The Fifth Cord (1971) User Reviews

It doesn't break the mould but it does have fabulous photography

[Red-Barracuda · 8/10 · 19 May 2012]

The Fifth Cord is a giallo from director Luigi Bazzoni, who was also responsible for another entry in the genre, the excellent Footprints on the Moon. This film is a lot more conventional than Footprints. In it, an alcoholic journalist becomes entangled in a series of murders that seem to be connected somehow. This plot-line is pretty unremarkable and typical. But three things make this one stand out. Firstly it has the charismatic Franco Nero in the central role, secondly it's got another impressive Ennio Morricone soundtrack and thirdly, and most importantly, it has exquisite photography from the great Vittorio Storaro who previously shot The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and later did Apocalypse Now. The cinematography really is fantastic here. Geometric spaces are shot with consummate skill and every frame seems to have been considered in detail. Aesthetically, The Fifth Cord is an unarguable triumph.

It's not particularly violent for a giallo. The murders are not very graphic at all. Although it does have some impressive suspenseful moments such as the sequence where a disabled woman - played by the always interesting Rossella Falk – is terrorised in the dark by an unseen assailant. Otherwise it does have the usual combination of crazy components that are typical to the genre, such as sex parties, astrology and blackmail. Although I guess the story holds together more solidly than most other gialli. Bazzoni hasn't made a classic of the genre to be fair but he has directed a very stylish one. It comes from the slightly more restrained side of the genre but it should definitely interest seasoned fans of this type of thing.

An example of why many Giallo films should be released on DVD

[astonmartin7 · 8/10 · 18 February 2007]

Any fan of 1970s Italian Giallo films has seen enough of them to know what to look for, but, of course, everyone sees something different in art. We all know about The Cat o Nine Tails (cool as hell) and Deep Red (bloody amazing), but some lesser-known Gialli have been available for re-discovery courtesy of Blue Underground and Shreikshow labels.

One of the better ones has to be The Fifth Cord starring Franco Nero. For me, the number one thing in these films is not plot points but ATMOSPHERE. This film not only has the great Franco Nero as its protagonist, but is brilliantly shot by Vittorio Storaro. Also, the director knows what to show most of the time, and when and how to show it. The finale is set in one of those funky 1960s European open concept homes with the stairwell to the second floor in the middle of the living room and a huge fireplace fit for Cortina! The kind of films we don't see any more, unfortunately. Without these DVD releases, we'd be stuck with a lot of modern would-be thrillers involving cell-phones and teeny-boppers.

A must for Nero fans.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 8 November 2013]

Charismatic international star Franco Nero makes all the difference in this well plotted Giallo co-written by director Luigi Bazzoni, based on a novel by David McDonald Devine. As fans of this genre come to expect, it's a good looking film made with some style by Bazzoni. There's no shortage of red herrings, and the story does keep you guessing - and on your toes. It's got some standout sequences, such as a paraplegic murder victim trying to get to a phone without the aid of a wheelchair, the stalking of an innocent child, and the final chase / fight scene between protagonist and killer. This last bit is very atmospheric. Overall the film does move somewhat slowly, and the script is talky, but it resolves itself in a neat enough way.

Nero is well cast as an alcoholic reporter named Andrea Bild. After a young man named Lubbock (Maurizio Bonuglia) is assaulted, this serves as a sign of further violence: a murderer will soon target specific people, and all of them are people whom Andrea knows. Naturally, the police, led by an inspector played by Wolfgang Preiss, are suspicious of Andrea and *he* suspects that they're tailing him. In order to clear his name, he plays detective on his own.

That aspect of the story is certainly very familiar, but in general "The Fifth Cord" is enjoyable if not the most exciting film of its kind. The cast is good: also appearing are Silvia Monti, Ira von Furstenberg, Edmund Purdom (always nice to see this guy in anything), Rossella Falk, Renato Romano, and Luciano Bartoli. Luscious blonde American actress Pamela Tiffin shows off the goods in one scene. Talented and prolific legendary composer Ennio Morricone does typically solid work in terms of the score.

If the viewer is an aficionado of the Giallo, they should find this to their liking.

Seven out of 10.

The Geometry of Shadows

[SJSondergaard · 28 March 2008]

"I am going to commit murder," whispers our killer, as the camera flits around the jaded revellers at a New Year shindig. "I can imagine the thrill and pleasure I will experience as I stalk my victim..." Shortly after, John Lubbock (Maurizio Bonuglia) survives an attack in an underpass on his way home, and journalist Andrea Bild (Franco Nero), a fellow attendee, decides to investigate. Then a second party goer - invalid Doctor's wife Sophia Bini (Rossella Falk) - is attacked and killed in her home, and Andrea's elderly editor is found dead in a local park, both bodies accompanied by the killer's calling card (a black glove with first one then subsequent fingers cut off). Suddenly, the outspoken, hard-drinking journalist finds himself rising swiftly up the list of suspects.

What raises The Fifth Cord above the average giallo is striking cinematography and a couple of genuinely suspense-filled murders. The sequence involving the Doctor's wife is the most characteristic of the genre. Taking place in a huge and intimidating bedroom it also evokes the Gothic feel of old Hollywood and the memory of a certain Mrs de Winter. Bazzoni expertly handles the build-up of tension, getting the unfortunate Mrs Bini out of bed and crawling along the floor in a rising panic as first her wheelchair then telephone (her lifeline) vanish into the shadows. There's an almost supernatural element at play here. When the familiar gloved hands suddenly appear either side of the screen to slowly descend from behind and wrap themselves around her throat, they seem almost disembodied.

In contrast, the rest of the film is a study in modernity. Everything is concrete and glass, clean lines and polished surfaces. Every shot is carefully and deliberately lensed and filled with geometric shapes and patterns. Edges and shadows converge to corral Nero as the finger points increasingly in his direction. A scene in which he meets with the investigating officer in a subterranean parking lot is particularly well done, where the frosted windows behind the actors are reflected in the roof of the car in front and join with the widescreen framing to form a cage. The ending comprises tough-guy fisticuffs and a pulse-quickening chase sequence through the cadaverous wreck of an abandoned factory where Nero finally unmasks the black-coated killer, having already deduced the real motive, which twists the opening voice-over in a new and ambiguous light.

This is a solid, visually impressive giallo, if at times a little less engaging than it should be. The characters, other than Andrea, aren't effectively introduced or given enough screen time and are too often simply referred to by name, so it's difficult to remember who's who and why we should care. Consequently the narrative sometimes lacks clarity, getting itself into a bit of a muddle during the mid-section, and having spent most of the film presuming events have unfolded over a matter of days only to discover the killings have been occurring for roughly a five month period is a little jarring. There's nothing to suggest the passage of time, though the static environment does correspond with Bazzoni's austere vision.

A cold and relatively bleak film, The Fifth Cord makes the most of its angular urban settings to say something about the fractured nature of modern city life, from Nero's world-weary alcoholic loner to the estranged Doctor and his wife to hardworking single parent Helene (Silvia Monti). A world filled with acquaintances as opposed to friends, where people choose the warm bodies of strangers (filmed here with restraint rather than a gratuitous eye for sleaze) over the ones they may have at home. Nero, though at times out-and-out brutish, brings gravitas (and a suitably chiseled visage) to his genre-standard character, and Monti, in a limited role, manages to be strong and insightful and can keep her head in a crisis, helping to counterbalance the popular view of women in gialli as merely window dressing or cannon fodder. The English dubbing is of a high standard, with Nero providing his own voice. Overall it's more of a straightforward crime caper than a horror yarn, but worth checking out for the arresting visuals alone.

Ambiance, architecture, atmosphere...

[fred-83 · 6/10 · 14 March 2007]

A stylish, atmospheric giallo. Great score, great locations, superb cinematography by the great Storaro. The story, however, is quite muddled, but here, the mood makes up for that to a large extent. The cheesiest moments are the killings, where the cinematography jarringly becomes quite sloppy and day/night continuity goes out the window. This film makes me more curious about Luigi Bazzonis Footprints On The Moon/Le Orme, which I came across on VHS in a second-hand store many years ago. I was intrigued by the cover and the summary on the box, but I stupidly did not buy it. Regretting that the day after, I went there again and it was gone. Now my hope lies with Blue Underground, may they soon release it on DVD. Back to The Fifth Cord, its interesting to watch the blocking of some dialog scenes. What could easily have become, in a lesser director and cinematographers hands, simple crosscutting between two talking heads, here often becomes beautifully composed wide shots, sometimes with a dolly, sometimes static, using the rooms, spaces and architecture in a very cinematic way, and with great variety of the framing. A great lesson for aspiring filmmakers.

A Rock-Solid Giallo That Is A True Feast For The Eyes

[ferbs54 · 7/10 · 19 March 2008]

"The Fifth Cord" (1971) is a rock-solid if meaninglessly titled giallo ("The Fifth Finger" might have made more sense) that, despite the low-cc count bloodwise, should manage to satisfy most viewers. In it, Franco Nero plays a very handsome but hard-drinking reporter (so hard-drinking that he swills J&B from the bottle while driving!) who investigates after a serial killer begins to slay his quickly diminishing circle of friends. Though fans of these gialli should recognize any number of Euro stars in this film, the real stars of the show, in this case, are surely behind the camera. Luigi Bazzoni's direction is stylish and fluid as can be, maestro Ennio Morricone's score is by turns atmospheric and unsettling, and, most importantly, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro's lensing here is truly a work of art. Indeed, this is one of the best-looking gialli that I have ever seen. As far as the plot goes, yes, it does hold together, the murderer does not appear out of far left field at the end, and there are several quite suspenseful sequences. I especially appreciated two near the end, with the killer stalking a young boy, and with Nero chasing and duking it out with the crazed wacko in a deserted building. Despite the presence of seemingly unavoidable red herrings, I was able to look back at this film's story afterward and realize that it did indeed cohere logically. And how nice to see American actress Pamela Tiffin, after her '60s ingenue roles, playing such a sultry sexpot here. Meow! Actually, the only thing that bothered me about "The Fifth Cord" was its time frame. The picture seems to transpire over the course of a mere week or two, and yet by the stated dates of the homicides at the film's end, one realizes that over 4 1/2 months have elapsed! I guess time truly does fly when the viewer is having fun....

An exceptional Gaillo

[JasparLamarCrabb · 6/10 · 18 March 2010]

An exceptional thriller boasting some of the classiest production values of any Giallo. Franco Nero plays a drunken news reporter who finds himself in a lot of trouble with his bosses and the police when people around him start to get killed off. Is he the killer or is he the next victim? Director Luigi Bazzoni (who also had a hand in the script) keeps us guessing until the very end. Bazzoni's direction is dynamite, aided a lot by Vittorio Storaro's stunning photography. There are very few wasted shots in this film. Ennio Morricone's creepy score is another asset. All the performers, beginning with Nero, are great. Nero is best at playing these types of weary (in this case perpetually hungover) outsiders. The strong supporting cast includes Wolfgang Preiss as a wily cop, Renato Romano as a less than ethical doctor and Pamela Tiffin as Nero's free-spirited girlfriend.

It happened on a Tuesday

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 3 February 2015]

****SPOILERS**** Great atmospherics keeps the movie "The Fifth Cord" from putting its audience to sleep with the plot at times making no sense at all as well as those who ended up being murdered in it. It all started at a New Years Eve party where all of the victims as well as their killer were attending. It's downtrodden and drunk reporter Andrea Bild,Franco Nero, or Mister Bill as he's called all throughout the film who ends up doing the work that the local police are supposed to do in finding the killer. The deranged killer who mails audio recordings to the police about his crimes as well as amputate the fingers of his victims in some kind of sick rituals on his part.

There's also Mister Bill's estranged wife Helena, Silvia Monti, who by her standing by her man-Mister Bill-despite all the abuse she takes from him makes her a target of the masked, with what looked like a sock pulled over his head, killer. It's Mister Bill who soon discovers that only the people who attended that New Years Eve Party were the ones who ended up being murdered with their fingers chopped off by their killer. What'e even more amazing is that the killer for some strange reason choose Tuesday as the day of the week to murder them! It takes a while for Mister Bill to realize who the killer is but by then it's almost too late for him. That's when the masked killer ends up crashing into his wife's house and threatening to not only murder her but her 6 years old son Tony as well!

****SPOILERS***** With her estranged husband Mister Bill coming to her and Tony's rescue the killer who seemed to have, like a trapezes artist, excellent acrobatic abilities turned out to be a hard nut to crack or catch. That's until he lost his footing and fell down some 50 feet from the deserted factory loft landing flat on his back. It's then that we discover who the hell he or for a moment, with what looked like his face heavily and cosmetically made up, she is. And as we and Mister Bill also learn is that all his killings were for sheer revenge. But to throw the police and Mister Bill off his tracks he murdered four other persons who had nothing at all to do with his hang-up, the person who set the crazy guy off, only just to try to cover his tracks.

no pause for any ponderous detective work

[christopher-underwood · 9/10 · 18 March 2006]

Excellent giallo, with just a touch more of the thriller about it than is usual. Direction is assured, camera-work innovative and exciting with all the performances solid, especially the charismatic Mr Nero. The killer does not restrict themselves to women here, for a change, and has a go at men women and children. Fast moving and most entertaining with no pause for any ponderous detective work. Super stylish with amazingly spacious apartments, swirling staircases and contemporary concrete and glass splendour of late 60's Italian architecture. Last but by no means least a lovely understated but truly effective and sparingly used Morricone soundtrack. It's not a lot more than the same enigmatic theme repeated with various orchestrations but it helps the work enormously, as does the splattering of what sound like industrial music and also the silences, especially for the murders, no crashing crescendo, simply unnerving silence. A fave.

Beautiful lensed giallo with a generic script...

[lonchaney20 · 7/10 · 15 May 2010]

This is one of the most visually stunning films of all time. Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Conformist) and Luigi Bazzoni (Footprints on the Moon) had a great understanding between them, and it shows on the screen. The contrasts between light and dark, the way characters are rendered black silhouettes reminds me of my favorite shot from Ingmar Bergman's The Passion of Anna (lensed by the great Sven Nykvist). Regrettably the script isn't quite up to that level, being about as generic as a giallo comes. Bazzoni also lacks the ability of a director like Argento or Bava to build suspense and stage a murder. Thankfully the astounding visuals and Franco Nero's appealing performance (dubbed by himself, thankfully!) make this stand out from most films of its ilk. It's just too bad that the ending is so bland - you almost feel like the filmmakers just didn't give a crap. This could have been a minor classic with a better script. Shortly before this I watched Bazzoni's other "giallo" (most consider it one, but I don't) Footprints on the Moon, and while it was far more interesting it didn't seem nearly as well done despite the presence of Vittorio Storaro. Maybe if they had tried one more time they might have gotten the balance right.

Boring and Tiresome

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 26 May 2020]

"Giornata nera per l'ariete", a.k.a. "The Fifth Cord", is a boring and tiresome Italian thriller. The reporter Andrea Bild, performed Franco Nero, is an unpleasant character. The cinematography, camera work and shadows are magnificent. However, the screenplay is not engaging; the conclusion is weak; and the motive of the murders is silly and absurd. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Um Dia Negro" ("A Black Day")

GORGEOUS!

[BandSAboutMovies · 8/10 · 8 February 2019]

Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage has scores of imitators that rose in the wake of its success. There were scores of gorgeous women being murdered, jazzy soundtracks blaring and movies with animals in their titles. And then, every once in a while, there's a giallo that rises beyond the pack and asserts itself as a true work of art.

Giornata Nera per L'Ariete, or Black Day for the Ram, may appear to be an animal title, but it really refers to astrology (which kind of gives away some of the film). It's better known as The Fifth Cord.

Director Luigi Bazzoni doesn't have a huge list of films to his credit, but between this film, The Possessed and Footprints on the Moon, his take on the giallo form is unlike anyone else's. This is more than a murder mystery. It's a complex take on alienation and isolation at the end of the last century.

Based on David McDonald Devine's novel - but based in Italy, not Scotland as in the book - The Fifth Cord starts with a man barely surviving a vicious attack on the way home from a New Year's Eve party. We even get to hear the words of the killer:

"I am going to commit murder. I am going to kill another human being. How easy it is to say, already I feel like a criminal. I've been thinking it over for weeks, but now that I've giving voice to my evil intention I feel comfortably relaxed. Perhaps the deed itself will be an anti-climax, but I think not."

Writer Andrea Bild (Franco Nero!) is assigned to report on the case and to put it bluntly, he's a mess. Ever since his separation, he's been drowning his life in whiskey and women.

Soon, the attacker strikes again and this time, whomever it is succeeds and leaves behind a black glove with a finger missing (Evil FIngers is an alternate title). That one finger missing turns into two, then three and comes with evil phone calls. Andrea has to take on the giallo role of the investigator before he becomes either the fifth victim or is arrested by the police - it turns out that he was at that very same New Year's party, as was every single one of the victims.

The story itself is rather basic, but the way that it's told is anything but. Vittorio Storaro's cinematography places The Fifth Cord in an industrialized Rome that's rarely seen in giallo, eschewing the historic architecture we're used to seeing. I'd compare it to a less flashy Tenebrae, but this was made a decade before that movie.

If you come to these movies for the fashions, well, you may be slightly disappointed. But if you love the decor, look out. I've never seen more spiral staircases in one movie ever before. The house with the giant fireplace was also used for Argento's Four Flies on Grey Velvet, but looks so much more impressive here. And I loved how the modern architecture gives little room to run in the closing moments.

This movie has never looked better than on its recent Arrow Video release. It's jaw-dropping how gorgeous the film appears and the Ennio Morricone soundtrack positively emerges from the speakers. I expect great things from this company, but they continually surprise and delight me at every turn.

Excellent Cinematography & Music. Story is lacking, maybe in the English Translation.

[Bababooe · 6/10 · 5 May 2017]

Excellent Cinematography & Music. Story is lacking, maybe in the English Translation.

This is the same director and cinematographer who made Footprints on the Moon, excellent movie.

This movie also has great cinematography and the directing/editing is a fine job. Music is good as well. The acting is good. But the story is lacking. Maybe the story is lost in the English translation. Best suspense is when the killer was going after the kid. It's a good thing the kid didn't get killed, that would have been bad, and sick! Maybe in the original Italian, the story holds up better. And maybe some graphic scenes were cut out for the English release. If so, then this is a great film, and great production. But as it stands I can only give it a C, or B -, 6 stars. Worth checking out for the camera work.

beautiful and stupid film

[dopefishie · 5/10 · 19 July 2021]

Wonderfully shot and acted! It is truly gorgeous. The acting is excellent for this genre.

However, the plot is filled with more red herrings than a sardine can. The film makers don't play fair with the mystery. While the execution is incredible, the content is unsatisfying. It doesn't make any sense.

Pedestrian giallo. Dull and uninteresting.

[Infofreak · 4 November 2002]

I like giallo as a genre but I must admit that I found 'The Fifth Cord' to be very difficult to stay interested in. Half-way through I began to get bored, and by the end when the identity of the killer was revealed and their motive explained, all I could do was shrug and rewind. I can appreciate Franco Nero as much as the next guy, but even his utter coolness can't keep this one from a one way ticket to snoozeville. Nero plays an alcoholic journalist attempting to solve a series of odd murders in which he himself is a suspect. The whole movie has a second-hand Argento feel to it, but it just meanders along in a dull and uninteresting fashion. I would only recommend this to super giallo buffs who must see every movie of this kind ever made. The rest of you shouldn't bother, as it is a disappointing example of the genre, and really has nothing but Nero going for it. Too bad.

"You think he's a murderer don't you"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 16 October 2017]

A series of murders occur with the only link between them being a glove which has a finger cut off. A reporter gradually tracks down the killer who may be someone he knows. He himself is a suspect but he is dogged in his investigation. It's a fair giallo with the familiar plot device of someone who murders several times to hide the fact they really want to kill just one person in the death toll. (Agatha Christie for one). It's also a bit confusing as it first appears the killer is killing for the sake of it (breathy sinister narration) when in actual fact they have a real motive. The meaning of the glove is obscure too. As often in giallos the end explanation is far too rushed.

The cast are fine. Franco Nero makes a hero who is brave but is also a bit pathetic, particularly when drunk. The film benefits greatly from having the legendary Vittorio Storaro as cinematographer and the equally legendary Ennio Morricone providing the music score. They lift the film greatly.

Giornata nera per l'ariete

[RaulFerreiraZem · 6/10 · 15 July 2019]

Mixed feelings on this one. The film is absolutely gorgeous, every second of it is beautiful. The architecture, the cast, the photography, everything. The soundtrack is also beautiful and works really well; The part that for me gets tricky is the plot, the second half of La Giornata feels absolutely rushed, the final reveal makes very little sense not to mention that the whole child pornography subplot is completely forgotten by the end of the film ( and i would guess that it would've been more interesting that the astrology based killer that we got instead). The film was solid and i will probably rewatch it since it was really fun but the second half is notably worse than the first one.

Visually superior, but the story's just average

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 14 July 2016]

A fairly typical entry in the giallo genre, largely overlooked due to the slow pacing and lack of gore which may be off-putting to some genre fans. This is a film which concentrates on the whodunit aspect of the genre rather than the exploitative levels of sex and violence that most other films from the period explore, and as such is an understated film. However, it's a brilliantly made one, beautifully shot with a fine colour palette and director Luigi Bazzoni handles the scene setting and camera set-ups very well. Great use is made of wide open spaces and spacious apartment sets and the cinematography is excellent all round.

There's a lack of action to be sure and the death scenes, normally highlights of such films, leave a lot to be desired and barely register. Even so the BBFC found something to cut out, here eliminating a brief throat-slitting that will obviously cause every viewer caught unawares to go out in the street and recreate the violence on a homeless man. The nastiest death involves a crippled woman being strangled and thrown over a balcony but that's as unpleasant as it gets.

Franco Nero stars as the leading character, a journalist who becomes caught up in the crimes and finds himself to be a suspect (yes, it's the old 'wronged man' theme popping up again, predictably enough). Nero is as good here as he ever was and totally convinces as the weary, washed-up alcoholic reporter, and as a bonus he gets to use his own voice for the dubbing also. Solid supporting turns come from the likes of Wolfgang Preiss and Edmund Purdom, although it's the beautiful Italian ladies who make the real impression here - the fragile Rossella Falk, the lusty Ira Von Furstenberg, the gorgeous Silvia Monti; they all shine as prospective victims for the killer.

The script is careful to keep the identity of the murderer a secret to the very, very end, but there are plenty of red herrings and suspects (including a trio of perverts who enjoy watching young couples copulating, a Peeping Tom and the ever-shifty Edmund Purdom) to keep you guessing all the way through. Watch this film for the visuals alone; otherwise it's very run-of-the-mill stuff, but the artistry used to compose the shots and camera-work alone make it one to be watched.

Very Underrated Giallo

[EdIsInHell · 7/10 · 12 December 2018]

The Fifth Cord does not get the respect it deserves among the all time great Giallo films. It's directed quite well with some very beautiful cinematography as all good Giallo's should have.

The acting is of course not the greatest in the world and it takes some time to begin to like(or dislike the characters)

There are some excellent kills in it as all Giallo's must have. The soundtrack is a bit goofy but isn't that part of what gives these particular movies their appeal.

In a nutshell no The Fifth Cord is not the best Giallo you will ever see and is not even director Luigi Bazzoni's best although he does have a short career I still think if you give it a chance and are a fan of the genre you will agree it is actually a fairly good movie.

Sit back and take a watch you won't be disappointed.

A Giallo to see once you've seen the classics of the genre

[The_Void · 9/10 · 5 January 2006]

The Giallo sub-genre has produced some really great films; films such The House With the Laughing Windows, What Have They Done To Solange, and just about everything Dario Argento made; and with that in mind, The Fifth Cord isn't that good a film. However, as lesser-known Giallo's go; The Fifth Cord will no doubt prove interesting viewing for Giallo fans. It's not great, but the film never really sets out to be; it's a Giallo typical of the film style, and features many of the Giallo trademarks, which will no doubt please fans. The Fifth Cord also benefits from having Django star Franco Nero in the lead role; which lends it a touch of class, and an extra quota of cult value. The plot is typical Giallo, and merely follows a murder investigation. It's the central character, therefore, that is most interesting about this film. Franco Nero stars as an alcoholic journalist, put on the trail of the murder both due to his profession, and the fact that the police see him as a suspect in the investigation.

Ennio Morricone is most famous for his scores to Sergio Leone's masterpieces, but he's also done a lot of work for Giallo's. His score here doesn't rival the ones in the Spaghetti Westerns; but, as ever, Morricone does a good job of setting the right atmosphere for the film, as his score goes from the swinging relaxed mood associated with Italian films, to a more piercing score for the macabre scenes. Nero's performance is a little ropey, and at times he's very hammy; but his screen presence makes up for it, and I really couldn't imagine this film without him in it. The film is well directed by Luigi Bazzoni, who shoots in a number of locations; with many of the scenes (the build up to the ending especially) being memorable due to his location shots. The murders aren't the most imaginative I've ever seen, but most are suitably macabre; and more than do their job in creating a foreboding atmosphere. One of the problems with Giallo is that they're often hard to follow, and this film suffers from that; but the plot is largely well paced, and the ending provides something of a surprise. This film is too insubstantial on the whole to be a 'must see'; but I still won't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Italian horror.

A remarkable looking film

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 7 April 2006]

Much of The Fifth Cord is what I would call average for a Giallo. The death scenes aren't that original, the murder investigation is often muddled and confusing, and, other than Franco Nero, I've seen far better acting in other Gialli. As for the mystery elements, The Fifth Cord doesn't really play fair. It seems all but impossible for the average viewer to figure out "who done it" based on the clues presented. Finally, the score is one of the more non-memorable pieces from Ennio Morricone I've heard recently.

But it's not all bad. In fact, when The Fifth Cord is good, it's very good. First, there's the look of the film. Director Luigi Bazzoni and Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro have successful made one of the best looking Gialli I've seen. Through a combination of brilliant framing, lighting, and location choices, almost every frame is like a work of art. There are some remarkable uses of light and shadows that are simply stunning. Second, the final scenes are as tense as any of the better known Gialli I've seen. It's real "on the edge of your seat" kind of stuff. Third, Franco Nero is a real professional and does a lot to bring life and realism to his role. I always enjoy his performances.

Overall, The Fifth Cord may not be the best Giallo in the world, but for fans of the genre, there's enough here to enjoy to make the film worthwhile. Also, today's filmmakers could learn a thing or two about making a film really standout visually from watching what Bazzoni and Storaro did in The Fifth Cord.

A weaker link in the giallo-team

[Coventry · 4/10 · 8 November 2006]

The brief synopsis of this film promised quite a lot of sadistic murders and and intelligent, convoluted plot twists, but it's actually one of the most boring giallo-efforts I've encountered so far. The plot is uninvolving and introduces too many superfluous characters that like to behave suspiciously even when they have absolutely no reason to! Take the hero's girlfriend, for example! She's a blond girl, but occasionally wears a black wig without saying why. Anyways, we're looking for a killer in a world of wild sex parties, blackmailing, astrology and really confused journalists. It all starts with the assault at an Australian doctor on new year's day and many victims follow, although not right away. The killer isn't exactly in a hurry (he only commits like one murder per month) and why should he/she be? There hardly seem to be any police officers investigating the case and the biggest danger comes from an alcoholic journalist with quite a few personal issues. The murders aren't particularly spectacular or imaginative and some of the players couldn't possibly give more careless performances. Like always when his name appears in the credits, Ennio Morricone delivers the best work, with his staggering musical score that provides even the most daft sequences with an undeserved portion of suspense. Franco Nero is truly cool dude, but he obviously feels much more at home wearing his cowboy hat – preferably that of Django – an makes a very unconvincing lead star. None of the supportive cast members are really worth mentioning. Trust the general opinion on this one, there are about 50 to 60 Italian gialli that you should give priority over "The Fifth Cord"

Immaculately Made

[Bezenby · 8/10 · 18 September 2017]

This ridiculously well-made Giallo stars Franco Nero as an alcoholic journalist drawn into a series of murder of which he himself is a suspect! We initially start with a new years eve party where we are introduced to many of our main characters and their complicated relationships: Nero and his on-off girlfriend, a disabled woman and her distant husband, a lady, her new lover, and jealous ex.

One of the party goers is attacked in a tunnel with an iron bar which is witnessed by a race car driver and his hooker girlfriend, and it's while Franco Nero is investigating this that the crippled lady is strangled and thrown down a flight of stairs. A glove with one finger missing seems to indicate a killer is around and we haven't seen that last of them...

There's an amazing atmosphere about this film due to the cinematography and the general tone of what your watching. Most of the film is shot in room where harsh light shines through blinds or folks stand in front of bright light sources. The only colours on display are white, grey, black and green, and there's a fair amount of use of Chiaroscuro. There's also a bizarre focus on spiral staircases, and the atonal Ennio Morricone soundtrack adds to the paranoia.

As per usual, Franco Nero is beyond belief in his role, being a drunk with a chip on his shoulder, but the biggest surprise for me was when the killer decided to focus on a small child as his latest victim, which led to some very tense scenes as the child tried to protect the house from intruders while his mum was listening on the phone, a helpless distance away.

Great film, this one.

Complex, however effective Giallo!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 27 December 2019]

Sounds weird see Franco Nero as an alcoholic character, quite often begging for a love of a cold woman, a thing as far I remember he never did, the plot is too complex, several clues were left on purpose to misleading the viewers, multiple possibilities are offered, but a wise screenplay driven all suspicious on Andrea Bild (Nero) and he sadly gave all reasons to they suspecting for, always happening on Giallo pictures many beauties on hot scenes, here the pretty bold girl Lu Auer (Pamela Tiffin) stolen the show, also point out the moving camera where the shortness of breath is an easy perception, giving to the movie a claustrophobic atmosphere on murders scenes, to see once more the unfogetable "The Egyptian" Edmund Purdon even in a small role was fantastic bringing many nostalgic feelings from the past, worthwhile a look, solid and robust Giallo from Barzonni!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5

People Are Overrating This Film Artificially

[thalassafischer · 5/10 · 15 March 2023]

If you scroll through the reviews, people even admit this is not a great giallo, but then they've given it 9 stars so I am going to deflate it from a 6 to a 5 because it is scandalous to recommend The Fifth Cord as if its one of the stronger giallos.

A typical macho creepazoid drunkenly paws his ex-wife, shows up occasionally to see his kids, carries on an affair with a college student who might still be in her late teens (including smacking her across the face because she hadn't seen her mother in a month), and obsessively strives to solve a murder case although he can't stand his overweight, asthmatic boss. Ho hum. HUGE SWATHS OF THIS FILM are composed with these dull details of the ins and outs of this thoroughly unlikable detective's life. There is also a distinctive lack of history and culture which would be specific to Italy, and the attempts to be modern are nothing special, highlighted by boring high rises that are a dime a dozen in the 21st century and city streets that could pass for a borough of New York or a district of LA county. There's none of the colorful fashion and glamour that make other minor giallos like Smile Before Death or Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion pop.

While there's not a lot of gore or overt pornography, there's a lack of suspense in favor of this laughable "character study" and scenes of people aggressively french kissing carry on far too long and actually border on the nauseating in some parts of the film. There aren't any especially charismatic female leads like Barbara Bouchet, Edwige Fenech or Ida Galli, instead we're left with a spotty, unimpressive performance by some statuesque housewife who seems included in the film as a prop rather than as a real main character.

5 stars for the awesome early 20th century house and dusty, antiquated rooms where a disabled middle aged woman bodily drags herself across a marble floor just to be tossed down a flight of stairs by the killer.