Primal Impulse

Primal Impulse

Genre: Giallo, Psychological Thriller, Mystery

Original Title: Le Orme

AKA: Footprints / Footprints on the Moon

Director: Luigi Bazzoni

Year: 1975

A woman is tormented by strange dreams of astronauts on the moon. She visits a deserted seaside town whose inhabitants know her even though she does not know them.

Le Orme [Footprints/Primal Impulse] is a completely unique oddity in the gialli genre. It is such a radical departure from the norm that it's probably debatable to whether it is actually one or not. 

We spend almost the entire film with the character of Alice as she tries to piece together three days of her life that have completely disappeared from her memory. She is played wonderfully by Brazilian actress Florinda Bolkan who also appears in Don't Torture a Duckling & A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. She perfectly conveys the confusion & isolation that her character is feeling, often just through her facial expressions. 

We get some trippy sci-fi flashbacks through her eyes of a man being dumped on the moon & a few scenes with none other than Klaus Kinski. The trailer sold this as some kind of Giallo in space with Klaus Kinski, so on that front it is disappointing as this is just a tiny fraction of the film, Kinksi must have no more than a couple of minutes screen time in this picture. 

The beginning of this unusual flick is done really wonderfully. Alice is constantly surrounded by huge buildings overlooking her which creates an uneasy claustrophobic atmosphere that is often very quiet and eerie. There's a real gentle score which just adds to the mood that the visuals have already supplied. The film moves onto small tourist location of Garma & here she meets people who have spent time with her during her lost period. It's all done in a very ambiguous manor and we see the entire film through this one character. It works for a while but unfortunately this formula is repeated for the rest of the movie and loses momentum half way through the picture. Fortunately the film is beautifully shot and remains visually engaging even if the plot outstays it's welcome.  The film fizzles out with a confusing ending which is left open to interpretation to the viewer.   

I can definitely see the cult appear to a film like this, it is one which may possibly become clearer on repeated viewings. If you want a giallo that is a bit different to the norm then it's one well worth seeking out.

Rating: ★★★½

Florinda Bolkan, a very confused woman.