Footprints — Footprints(Blu Ray)
Traditionally one of the more difficult-to-find giallo classics, 1975s Footprints aka L’Orme, directed by Luigi Bazzoni (The Possessed, The Fifth Cord and Brothers Blue) remains one of the unsung gems of Italian cinema. So it is really good news that Severin have given us what may well be the definitive release of this underappreciated genre classic. The film stars the legendary Florinda Balkan (A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin, Flavia the Heretic and Investigation of A Citizen Above Suspicion), Peter McEnery (Beat Girl, Tales That Witness Madness and Negatives), Nicoletta Elmi (Deep Red, Demons and Bay of Blood), Lila Kedrova (The Tenant, Zorba the Greek and The Night Child) and Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu the Vampyre, Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Death Smiles on A Murderer).
Footprints is a true oddity within the giallo genre. Interpreter, Alice Cespi (Balkan) has been plagued throughout her life by nightmares that stem back to a movie she watched as a child, called “Footprints on the Moon” about an astronaut who is abandoned on the moon. In order to get any sleep Alice has to take tranquilizers and it appears that she has slept her way through several days. Alice is subsequently fired from her job for being absent without any explanation, but something is not right, she remembers leaving work but nothing after that. Alice goes home to find a yellow bloodstained dress hanging in her wardrobe that she doesn’t recognise and also notices that she has lost an earring and there is a postcard in her flat showing a hotel on the island of Garma in Turkey. In order to try and make sense of the time she has lost, she books a flight and heads to Garma. She books into the almost deserted Hotel Garma and finds that some of the other guests recognise her as a woman called Nicole. Alice must piece together her previous movements on the island and try to find out why she remembers nothing of her previous visit.
Footprints is a cinematically gorgeous movie thanks to three-time Oscar winner and Bazzoni’s cousin Vittorio Storaro (1900, The Last Emperor and Last Tango in Paris) whose camera work is sublime. Every scene is beautifully framed, and his use of filters brings an extra dimension to the scenes in which they’re used. The stunning locations also help to make this one of the world’s most striking giallo movies. The acting is of a very high standard, especially Florinda Balkan, who is outstanding as the curious Alice. The rest of the cast are also very good; however, my only real criticism is that the ever-brilliant Klaus Kinski is underused in his role as Blackmann.
Footprints is a very good movie, part giallo, part arthouse thriller. Much like Dario Argento’s own stylish thrillers of the same era, it transcends its giallo label, becoming something far more interesting and unique. It’s a real shame that this would be Bazzoni’s final foray into movie-making, as it hints at the immense possibilities he could have achieved in the future. I’ve seen a lot of criticism of the movie as being too slow, but I like a good slow burn, and this fits that bill for me.
This new 2-disc Blu-ray set from Severin has been lovingly put together, it features a new 4k scan drawn from the original negatives and is available in both the US and Italian cut, the Italian cut is longer at 96 minutes and is the version I watched for the purpose of this review. On top of the two versions of the movie we are treated to an introduction to the movie by Kier-La Janisse, a video essay on Nicoletta Elmi, interviews with actress Ida Galli and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, whilst the Italian print features an audio commentary by Kat Ellinger.
If you like your giallo movies to be a little more cultured and a little less about the sex and violence then this is definitely one for you and if you like a good psychological thriller in the vein of Don’t Look Now then I would also recommend you give this one a go.