factly, not glamorizing it or giving it any stylish glitz or flashiness. The violence in his films is really in your face, and often times shocking - which really, violence *should* be. While other giallos seem to drown things in atmosphere and crafty camera work, Lado seems content to just film away and let the subject matter do the heavy lifting.
That's not to say Who Saw Her Die? is boring looking - there are some really nice-looking and artful shots in the film. There just seems to be more of a substance-over-style mentality here than what you usually get in these sorts of things.
The setting of Venice also gives the film a unique feel. It's certainly not the typical romanticized version of the city. Apparently Lado grew up there, and wanted to show people the side of the city that you don't usually see. So here, in addition to the waterways (which are shot to look almost menacing) you get the more run-down Venice, with abandoned buildings and crumbling infrastructure.
Horror-wise? I would say the concepts of the violence are more disturbing than what you actually see. There is a little brutality and gore here and there, but nothing too crazy. It's the sort of film where there's more *implied* violence than anything - and honestly, it's probably more effective that way.
Overall, I'm kind of surprised that I hadn't really heard of Who Saw Her Die? before Netflix recommended it to me. It doesn't seem to really by highly lauded as a giallo, but I think it's one of the better ones I've seen. It's certainly an unsettling movie, but sometimes that's what you want in your horror, right?
I would definitely recommend this film.
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