Films That Witness Madness

review

THE RED QUEEN KILLS 7 TIMES

Like its cinematic sibling, THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE, Emilio Miraglia's 1972 offering THE RED QUEEN KILLS 7 TIMES is a comfortable mix of Gothic creepiness and swingin' Seventies hipness. It starts with that old Gothic standby, the family curse, and adds all the requisite sex, depravity and violence that were quickly becoming the hallmarks of the giallo genre, creating a singular piece of work that only gets better with each viewing. It is a very simple film told in a very simple way but because of the talent both behind and in front of the camera, THE RED QUEEN KILLS 7 TIMES becomes something all together more impressive than the vast majority of films it shared the marquees with. It is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest giallo films made in the Seventies, standing shoulder to shoulder with films like DEEP RED, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? and THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA

But it is markedly different from any of those three films. For starters, it has a completely unique look to it. Set in Austria, it eschews the normally extravagant settings that mark most gialli, settling for somewhat grimy and unspectacular locations. Though it deals with the fashion world - at least peripherally - it doesn't feel the need to dwell on the haute couture in the same way other films of its ilk do, spending very little time in photo shoots, flashy studios and the such. At times it has an almost Freda quality to it, especially noticeable when the action shifts to the films central location, an old, decrepid castle. The film also feels distinctly different, more like a sexed-up and ultra-bloody Scooby Doo cartoon than a sadistic crime thriller. We don't for a second believe that the killer is really a ghost - more on that in a second - but our protagonist does and Miraglia feeds her paranoia and increasing fear of the irrational in a way that allows us to share in her fear of the unknown even if we ourselves don't ever leave the realm of reality. It's a remarkable little trick that adds so much to the film.

How about a quick plot summary: Kitty Wildenbruck and her sister Evelyn didn't get along so well when they were children - mostly due to Evelyn's constant abuse. They didn't get along so well even after they grew up. One day, during a full-on catfight, Kitty accidentally kills her sister. Along with her other sister, Franziska, and her husband, Herbert, Kitty immediately covers up her accidental crime, sealing Evelyn's body up in the castle dungeon. All during their childhood they have been told the legend of the Red Queen, a woman murdered by her sister, the Black Queen. The Red Queen is fabled to come back from the dead every century to murder the ancestor of her sister. Though ridiculous, Kitty and her grandfather both believe it to be true - as does Evelyn apparently as she is seen in the films pre-credit sequence proclaiming herself to be the Red Queen as she stabs Kitty's baby doll to pieces - and, lo and behold, a mysterious woman wearing a red cape soon makes an appearance, killing her way closer and closer to Kitty, now a fashion photographer.

Starting with this traditional horror set-up, Miraglia and his co-writer Fabio Pittorru spin a remarkably well-constructed giallo narrative. Everything we would normally expect in a giallo film - beautiful and often nude women, duplicitous friends and family scheming against one another, violent set-pieces and sexual violence - are all present and accounted for but the added layer of supernatural intrigue and Gothic ambiance is what really sets the film apart. When the giallo comes crashing into the world of the Gothic - like in Bava's KILL, BABY... KILL! or Argento's SUSPIRIA - you would expect the picture to completely collapse. The giallo is, after all, exceedingly modern and the Gothic is its very opposite. A choice must be made at the get-go. You either topple down the Gothic rabbit hole, as Bava and Argento did, or you don't.

THE RED QUEEN KILLS 7 TIMES manages to survive intact, inhabiting both worlds at the same time without a hint of conflict. The serial-inspired finale - Kitty trapped in a slowly flooding dungeon - might not fly with giallo purists who prefer their finales to include people falling off cliffs or rooftops but it works within the context of the film and is positively thrilling. It proves that the giallo can be an incredibly flexible genre of film - I wish more filmmakers would have stretched their wings - that does not need to stick to the tried and true slasher-style narrative in order to be successful.

Essential viewing.

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