What can you say about a film that opens with a lesbian dream sequence between the beautiful Florinda Bolkan (DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING, CATTIVE INCLINAZIONI) and Anita Strindberg (THE CASE OF THE SCORPION’S TAIL, WHO SAW HER DIE, YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY)? I mean, other than “it’s a good start!” Directed by the infamous Lucio Fulci (ZOMBIE, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD) and co-starring Stanley Baker (ZULU, GUNS OF NAVARONNE) and Jean Sorel (THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, BELLE DE JOUR), LIZARD IN A WOMAN’S SKIN is a different film from a lot of Fulci’s other outings (and is arguably one of his best films – although I’d reserve that spot for his terrific film, THE PSYCHIC) and is far more “adult” in its subject matter and much more grounded in reality. Bolkan is a whirling ball of repression here and Strindberg is incredibly sexy (in the scant few moments she’s in it). The plot is pretty standard for a “Am I crazy or am I a killer” style film, but Fulci experiments with split-screen, dream sequences, and uses a much broader than usual color palette. One glaring oddity in the film is that the makeup artist has a tendency to leave powder visible on the actor’s faces and needlessly adds “old age” color to people obviously much younger. The gore is substandard for a Fulci film, but he does manage to craft a perfectly serviceable giallo. Sadly, when the subject of Fulci comes up in discussion, most will reference his gore epics like ZOMBIE and THE BEYOND, but films such as this one (and the aforementioned THE PSYCHIC) show that there was a lot more to him than just splashing blood around. Oh, and the great Ennio Morricone (THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY as well as MANY others) does the score and it’s terrific! Recommended for both Fulci fans and those who dig a good giallo.
Rating: 3 out of 5
~ Thom Carnell
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