University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

Italian Plot Survives English Dubbing

By Paul Chaplin
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Deja vu has hit me again this
week while watching a movie. Parts
of "Investigation of a Citizen
Above Suspicion" reminded me of
"The Sicilian Clan," "Bird With the
Crystal Plumage," and "Perfect
Friday."

The obvious similarity lies in the
fact that all these films are either
Italian, o co-productions with
Italian studios. We can expect
therefore that there will be pretty
girls and lots of dubbing. In
"Investigation," the dubbing is
terrible. I've witnessed some poor
jobs before, but never to the point
where I felt the soundtrack didn't
even belong to the film.
Fortunately, this problem does not
occur that frequently.

Another similarity among the
films is the slick visual quality
presented. All of these films are a
pleasure to watch. The colors are
vivid and fresh, the composition is
perfectly controlled, and the sets
and costumes are truly astounding.
"Investigation" features a lush set
in Art Nouveau style, with a
fetching young lady clad in a smoke
brown dress with butterfly sleeves.

The third similarity lies in the
subject matter. All these films have
dealt with a perfect crime. In
"Investigation," the title gives a
little of the plot away; the
murderer of the butterfly-lady is "a
citizen above suspicion." The
enjoyment in the film comes from
the fact that we know who the
murderer is, and we are intrigued
with the methods he uses to stump
the police, while also incriminating
himself. For me to go on much
further would reveal too much of
the plot, and would possible make
the theatre management slightly
annoyed that I told the public too
much.

Gian Maria Volonte as the Chief
of Police made me think of an
Italian James Bond; not exactly
handsome, but rugged and very
sophisticated. Volonte's acting
suffers little from the dubbing, and
he is able to overcome the language
barrier by using little gestures with

his hands, which anyone familiar
with Italians will realize is not a
talent unique to actors. Of course,
he is probably cursing us with his
sign language, but it's still an
effective device to individualize his
character.

Borinda Bolkan is lovely to
look at as the butterfly
lady/murder victim, and her talents
in this part are strictly limited to
looking lovely. The rest of the cast
is excellent, especially those actors
in the several character roles.

Elio Petri's direction is
adequate, but his script makes the
film the pleasure it is. We may not
expect the citizen-murderer to be
who he is; some may not even be
surprised. We don't, however,
anticipate the judgement the
murderer receives.

With the last fifteen minutes of
the film, Petri has turned the focus
of his little comedy around so that
the implications become shocking
and terrifying to anyone who
believes in the justice of a
democratic society. While the film
seems a bit long, "Investigation of a
Citizen" is entertaining, with a
touch of surprise which
distinguishes it from other Italian
crime films.

(Now at the University)