DVD Review: THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK

Raro Video is coming out of the gate very strong.  After their initial US offerings of Fellini's The Clowns, and the Fernando DiLeo Crime Films box set, they've got another winner in The Perfume of the Lady in Black.  The film has never been legitimately available stateside, but this release is well worth the wait.  Francesco Barilli's directorial debut is a film very much of its time, and upon watching it, we are transported to 1974, both through the styles in the film and the style of the film, which is very much in keeping with the classic giallo aesthetic.

The story revolved around Sylvia, played to manic perfection by Mimsy Farmer, who seems to be having a bit of a breakdown.  She is a successful woman, the manager of a industrial chemical laboratory, who just can't seem to make time for herself or her boyfriend.  One day, she casts a glance into a full length mirror, only to see her long dead mother spritzing perfume and staring back at her.  Sylvia freaks out, scares her boyfriend, and begins a long and awkward downward spiral. 

There are a number of factors that make Perfume work.  The camera work is superb.  Barilli was a first time feature director, and after having worked in television, you can see he is enjoying his greater access to materials and time.  There are beautiful compositions, and even elegant crane moves, such as the sweeping shot that begins the film moving from a public fountain to the second floor of the building in which Sylvia lives.  The music is unnerving, keeping the audience just as on edge as the protagonist.  However, the real star of The Perfume of the Lady in Black is the star of The Perfume of the Lady In Black. 

Mimsy Farmer has a lot of work to do in this film.  She is in nearly every frame, slowly crumbling, and we watch her condition deteriorate while slowly gathering the pieces of her past that led her to this state.  Not everything is as it seems.  Farmer is able to convey her madness in small ways, which are almost indecipherable to the casual eye, and it is these small gestures that allow her to pass through her daily life without arousing too much suspicion, however, when she cracks, she does it big style.  We are not entirely sure of what is going on until the final thirty minutes or so, when she really loses it and her dementia can no longer be hidden.  Even then, we don't seem to be getting the whole story.

I've seen enough horror films to know that not everything has to make sense, but in this case, I think the grand finale actually leaves much of the preceding crescendo with a hollow ring.  There are small hints at strangeness afoot, but nothing that we really take much note of, as the film moves away from these oddities in short order.  I am not going to give away the ending of the film, but suffice it to say that it the denouement shoots off in a direction that is entirely apart from the spirit of the preceding hour of the film.  That is really my only complaint, and in fact, if you snip the last five minutes, I think it plays a lot better, so maybe I'll just do that next time I put this one on.

The Disc:

Raro Video has provided a very nice looking and sounding presentation of The Perfume of the Lady in Black.  The video is an anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 transfer with pleasing color, wonderful detail, and no significant damage.  For a thirty five year old cult film, Perfume is in marvelous condition.  The audio fares equally well, with Dolby Stereo tracks in both Italian and English, each of which is clear and distinct, with no glaring issues.  English subtitles are also included for either audio track.

The extras, while not abundant, are functional and enhance the appreciation of the film, even giving some background for the strange ending.  First is the brief documentary featurette, Portrait in Black, ported over from Raro's initial Italian release in 2004.  In reality, it isn't a documentary, but an interview with director Francesco Barilli, in which he discusses his career and the genesis of this film.  He gives a rationale for the seemingly incongruous ending by basically saying, "I meant to do that", and that he had this idea and he wanted it in the film, not matter what.  Hey, he took his first opportunity to direct and made the film he wanted to make, you can't fault a guy for that!  The remaining two on disc extras are text based, with a text director bio and filmography.  Also included is a 4 page booklet with most of the above text based info repeated, but it is nice to have an insert to read.

Raro Video is batting 1.000 so far, in my book.  Even the release of The Clowns, which I've found to be the least compelling of their releases so far, is treated with a great amount of reverence.  The real key is how they treat good films, and I count Perfume among that number.  Highly recommended for the Italo-cult/giallo fans out there!