冰刀
This early 70's giallo by Umberto Lenzi is certainly among the best in his filmography and also in the whole genre. Personally I think Lenzi's best films are the funny cartoon-turned-film Kriminal, the stylish giallo Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, the explosive Napoli violenta and this. In the eighties he did plenty of film trash in form of Eaten Alive, Hitcher in the Dark or Black Demons, all of which are ripping something off andor very dull and slow moving. Knife of Ice came when the giallo boom was at its hottest and the result is convincing.  Technically the film is superb, containing great cinematography in the beginning when we learn about the main character's trauma towards trains. From this point on, Lenzi shows us his ability to benefit the widescreen and, for example, the bicycle ride near the forest is genuinely beautiful! This scene also shows Lenzi's ability to build suspense, very slowly but meaningfully. After all, there aren't so many murders in the whole film, only the suspense circulating around the murderer's identity.  One suspect is a devil worshipper which brings new aspects to the mystery. Since the final scene takes place in a church, one can wonder if Lenzi wanted to comment on something, maybe the hypocritical morale of church and superstition. The main character (Carrol Baker) is mute which demands a lot from her face and eyes. The actress works very well, giving us a believable performance circulating around the emotions of fear and mental pain. The other actors are good, too. The finally, however, may not give too positive a sight about female sex since they all are expressed rather negatively in the film, one way or another. Still this is easily among the most noteworthy in the genre, not as bloody as the Argento films, for example, but equally suspenseful and visually also interesting.
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女活佛
丹宁寺大经堂内外聚集着数以千计的喇嘛、达官贵人和虔诚的信徒,他们都在恭候女活佛吉尊桑姆坐床大典的来临。铜钟敲响了,大经师点燃桑祭神的圣火,把佛冠庄重地戴在女活佛的头上,人们虔诚地葡伏在地上。忽然,管家朗杰跑来通知大经师,世界屋脊发生了一件大事件,年迈的大经师晕倒在地。夜晚,女活佛为大经师跳神驱鬼。贵族岗穹赛来到丹宁寺,把上司写给女活佛的信递了上去,等着护送她出国。管家极力怂恿女活佛出国,认为唯此才能保住噶举派的衣钵。女活佛开始准备行装。这时,她又收到中共琼卡分工委来的信,信中真诚地劝她留在国内,不要听信谣言。大经师从昏迷中醒来,看了两封信,他鲜明地把岗穹赛的来信扔到一边。大管家叫来司卜求卦,卦底白绢条上写着走,大经师经受不住这个走字,谢世而去。女活佛把大经师后事交给管家,自己随岗穹赛出走了。在边境的苍巴山谷,为挖食野菜,女活佛的侍女白玛误食毒蘑身亡。危难之时,女活佛过去的侍卫罗旦和侍女竹嘎劝说女活佛不要出国,未成,便决定跟随女活佛一同出走。女活佛历尽千辛来到了印度,她逛小镇时,意外发现了中华人民共和国驻当地商务处所在地。而她的行踪全被岗穹赛的人看在眼里。一天,老太太央宗拜访后,女活佛发现佛冠不见了,精神受到强烈刺激。昏睡中,她梦见了自己死了。惊醒时,她被两个大汉绑架到密林中,他们想用奸污拍照的方法逼迫她参加新德里会议。岗穹赛和罗旦搭救女活佛,岗穹赛不慎被毒蛇咬伤。为给他医治蛇伤,女活佛等人住进央宗别墅。她派罗旦去代理处,与国内建立了联系。女活佛给岗穹赛换药,岗穹赛之妹敏姬喝了央宗送来的茶,三天后中毒身亡。原来央宗是派来监视岗穹赛的人。岗穹赛决定为女活佛找回佛冠,不再参与神圣事业。一天,罗旦报告女活佛,代理处通知将有人绑架她去参加会议,女活佛让罗旦再去代理处商议,不想罗旦被人劫走。岗穹赛在戴墨镜的人监督下,劝女活佛去开会,被拒绝,便将她软禁起来。入夜,女店主送饭进入女活佛卧室,她请女活佛穿上她的衣服出走,脱离险境。女活佛终于回到祖国。在她重新掌教的仪式上,有一个人走进丹宁寺大经堂,跪拜在她的宝座下,这人就是岗穹赛。
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