The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
by Sergio Martino
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Carlo Alighiero, Conchita Airoldi, Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Manuel GilDirector: Sergio Martino
Cinematographer: Emilio Foriscot
Cinematographer: Floriano Trenker
Producer: Antonio Crescenzi
Producer: Luciano Martino
Writer: Eduardo Manzanos Brochero
Writer: Ernesto Gastaldi
Writer: Vittorio Caronia
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 81 minutes
Published: 2005-05-01
DVD Release Date: 2005-05-31
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: NoShame Films
Movie Reviews of The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
Movie Review: Edwige! Edwige! Edwige!
Summary: 5 Stars
Anyone who used to follow my movie reviews knows how much I love a good giallo. Mario Bava and Dario Argento are the ultimate masters of this intriguing film genre that dominated the Italian box office back in the 1970s, but plenty of other directors stepped up to the plate and took a swing at these unique thrillers too. Before moving on to a review of Sergio Martino's "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh," let's look at the defining elements of a giallo thriller. "Giallo" means "yellow" in Italian, and the term comes from the color of the cover of certain cheap pulp paperback mysteries that were popular in Italy several decades ago. The defining elements of a giallo (plural: gialli) film include but are not limited to: a crazed black-gloved killer, lots of bloody killings carried out in unusual ways, a convoluted plot loaded down with red herrings so as to confuse the viewer about the identity of the murderer, and lots of very beautiful Eurobabes. Sometimes we also see flashbacks within the film that hold clues about the motivation of the killer. We almost always see inept police officers bumbling around trying to solve the case. I could list more elements, but you get the general idea.
In Martino's "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh," the story kicks off when a black-gloved lunatic offs a lady of the night with a straight razor. Soon thereafter we meet the luscious Julie Wardh (Edwige Fenech--simply typing her name sends me into paroxysms of joy). She's the new wife of a wealthy businessman, Neil (Alberto De Mendoza), whose job keeps him away from their home in Vienna for extended periods of time. It's probably just as well that the much older Neil isn't around that much since Julie's hiding some extremely sordid secrets from her past. You wouldn't think it by looking at the elegant Mrs. Wardh, but she used to mix it up quite a bit with an abusive lover named Jean (Ivan Rassimov). They had a sadistic relationship, snippets of which we see in very stylish flashbacks throughout the film, which often involved broken glass and blood. Fun. Sure enough, Jean pops up in Vienna and starts stalking his former lover. He doesn't do much, mostly just glares at her from a distance and generally exudes a menacing enough air that we believe he might be the killer seen in the opening sequence. His appearance is sufficient to make Julie Wardh very nervous.
Julie starts receiving flowers with weird messages, probably from Jean, around the time she meets the handsome George Corot (George Hilton) at a party hosted by her bubbly friend Carol Brandt (Conchita Airoldi). She soon enough embarks on a passionate affair with George, and then receives a strange phone call from a man who has obviously witnessed her indiscretions. The guy on the phone threatens blackmail, warning Julie that he wants a considerable sum of money to keep his mouth shut or else he'll tell her husband what wifey has been up to while he's away on business. Julie doesn't know what to do, so Carol steps up and offers to deliver the money to the blackmailer. Too bad for her; she dies at the hands of the abovementioned black-gloved killer during the drop. The murder weapon is a straight razor, leading us to believe it's the same psychotic cleansing Vienna's neighborhoods of streetwalkers. Soon the killer homes in on Julie directly, nearly killing her in a parking garage. Julie flees to Spain with the helpful George to escape the madness, but the madness follows her to a harrowing conclusion where the red herrings fall away to reveal the truth behind the killings.
The best element in "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh" is undoubtedly Edwige Fenech. She's the most stunning Eurobabe to ever grace an Italian sleaze flick. Heck, she's one of the most beautiful women to ever appear on celluloid. She's dazzling, and every time she appears onscreen is a wonderful blessing. That she's not reluctant at all to shuck her clothes for the camera is even better. Edwige made a bunch of gialli back in the day, so many in fact that she's often referred to as the Queen of the Giallo, and "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh" ranks as one of her most notable efforts. I spent so much time gazing at the lovely Edwige that I almost ignored the rest of the picture. Martino's movie is an excellent entry in the giallo canon. The killings are brutal and bloody, the suspense reaches masterful heights, and the haunting musical score (not composed by Ennio Morricone, surprisingly!) stays with you for days after the movie ends. The conclusion ranks as one of the best I've ever seen in a giallo, and that's saying something in a genre populated with masterpieces like "Don't Torture a Duckling" and "Deep Red".
Sergio Martino is quickly turning into one of my favorite Italian directors. He made dozens of films back stretching back to the 1960s, everything from spaghetti westerns to gialli to mob actioners. NoShame Films treats him with the respect he deserves with their DVD edition of the film. The supplements are awesome: a trailer for the film, a poster and still gallery, footage of Sergio Martino at the Venice Film Festival, and a thirty minute documentary called "Dark Fears Behind the Door". The last extra includes interviews with Martino, Hilton, producer Luciano Martino, writer Ernesto Gastaldi, and Edwige Fenech! It's great to see Edwige now, fondly recalling her career back in the 1970s. And she's still absolutely stunning in her late fifties. I'm giving this movie and disc five solid stars, and I hope the release of this movie on disc means the rest of Sergio Martino's films will arrive on DVD very soon.
Summary of The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH Scream queen, Edwige Fenech, (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS) stars in this violent masterpiece, the first giallo film directed by Sergio Martino (CASE OF THE SCORPION TAIL, TORSO). Fenech portrays Julie Wardh; a restless woman embroiled in a horrifying mystery that threatens to drive her to the brink of madness...or worse. Which of the men in her life is the vicious serial killer and will Julie become his next victim? Erotic, stylish and at times excessive, THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH remains one of the most celebrated and influential giallo of all time and has been high on the list of most wanted DVDs by collectors and passionate fans of the genre. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (THE 10th VICTIM, TORSO), this intricate thriller also stars giallo regulars George Hilton (THE SWEET BODY OF DEBORAH, THE KILLER MUST STRIKE AGAIN), and Ivan Rassimov (Mario Bava's SHOCK, EATEN ALIVE). The haunting and mesmerizing sound track by Nora Orlandi (KILL BILL: VOL. 2, \n DVDManiacs.net\n Is a must-see for EuroCult enthusiasts. A superb giallo gets a superb release from NoShame.\n BoxOffice.com\n Collector Rating: WORTH FULL PRICE\n DVDTalk.com NoShame Films release of The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is a must own.Similar DVD Movies
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