The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail – no, not a Hardy Boys’ adventure, rather, another unique giallo, directed by Sergio Martino (Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), a 1971 mystery thriller that may have more would-be stalkers than any other film in the annals of history.
From a story by Eduardo Manzanos (icon Ernesto Gastaldi came in to build the screenplay, with Mazanos and Sauro Scavolini also getting credit), the twist-filled narrative pulls from both Alfred Hitchcock and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Les diaboliques, as well as unbelievable real life stories that lined the newspapers . . . Martino imbuing it all with a tense, mile-a-minute pacing.
Following unreliable protagonist Lisa Baumer (Ida Galli – credited under her stage name Evelyn Stewart), she has a rather unorthodox relationship with her much older husband. Living in London while her hubby spends most of his time in Athens, it is perhaps not surprising that the woman is in the midst of having an affair (soon hinted at that this is not the first) – and, while she is enjoying her time in the arms of another man, her husband dies in an explosive plane crash.
Now the sole beneficiary of a million dollar life insurance policy, a slew of sneaks slink out from the shadows to stalk the striking widow. First, a druggie looking for money (with a letter supposedly stating that she wanted her husband ‘gone’), then, a black shaded/gloved/fedora wearing menace (Luis Barboo – unable to film his scenes in the UK, you are actually watching Martino stand in for the threatening, knife-wielding interloper) – a man whose motives are far less clear than the latter’s desperation.
With Lisa having to journey to Athens to collect, soon a third guy is stalking, this one a paid insurance investor, Peter Lynch (George Hilton), there to investigate the rather unusual way Mr. Baumer kicked the bucket. Lest we forget a suited gent who also has an attentive eye that lingers for a bit too long on the dame, and we are off to the races.
But, we must not forget that this is a giallo, and what would it be without a noir, latex wearing murderer, an agile shark-like figure who has many specific would-be victims in his or her sights – throw some John Williams music in and we might as well nickname the unknown figure Bruce (Spielberg’s moniker for the shark in Jaws). And, where there is a murderer, there are usually incompetent investigators – in this case, a Greek inspector named Stavros (Luigi Pistilli) and Interpol agent John Stanley (Alberto de Mendoza) – is it a bad sign that they have a puzzle that they are struggling to put together on their desk, something that looks like a twelve year old could piece together in less than an hour? And, when there is a juicy story, it is safe to predict that there will be another paid quasi-stalker, a French female reporter, Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg), who will place herself in many precarious predicaments in the name of getting the front page headlines. . . could her peeping Tom neighbour be in on it?
Yet, all of the intrigue does not come solely from these pursuers. Gastaldi and the team muddy up the waters with numerous other techniques. Learning that Mrs. Baumer’s dead husband was also having an affair, soon she is summoned by redhead Lara Florakis (Janine Reynaud) to a dilapidated, all-too-eerie former theatre house. . . another threat to add to an ever growing list – especially after the million dollars, withdrawn by Lisa, has been stolen. Then, there are the possible red herrings – an intricate, gold filagree scorpion found at an attempted murder site; the killer bitten at the same location – a band-aid suggesting that a certain someone may be the culprit; lastly, an unidentified couple are shown several times (Tomás Picó and Lisa Leonardi) – how do they fit into the web of confusion?
Handled with style and grace by Martino, the director tinkers with the medium – jarring low angles (producing unique shadows – he also uses it to hide some of the flaws of dubbing a movie), an unusual camera angle from on top (swinging back and forth during a conversation in the detective’s office – everything looking sideways. . . another example of feeling off-kilter), while Hitchcockian suspense is built the old fashioned way – sharp editing, an unwavering pace (according to Martino, the classic 1969 Costa-Gavras motion picture Z inspired him to try this), and competent shot selection. Just one example, a scene in which the murderer attempts to get at one of the femmes – equal parts Hitchcock, Clouzot and Kubrick’s The Shining, tension rises to a fever pitch until an unexpected surprise. . . it leading to a second chase sequence that features two stunning circular staircases, a gothic tinge (items in storage used to spook and disorientate), itself ending with a ‘thud’tastic conclusion that, through practical effects and excellent stunt work, feels utterly realistic. Also a masterclass in mystery building, Martino shades the killer from the viewer, never unfairly, a feature worth multiple watches in order to discover the ways in which he both provides hints to, as well as keeps our gaze away from, the latex-clad figure.
Remind me never to trust a lock in Athens (seriously, every door is penetrated with utter ease), The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail is a masterful thriller, fraught with an undefinable mood that will stick with you long after the coda. Featuring a mesmeric score from Bruno Nicolai, it is an all-round quality piece of entertainment. So, feel free to stalk down this title. . . *caveat – though you may want to invest in some accidental death insurance before watching this frightening tale.
This film is in Italian with English subtitles, but can also be watched in English dubbed form