A genre that is a personal favourite of mine; the Giallo. It helped pique my interest in, and furthered my appreciation for Italian cinema. Here at 42nd Street Cinema, I don't feel as though my said love for gialli is fully covered. So, with that in mind, I'm going to be taking a look at Paolo Cavara's The Black Belly of the Tarantula/La tarantola dal ventre nero.

Cutting his teeth as a controversial mondo-documentary filmmaker, Paolo Cavara was 1/3 of the force behind the genre-inspiring Mondo Cane (1962) and later Women of the World (1963); with co-writers and co-directors, Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi.
Cavara would later go on to direct two gialli; The Black Belly of The Tarantula/La tarantola dal ventre nero and Plot of Fear/E tanta paura (1976). The former is a competent entry in the gialli genre and was likely inspired by the success of Dario Argento's Animal Trilogy. While it isn't initially a stand out title, especially when compared to contemporaries; Argento's The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970), Martino's The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971) and Dallamano's What Have You Done to Solange? (1972), it most certainly delivers on what a fan of the genre would come to expect, with all the trimmings; bright red blood, exposed flesh, shiny blades and ample amounts of red herrings.

Starring: Giancarlo Giannini, Barbara Bouchet, Claudine Auger, Silvano Tranquilli, Barbara Bach, Stefania Sandrelli, Rossella Falk and Ezio Marano.

The film opens with an erotically torrid massage of Barbara Bouchet's back and thighs, a scene that is accompanied by a sexually-charged score courtesy of maestro Ennio Morricone. We soon slip into the narrative and quickly discover that Maria (Barbara Bouchet) is potentially involved in an illicit affair, after a compromising photograph is sent to her husband. Before you've got time to process these dramatics, she is stalked and brutally murdered by a shadowy figure. The killer possesses a rather unique method of execution, that begins with an acupuncture needle dipped in the venom of a rare wasp, which when thrust into a victim's neck it renders them paralysed, but rather sadistically allows them to witness their own death. Once paralysed the victim is stabbed in the stomach and ripped open.



It becomes apparent that customers of a highbrow health spa are being brutally offed. Inspector Tellini (Giancarlo Giannini) is assigned to solve the case, unfortunately and frustratingly for him every time he picks up on a new lead they too end up getting killed off. While working this case, Tellini comes to unravel a drug smuggling ring, who hide bags of cocaine in cartons containing exotic spiders. Unlike other gialli which can suffer from stagnant scenes, or a sluggish second act, where a multitude of red herrings are introduced in order to extend the overall mystery, the subplot here keeps the pace moving, whilst helping to establish and develop lead characters. Tellini soon realises that he, and his wife Anna (Sandrelli) have become targets and must act fast in order to solve this ever-expanding mystery.

The Black Belly of the Tarantula does utilise conventional and formulaic gialli plot developments, and suffers a rather lacklustre twist, but I must praise Cavara for the gorgeous mise-en-scène, which is in direct contrast to the unflinching misogynistic violence displayed on-screen. From enormous close-ups to brilliantly framed murder scenes, Cavara's innovative compositions of lighting and colour-use, add to the most intense sequences, that border on arthouse sensibilities. Ennio Morricone's previously mentioned score is another strong attribute that serves to intensify the visuals. The film is nicely held together by Giancarlo Giannini's performance, who portrays the emotionally dialled-in Police inspector perfectly. On top of that the film boasts a total of three bond girls as cast members!

All in all, The Black Belly of the Tarantula is a prime example of the genius of gialli and how captivating the genre can be. Bravo!