La morte risale a ieri sera

Inappropriate title in the German dubbing, great film: Raf VALLONE in an exciting mix of giallo thriller and crime film

A widower (great: Raf Vallone) from Milan lovingly looks after his already grown but mentally retarded daughter (Gill Bray). One day she disappears from their shared apartment without a trace. An inspector (Frank Wolff) investigates, but encounters resistance. Is it possible that a prostitution ring is behind this? The desperate father no longer knows what to do...

Duccio Tessari ("Uomo senza memoria" with the chainsaw-wielding Senta Berger) has presented an impressive film that was co-produced by Artur Brauner and his CCC FILMKUNST. Unfortunately the German title is very inappropriate, there is not much fog in Milan. The alternative title "Murders only happen on Saturdays" is at least a little better. The Italian original could be translated as "Death occurred last night". Eva Renzi (as the inspector's wife) and Beryl Cunningham can be seen in other roles. The event of the film, however, is Raf Vallone, who impresses with his sensitive acting and sheer physical strength. The end of the film still offers a few surprises. In the Italian box office it grossed a decent 568 million ITL.

A gem worth seeing from the almost inexhaustible reservoir of Italian crime films of the 1970s!

"Death Occurred Last Night" is a film that requires patience, an open mindset, and then even more patience. But, eventually, you will be rewarded, as this is one of the most integer and slow-brooding Italian drama/thriller films of the early 70s. And, once it has sunk in entirely, I guarantee you'll appreciate it even more! Duccio Tessari's film, with a phenomenal cast, is often misperceived by people because it has a title that makes it seem like a giallo, and a premise that makes it sound like a poliziotesschi, but it's actually neither. Well, it is a poliziotesschi, but not like the ones with Maurizio Merli and tons of car chases and violent executions. This film merely thrives on a solid script, a tense atmosphere, sense of realism and real human emotions.

Raf Vallone gives a stellar performance as a desperate father who literally begs the local Milanese police commissioner Lamberti (an equally stellar Frank Wolff) to search for his daughter Donatella, who's missing since a month. The case is extra disturbing because Donatella is mentally disabled. She has the mind of a 3-year-old, but with her curvaceous 25-year-old body and her willingness to go along with every random stranger, she's the ideal victim for all the rancid prostitution networks in the city. The first half of the film covers the extended search for the girl, during which commissioner Lamberti and his partner, with the help of a former pimp, turn all the prostitution houses in the city inside out. Then, the inevitable happens, Donatella is found brutally murdered, and the search turns into a relentless hunt for the killer (or killers). Not just the police are searching, but the devastated father is out for justice as well.

"Death Occurred Last Night" is admittedly rather slow-paced, and low in the action department, but the script is indescribably compelling, and also very fascinating, since it gives a lot of insights in police modus operandi. The last 10-15 minutes, when the truth about Donatella's disappearance slowly unravels, are truly haunting and they are likely to cause that you'll never be able to trust anyone in your close surroundings ever again.

A mentally backward 25 year old woman mysteriously vanishes and consequently turns up dead. The investigation then tries to find out who was responsible for the brutal murder. This poliziotteschi/giallo hybrid delves into the dark underbelly of Milan, where it turns out many shady individuals reside. Tonally, this is more on the poliziotteschi side of the fence than the giallo, consequently its a bit darker and nihilistic, with a more cynical view of life overall. Its still an involving mystery/thriller whatever its categorisation though and keeps you guessing. It also benefits from the great Frank Wolff on hand as the police inspector on the case.

Widower (Vallone) searches for his missing daughter with the aid of committed inspector (Wolff) leading to a complex web of exploitation and deceit.

Probably more a polizioteschi than strictly giallo fare, the pacing sometimes suffers and the plot twists more than it needs to, but despite some issues with momentum, the overall result is still satisfying.

Aside from the two leads who are both excellent, German leading lady Eva Renzi lends support as Wolff's highly invested wife, Beryl Cunningham has a sizeable supporting role as a reluctant informer of sorts, whilst Gabriele Tinti shows his disdain for criminals as Wolff's highly-strung detective partner.

It's a rather bleak tale which Director Tessari handles with care and compassion, another interesting contrast to the usual giallo in which victims are typically discarded with a casual contempt. Better than average, but don't expect razor blades, black gloves and blood-splatter - this is a complex mystery which takes its time to strike.

Death Occurred Last Night' is a gripping and well executed Giallo thriller with a sombre tone and an interesting central mystery that despite not offering the usual violent or sleaze that the genre usually offers, instead we get a more character driven story that focuses more on the investigation aspects and while this is not an entirely new take as there are plenty of early Giallo's that plays out like a cop show, this is definitely one of the better ones thanks to its stellar writing and efficient pacing.

The plot = A widower Amanzio Berzaghi (Raf Vallone) mentally challenged daughter Donatella (Gillian Bray) is kidnapped and forced into prostitution, the father then asks the police Captain Lamberti (Frank Wolff) for help in solving the case.

The movie may not appeal to all fans of the genre due to its more depressing nature and lack of violent set pieces, but don't let that put you off as this is something unique and really good, thanks to its more straightforward approach and its superb direction by Duccio Tessari who crafts a compelling narrative that packs an emotional punch especially towards its thrilling climax, which ends everything with an almighty bang.

The cast here are excellent with Raf Vallone delivering and tragic and sympathetic character, while Frank Wolff delivers an excellent and compelling performance. Gabriele Tinti also delivers a standout and interesting performance in her role. In fact, all of the cast are solid in their roles.

Overall 'Death Occurred Last Night' is a thoughtful, powerful and a somewhat unexpected gem of the genre that comes highly recommended.