Rent The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971)

Spoilers follow ... - The Bloodstained Butterfly review by NP

I’m a firm believer that rain can add atmosphere to any scene, whether on film, television, book or photograph. The downpour that accompanies many of the events at the beginning of this Duccio Tessari directed giallo is welcome after the very lengthy introduction, via a never-ending opening credits sequence introducing many starring characters.

The rainstorm adds additional horrific grit to the murder of beautiful student Françoise Pigaut (Carole André), after which toupee-sporting sports presenter Alessandro Marchi (Giancarlo Sbragia) is arrested. We then learn his wife is having an affair with his lawyer, and that even after Marchi’s incarceration, further murders take place …

‘The Bloodstained Butterfly’ has garnered much praise for resisting the flamboyant nature of many giallos and concentrating, in a very measured way, on the various characters and possible murderers. The police investigations are methodical and Silvano Tranquilli’s Inspector Berardi and his men spend as much time in the dark about things as we are. The reluctance to dwell on gore, sex or elaborate plot details tend to make many events quite dull viewing in my view.

Usual giallo standouts are very much in evidence here: Gianni Ferrio’s score is wonderful, the locations, drenched in sun or hammered by rainfall, are spectacular throughout. The reveal at the end is entirely in-keeping with the restrained manner throughout the 95 minutes – satisfying but hardly spectacular.