Soloist Jenny (Ida Galli) returns home to her sister, mute Martha (Carroll Baker), falling victim to a knife-murderer who could be a Devil worshiper with "crazy eyes". Martha's trauma derives from being thrown from a train by her father before it crashes; Martha watched as the train, carrying her parents, crashed killing them. The number of suspects emerge in Umberto Lenzi's intricately plotted giallo (convoluted as giallo fans come to expect) where a small Italian village is overtaken with fear as not only was Jenny killed but another "fair-haired girl" found not far from the château where Martha and her Uncle Ralph (George Rigaud) reside. Martha has a psycho-therapist, Dr. Laurent (Alan Scott), an eligible bachelor well known in the village nearby the Caldwell château. Eduardo Fajardo has another one of his customary creepy roles as the Caldwells' (in particular, Martha's) strange driver who seems to be hiding something. Fajardo's Marcos gives off a malevolent presence, which typical of the giallo standards, means he's a red herring. Silvia Monelli is the Caldwells' maid-servant, Annie Britton, who becomes another of the knife-maniac's many selected victims for execution. Franco Fantasia is Inspector Duran, becoming burdened by the inability to catch the psychopath. Uncle Ralph, with an interest in all things occult, is ill (his heart) and could die any day, which means that Martha could soon be alone, with only Marcos left to aid her. Lenzi's gialli have a tendency, more often than not, to bare more emphasis on the procedural, the plot details, than violence. There's even one scene where Inspector Durant has those present when a little girl—a Catholic school girl—was killed recreate their movements during the time of crime. Of course with a lot of Lenzi's giallo thrillers, there's a psychological angle at work: this movie concerns Baker's Martha who often experiences memories which trouble her. Whether it be of her sister or a matador killing a bull or the wicked eyes of a local Devil worshiper, Martha seems awestruck by each memory when it emerges. These memories could contribute somehow to the murders—that's obviously Lenzi's intention or they wouldn't be of such consequence to the overall character and story. Oh, and no true giallo would be complete without the wacky twist which feels like it was tacked on at the last minute, the reasons behind the murders explained extensively. Carroll Baker has practically no dialogue, until the very end that is, and when she does it's unfortunately a corny rhyme describing her future fate. Baker is still lovely, although the movie doesn't exploit her usual willingness to get naked—Baker's period in Italy was coming to a close, KNIFE OF ICE another collaboration between her and Lenzi. KNIFE OF ICE isn't overly violent or sleazy, more dependent on the plot, not exactly what a majority of the die-hard fanbase looks for, to tell you the truth. I'm not sure KNIFE OF ICE will be among any giallo enthusiast's top favorites, but we are a curious breed who seek to find even the most obscure, lesser known of the genre, so maybe this film is worth the pursuit if you can find it (unlike other Lenzi gialli in his oeuvre, KNIFE OF ICE has become accessible).
Review of Knife of Ice
