Meurtre par intérim

In my personal quest to track down and watch every single Italian giallo ever made, I encountered Umberto Lenzi's "An Ideal Place to Kill" (a.k.a. "Oasis of Fear") many times already, but for some inexplicable reason I always deliberately postponed my viewing of this film. I don't know why, but it always felt to me as if this wasn't a 100% genuine and full-blooded giallo, or at least that Lenzi never intended for it to be one. Along with handful of other prolific Italian genre directors, Lenzi undoubtedly was one of the masters of the giallo-sub genre and he contributed some excellent titles ("Seven Blood-Stained Orchids", "Knife of Ice", "Spasmo"…) but I'm personally persuaded that he wanted to do something more and different with this film. Rather than a giallo, I'd say this is more of a "lovers-on-the-run" thriller inspired by the huge success of Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde"; yet predating several other tremendously popular films in this theme, like "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry", "Badlands" and "The Getaway". Also, this "An Ideal Place to Kill" is reminiscent to Lenzi's own previous "Orgasmo" although that latter one qualifies as giallo a lot more.

Well, I perhaps refer to the two protagonists as "lovers on the run" but admittedly they aren't dangerous criminals at all. The handsome Dick and the more than ravishing Ingrid form a wayward and indecent hippie couple from England that are traveling through prudish Italy. They try to make some extra money by selling nude pictures of the gorgeous Ingrid and committing a couple of other petty crimes, which naturally leads to a confrontation with the local police and the command to leave the country immediately. They ignore this mandate, head further south and stop at a secluded mansion to break into the garage and steal petrol. They are caught by the middle-aged lady of the house, but instead of informing the police the woman – Barbara – invites them to the house. She claims to be nervous because her husband didn't come home, but she also shows a love-interest for the much younger couple and arranges a wild night. The next morning, however, Dick and Ingrid begin to suspect that Barbara hides a few sinister secrets and that she might even try to frame them for something they haven't done. Lenzi's semi-giallo principally thrives on style, lurid atmosphere and the downright fantastic performances of the three lead players. You'd expect Caroll Baker in the role of the mysterious Barbara, but the slightly older Irene Papas does a terrific job as well. The casting of both Ray Lovelock and Ornella Muti was a great idea, since they are incredibly beautiful kids that live fast and careless and absolutely don't have any moral or traditional values. There are a few intense sequences, notably the one in the birdhouse, but the overall tone of the film is lush and free-spirited (also steered by the unusually joyous pop-soundtrack). The climax, on the other hand, is cynically harsh and relentless, and it once more states clear that the "love & peace" sixties are over and gone!

Most enjoyable outing from Mr Lenzi and whilst giallo-esquire is really quite a mixed bag. Starting off as a bit of a hippy drippy affair with a young uninhibited couple using their bodies and their guile to get a free holiday, this turns into something much darker. There is real suspense including a splendid Hitchcockian scene in an aviary, lots of nudity and some pretty nasty moments. Irene Papas ( 'Zorba the Greek' and 'Don't Torture a Duckling') lends considerable gravitas with her impressive performance as the mature woman with something of a problem to sort out. Ray Lovelock is appealing as the handsome young man who likes fast cars and faster women but it is the lovely 16 year old Ornella Muti who is always catching the eye. Apparently the almost too perfect nude shots are of a body double but we still get plenty of up the shorts shots as she bends obligingly forward. All three are a great asset and with a decent script and Lenzi's constant inventiveness, this is a fine piece of exploitation cinema.

Danish student Ingrid (Ornella Muti) and her English boyfriend Dick (Ray Lovelock) decide to sell pornography illegally in Italy, and at the beginning, they make a lot of money and spend a great holiday time there. Then they are arrested by the police, and their rebellious attitude (especially if you remember, this was 1970) doesn't help much. They end up on the street without a Lira in their pockets, and when a rich lady (Irene Papas) offers help, it seems a stroke of luck and they are not suspicious at all...

La bella Ornella in one of her earliest movies is very playful and looks best in a kind of Indian temple dancer costume here. All in all, "Un posto ideale per uccidere" is not a particularly dark or violent film, but with enough suspense. The rapid cut by Eugenio Alabiso - who also had his hands on genre classics like "Tutti i colori del buio" and "Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh" - helps to speed it up a bit. Note: My Italian DVD is said to be transferred from the original negative with a running time of 83:49 min.

It's ironic sometimes how a film doesn't turn out quite like its director intended, but the end result still outshines much of his other work; Lenzi reportedly wanted to make something akin to EASY RIDER (1969) but producer Carlo Ponti requested "the usual giallo" – besides, the drug-trafficking angle was changed to an even more lurid (and commercial) one involving pornographic material (hence, the alternate title DIRTY PICTURES)! Anyway, this is an atypical {sic} – thus interesting – effort from the genre's heyday: for once, too, the tone isn't overly glum (Bruno Lauzi's score, in fact, is infectiously upbeat most of the time) while being, as ever, a very stylish film.

The plot concerns two English kids (Ray Lovelock and under-aged Ornella Muti) traveling through Catholic Italy selling uncommon 'brochures' (Muti is perhaps too Mediterranean-looking to convince as an English girl, but she's sexy and generally delightful all the same). Being reckless, they never save what little money they make – when it's not stolen by those who 'befriend' them along the way (including a real-life motor-cycle dare-devil, dubbed "Crazy Tony", popular at the time!) – so the couple are forced to keep up the act…until they're betrayed to the Police by a potential customer who run them out of town. However, on the way, their car (stolen, of course) runs out of gas and the only nearby 'oasis' is a secluded villa they at first believe to be uninhabited; it transpires that rich American(!) Irene Papas (a curious presence in this type of film which, to my mind, definitely works in its favor) is inside and she catches them in the garage just as they're transferring petrol from one of the cars within into their own vehicle.

The woman's first reaction is to send the kids away, but she soon changes her mind and they're invited to feed and even stay the night. The couple's freewheeling antics seem to liberate the stiff lady of the house, too, and before the night is out, the trio are having themselves a party (cue some crazy zooms on the dancing participants – something I forgot to mention, by the way, in my review of Lenzi's A QUIET PLACE TO KILL [1970]) for which Muti also contrives to dress up in exotic fashion. Papas and Lovelock spend the night together but not before she's sent him to the garage to fetch her some cigarettes: looking in the glove compartment of her car, he finds a gun and instinctively picks it up. This, as it turns out, was a deliberate move on her part as the young man now has his fingerprints on the weapon – when the kids first arrived, Papas had been acting strangely and we soon discover why: her husband's body (whom she herself shot, being in cahoots with a lawyer who's intermittently seen trying to make contact with her) is stashed in the boot of the car! To add more conviction to her fabricated story – that the kids assaulted the household – Papas feigns an attempted rape…

Typically, the picture is filled with solid suspense touches and clever narrative twists: when the Police finally arrive, as Papas had predicted, it's her they believe; the kids, thinking otherwise (having drugged the woman and 'planted' the gun in her hands) take it easy as they're reaching the border, even deciding to go for an impromptu swim. However, as they're departing once again, the Police bars their way and, as was the case in the afore-mentioned Lenzi film (which I watched on the very same day as this one), it all ends with the kids running the car off the road and tumbling to their death – still, the director gives the whole a cynical conclusion this time around (accentuated by the reprise of the jaunty theme tune) as there's no redeeming last-minute stroke of irony here!

By the way, this too emerged to have the dual audio syndrome I encountered during my recent viewing of some of the "Euro-Cult" titles I've been going through. At first, I was disappointed that the Italian-language track was missing from this copy but, actually, it makes perfect sense here – since all three protagonists are foreigners anyway; then again, many of the Italian supporting characters do speak in their native tongue. Even so, some of the dubbing is unintelligible (particularly Umberto Raho's Police Inspector, who only appears towards the end) while, for about five straight minutes around the one-hour mark, the dialogue reverts completely to Italian for a scene which presumably was cut from the U.S. version of the film!

Un posto ideale per uccidere (1971), directed by Umberto Lenzi, is a stylish entry into the giallo genre that combines suspense, intrigue, and a touch of eroticism.

Lenzi's direction shines in creating a tense and atmospheric thriller. The cinematography captures the beauty and danger of the Italian landscape, using vibrant colors and dynamic camera work to enhance the film's visual appeal. The 1970s setting, with its fashion and cultural references, adds a layer of nostalgic charm while grounding the story in a specific time and place.

The performances are a key strength of the film. Ray Lovelock and Ornella Muti bring a youthful energy and chemistry to their roles, making their characters' descent into danger all the more compelling. Irene Papas stands out as the enigmatic Barbara, delivering a performance that is both captivating and unsettling.

The plot of Un posto ideale per uccidere is filled with twists and turns, keeping the audience engaged as the story unfolds. The narrative skillfully balances suspense and eroticism, a hallmark of the giallo genre, without becoming overly gratuitous. The pacing is generally well-handled, though there are moments where the film lingers longer than necessary on certain scenes.

One of the film's notable achievements is its soundtrack, composed by Bruno Lauzi. The music enhances the mood, oscillating between light-hearted tunes and more ominous melodies, effectively supporting the film's shifting tones.

However, the film is not without its flaws. Some plot points can feel contrived, and certain characters lack depth, serving more as plot devices than fully realized individuals. Additionally, while the film successfully builds tension, the climax and resolution may feel somewhat underwhelming to viewers expecting a more dramatic payoff.

In conclusion, Un posto ideale per uccidere (1971) is a stylish and engaging giallo that offers a satisfying mix of suspense, mystery, and eroticism. Its strong performances, atmospheric direction, and captivating plot twists make it a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre and those interested in classic Italian cinema. While it has its imperfections, it remains a memorable and entertaining film.