Linea di sangue

Very disappointing.

Nobody expects film based on Sidney Sheldon's book to be come art-house masterpiece but at least it could be made into enjoyable crime movie like Death on Nile. Well it was not. Despite the rather famous director (Young is not Fellini of course but most his previous films were enjoyable eye-feasts; would that be a spy adventure (2 Bond movies), eurowestern (Red Sun) or costume drama (Mayerling)) and all-star cast the film is very weak.

The plot is inconsistent and empty the idea to equip the Agatha Christy-like crime puzzle with subplots from other genres may seem not bad idea but it doesn't work at all

Subplot 1- (WWII -Jewish Tragedy with absolutely aimless trip to Poland) and Subplot 2 (French one - Schneider/Ronet story ) seem to be taken from the absolutely different film as well as the type-cast Shariff's line

Actually this all-star cast is the only reason to watch it, but its is painful to watch so much talent wasted. If Hupbern, Gazarra and Mason are at least is doing something during the boringly unveiling plot, the others are just fitting the empty space. especially annoying to see superb dramatic actresses like Papas and Schneider wasting their talent in this turkey.

...which makes this movie interesting to watch. It looks expensive and cheap at the same time. The money probably went to pay the stars, their wardrobe and to rent airplanes because the characters keep landing at airports. There seems to have been no money left for setbuilding or a proper editor! There are some really bad continuity gaps in the film.

The film is just trash! I thought it would be a serious study of a business empire run by a family. Instead it's a murder mystery without mystery and also a soft porn killer thriller! Did poor Audrey know about the naked ladies? She looks classy in her Givenchy clothes but the film is garbage; beneath her! She tries to pretend to care about the plot but the other stars (with the exception of Romy Schneider) are terrible!!!! I'm astounded at the low level of movie-making in "Bloodline"! See it for that reason only!

One wonders what it is that attracts stars to a particular project. A well-written script certainly or the chance to work with a great director. At the risk of appearing cynical one can think of no earthly reason why any of these excellent actors would agree to do a film based upon a novel(I use the term loosely) by Sidney Sheldon and directed by the staggeringly undistinguished Terence Young except THE MONEY. The starry cast list would no doubt encourage bums on seats but anyone who bought a ticket to see one of their favourites in this rubbish must have felt more than somewhat deflated. Anything at all worth remembering? Romy Schneider's line whilst unbuttoning the shirt of Maurice Ronet: 'A woman's work is never done' and Omar Sharif's seldom seen comedic side. Having endured this tripe I call to mind a quote of Dolly Parton: 'It takes a lot of money to make something look this cheap'.

It was said that midway through shooting "Bloodline" Audrey Hepburn finally realized what a horrible and degrading movie this was going to be and desperately wanted to get out of it, but she was under contract and had no choice.

When you see this movie you will realize exactly why she felt so bad about making it. The absolute only reason to watch "Bloodline" is to see how Audrey Hepburn aged like fine wine.

Sam Roffe, president of a multi-national pharmaceutical corporation , is killed while mountain-climbing . When her dad is murdered, a rich heiress , Elizabeth (Audrey Hepburn) , becomes the next target of an unknown murderer amid the international jet set and submitted to a twisted conspiracy . It is first determined to be an accident , but Inspector Max Hormung (Gert Frobe) thanks to an old computer deduces that Roffe was murdered by a hired killer . Hoping to reveal the true guilty , the stubborn commissioner investigates here and there among the supposedly beneficiaries of the death , as the line between love and death is the bloodline . After that , Sam's daughter Elizabeth assumes control of the company , and subsequently traveling through Europe and running the pharmaceutical empire , as well . Suspicion falls on the Roffe cousins , all of whom want to go public with the company and sell their stock at a huge profit . Since this would be against her daddy's wishes , Elizabeth rejects their advice . As Inspector Hormung investigates the background of the cousins , as family secrets run deadly . Then more attempts are made on Elizabeth's life and there are several suspect people , all her relatives : James Mason as Sir Alec Nichols , Claudia Mori as Donatella , Irene Papas as Simonetta Palazzi , Michelle Phillips as Vivian Nichols , Maurice Ronet as Charles Martin , Romy Schneider as Hélène Roffe-Martin and Omar Sharif as Ivo Palazzi .

This intriguing and suspenseful film contains tense scenes , thriller, drama , mystery and shocks . Adding disturbing frames concerning a series of murders on prostitutes , which are recorded on snuff films , and eventually tense sequences especially in its final part , in a creepy denouement , near of the end with a crazy killer attempting to murder her . The plot is plain and simple : a pharmaceutical heiress becomes the next target of an unknown killer amid wealthy relatives craving for the inherited fortune , who's the killer ? . Although it is sometimes slow moving and stagy , however , being entertaining for the continuous suspense and tension . This film was made and released about two years after its source novel of the same name by Sidney Sheldon was first published in 1977 and the book was Sheldon's fourth novel , this prolific writer was very adapted and wrote several scripts , such as : The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer , The dangerous hero , The borrowed lady , Gambling Daughters , South of Panama , The Buster Keaton story , Jumbo , among others . The picture has been panned for being an inexcusably repulsive montage of predictability , bad taste and incoherence and the reason for some hardcore fans of Audrey Hepburn will be sickened to see her in such a travesty , in fact , it was only film rated ¨R¨ she played , as it contains graphic sex scenes and grisly violence . A large and notorious cast , that's why the essential entertainment of the film results to be to discover who main and support actor and actress appearing here and there . As a mature Audrey Hepburn is nice as the pharmaceutical heiress who decides to keep the company within the family , resulting to be involved into a conspiracy to kill her and she immediately becomes a deadly target , while Ben Gazarra plays her suspicious lover . The very secondary cast includes a lot of familiar faces from B-European genres , such as : Pinkas Braun , Wolgang Preiss ,Marcel Bozzuffi , Ivan Desny , Dan Van Husen , Ursula Buchfellner , Hans von Borsody, Mike Monty , and many others.

Special mention for the attractive and enjoyable musical score by maestro Ennio Morricone in his usual style . As well as evocative and adequate cinematography by expert cameraman Freddie Young . Shot on a large number of locations in Munich , Burghausen, Bavaria, Germany , London , Paris , Cinecittà , Rome, Lazio , Italy , Copenhagen, Denmark and Sardinia, Italy . This thrilling motion picture was middlingly directed by Terence Young , containing a lot of flaws , gaps , shortcomings and predictibility . Terence was an uneven craftsman who realized three of the first four James Bond films , as ¨Dr No¨, ¨From Russia with love¨ and ¨Thunderball¨, such successful blockbusters were hard to continue , though he attempted in search of more box office hits . His biggest film was , beyond doubt , ¨Wait in dark¨ with Audrey Hepburn and Richard Crenna . However , his last period was largely unsuccessful , full of failures and duds as ¨Amazons¨ , ¨Klansman¨ , ¨Blood line¨, ¨ Inchon¨, ¨Jigsaw man¨, ¨Takeover¨ , though some action scenes remained undiluted . Rating : 5/10 . Mediocre , only for Audrey Hepburn and Ben Gazzara fans.