La Ragazza che sapeva troppo (1963) ***

One of the first giallo films in Italian cinema, Mario Bava’s La Ragazza che sapeva troppo has obvious Hitchcock overtones, but is able to stand on its own as a genuine murder mystery thriller. Nora Davis (Letícia Román) has recently arrived in Rome, every American’s dream, to spend time with an old family friend however right from the beginning this is to be no ordinary vacation. After Laura’s (Valentina Cortese) untimely death, Nora is mugged and knocked unconscious on the Piazza di Spagna, awakening long enough to see a grisly murder before her eyes before passing out again. The method in which the murder is shot is what drives the film and gives it the sense of mystery. The picture shimmers as if Nora is coming out of a daze and the next morning despite her ardent claims that it actually occurred, the doctors and police are convinced that she is either dreaming or hallucinating due to the fact there is no evidence of any foul play. Nora is then forced to investigate on her own what she thinks she saw.

Eventually Nora discovers that the murder she witnessed did occur, except it happened ten years ago and she now has to consider the possibility that perhaps she somehow had a psychic vision. This clever little twist gives the film an extra dose of intrigue as the audience is forced to wonder if such an event is possible. Keeping the film grounded in reality, it does not stray too far into this fantastical direction, but the possibility adds immeasurably to the atmosphere of the film. The idea of such a notion occurring goes hand in hand with Nora being in a new and foreign land, where she is out of her element. Rome is also much older than the United States with roots that go back over two thousand years, in such a historical land an occurrence such as this seems more plausible.

The whole film creates an environment of potential terror, as Nora is a young woman on her own, with no one she trusts, other than Dr. Marcello Bassi (John Saxon) who she just met, in a strange land. She is traumatized by what she has seen and experienced less than a day after arriving and is now being stalked by The Alphabet Killer who has decided that Nora would make an ideal “D” victim. Similar to Hitchcock, this seemingly normal person has been thrown into extraordinary circumstances and now finds herself in a fight for her life. Placing her into a foreign environment stresses the isolation of the character, another signature lifted from Hitchcock. Even the English translation of the title, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, is an obvious allusion to The Man Who Knew Too Much, which the basic premise of the film also mirrors. Bava, however, isn’t trying to make a carbon copy of Hitchcock, but rather place his own mark in the same vein as an auteur he admires.

Adding to the human element, Nora is torn between her growing obsession to solve this real life mystery, after having read so many fictional ones for entertainment, and her attraction to Dr. Bassi, who is clearly smitten with her from the start. Even Bassi is not above suspicion however as Nora is not entirely sure who she can trust which is exemplified on the beach when Dr. Bassi moves in to kiss her and she misreads her intentions, believing that he wants to harm her. Unfortunately Nora is distracted and cannot commit to her feelings for Dr. Bassi until she can discover what really happened that night. Dr. Bassi tries his best to take her mind off of what she has experienced by showing her the many beautiful sights of Rome, but even these breathtaking views cannot erase from her memory the image of that woman dying in front of her. She has to discover what happened and who the killer is at any cost, even going so far as to risk her own life to quench this irresistible thirst for the truth.

The only part of the film that really suffers is the climax where the killer is revealed. The chase and investigation has been so gripping that the revelation of the killer and their motivations sort of pale in comparison. It also doesn’t help that The Alphabet Killer is quickly dispatched and the heroine is placed in only marginal danger when she finally comes face to face with her stalker. The rest of the film had been so engaging that this is tolerable however and doesn’t diminish from the truly creepy and dangerous atmosphere that Bava has successfully managed to maintain throughout the film. It’s a pure thriller with a genuine mystery that keeps the audience guessing and it's entertaining whether or not you are a Hitchcock fan.

Favorite moment: Afraid for her life while she is left alone in a new friend's house, Nora is terrified that it would be the perfect time for the killer to strike. Taking a page from one of her many mystery novels, she decides to set up a overly elaborate string trap throughout the house, ensuring that if the killer does enter he will find himself unable to navigate through it and become entangled. Drifting off to sleep, she suddenly becomes aware of a person walking around outside the windows via the shadow cast on the shades, a thoroughly frightful image and one that would certainly scare me if I had experienced it. After racketing up the tension as high as possible, it turns out the mystery man is Dr. Bassi checking up on her, and on a comical end note, he falls victim to the trap. A great rush a relief from the laughter at how the scene ends marks one of the most effective scary scenes and unlike today, no gore was necessary to achieve it.