Cross Current

Un Omicidio Perfetto A Termine Di Legge

Cross Current

Italy 1971

D: Tonino Ricci

P: Jose Manuel for Producciones Cinematografica (Madrid & Rome)//St & Sc: Arpad De Riso, Teodoro Ricci, Rafael Azcuna, Jose Maria Forque, Aldo Crudo, Miguel Herrero, Francesco Campitelli//DP: Cecilio Paniagua//E: Ornella Chintolini//M: Giorgio Gaslini//Art D: Luis Vazquez.

Cast: Elga Andersen, Philippe Leroy, Rossana Yanni, Ivan Rasimov, Franco Ressel, Julio Pena, Franco Balducci, Mario Morales, Nando Poggi.

Marco, a high speed boat racer, is involved in an accident in which he loses his memory. He doesn't remember such items as his wife cheating on him with his best friend Bart or why a gnarled old tree in his backyard bothers him so much. The police investigation of the crash reveals it was sabotage. One night Marco and his wife are involved in argument when she is accidentally shot and killed. He decides to dump the body in the ocean but soon discovers clues that reveal she may still be alive. When she does show up on his doorstep, he freaks out and drives his car off a cliff. Monica celebrates his death with her lover Bart but she discovers he is actually in love with Terry, someone she thought was her best friend! Monica kills them both and returns home only to realize that Marco may very well have returned from the grave to exact his revenge on her.

Tonino (aka Teodoro) Ricci is not usually recognized as one of the premiere Italian filmmakers based mainly on his work in the eighties (such as PANIC, RUSH, RAGE, etc) which received much wider releases than his films made a decade earlier. However, if this film is any indication, he wasn't always churning out hackwork. This film is well directed and paced to keep you guessing from beginning to end as to who is alive or dead. The cinematography by Spainard Cecilio Paniagua (LISA AND THE DEVIL) is shimmering with effect, especially in the numerous night time sequences where it's crucial to be able to see just enough to hold your suspense. Although the script reveals many diverse hands involved, it's never confusing and what a nice change of pace to see a man in jeporady during most of the film's running time. It's also apparent that Giorgio Gaslini was already mapping out his contributions to the Giallo genre with motifs that would later reappear in Dario Argento's PROFUNDO ROSSO. The mixture of Spanish and Italian actors is perfect, but sadly it was Julio Pena (he plays the police inspector here) last appearance as he died shortly after appearing in this film.