The Perfume of the Lady in Black

The Perfume of the Lady in Black

Genre: Giallo, Psychological Horror, Thriller

Original title: Il profumo della signora in nero

Director: Francesco Barilli

Year: 1974

Sylvia, an industrial scientist, is troubled by strange hallucinations related to the tragic suicide of her mother

The Perfume Lady In Black is a wonderful, slow burning Psychological Horror in the mould of greats such as Polanski & Hitchcock. It's executed with such style, elegance & conviction by director Francesco Barilli that it can proudly stand aside the works of those great film-makers. It's a damn shame that Francesco Barilli only did one other Giallo (Who Saw Her Die?) as judging from this film alone he could of been up there with the Argento's & Martino's of this world had he made a few more Gialli of this quality.

We see the majority of the film through the eyes of Sylvia played by the lovely Mimsy Farmer who is no stranger to Italian productions having starred in Dario Argento's Four Flies on Grey Velvet a few years earlier. Sylvia is haunted by her past & strange occurrences are constantly happening in her life putting her more and more on edge as we go along. 

The cinematography & location work on this picture are truly magnificent, the story takes it's time & doesn't result to gory kills or sex to get it's point across, it doesn't need too. 

I do feel about an hour into the film it kind of lost it's way a little. It becomes kind of obvious where the story is heading & we have to hang about to see it out. It's never dull but it just feels like you are waiting for the inevitable. 

However, the final couple of minutes we are presented with a really shocking and gruesome ending which completely caught me off guard & was brilliantly done.

An all round well executed classic story which I think people that either dislike the genre or aren't accustomed to Gialli flicks will get alot out from.

Rating: ★★★★

Mimsy Farmer in her best performance