All the Colors of the Dark (1972)

Jane (Edwige Fenech), has been having reoccurring nightmares about her deceased mother. Due to the stress of a recent auto accident Jane suffered a miscarriage and her relationship with her husband Richard (George Hitlon), has become strained. Richard is having an affair with Barbara Harrison (Nieves Navarro), Jane’s sister and Jane has become more isolated which has lead to her delusions. A stranger (Ivan Rassimov), has appeared in Jane’s life and every where she goes she sees him. When Jane meets Mary a neighbor they quickly strike up a friendship. Mary introduces Jane to some of her friends who might be able to help her and they end up being a satanic group that enjoys orgy Black masses. After only attending one Black mass the group refuses to let Jane go and claims her as one of their own. As the film progresses Jane’s grip on reality becomes increasing worse including an attempt on her life sends her deeper into a dark pit of insanity. Is Jane losing her mind and is someone trying to kill?

Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi frequently works with Sergio Martino he would write/co-write six of Martino’s Giallo’s. Ernesto Gastaldi is no stranger too the Giallo genre penning such Giallo classics like Death Walks at Midnight, Death Walks on High Heels, Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion and The Case of the Bloody Iris just too name a few. Nieves Navarro aka Susan Scott who co-stars in All The Colors of The Dark was cast often and she is right up there next to Edwige Fenech as one of the queens of Giallo. Nieves Navarro’s most famous roles are Death Walks at Midnight, Death Walks on High Heels and Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion which were all directed by her husband Luciano Ercoli. All the Colors of The Dark, is a hybrid Giallo that has your standard Giallo elements with a little bit of Rosemary’s baby through in for good measure. The always reliable Sergio Martino has always been able to craft entertaining and interest genre films. Martino’s direction in All Colors of The Dark is by far and away his most inspired worked as he fearlessly moves his camera around and his use of widescreen’s scope landscape is remarkable.

From the opening dream sequence to the films final images Martino keeps this movie moving at a brisk pace and he has a solid cast of Giallo veterans like George Hilton, Nieves Navarro and Ivan Rassimov who are all a joy to watch as the plot unfolds. Edwige Fenech in All the Colors of The Dark has never looked better then in this film. She has plenty of screen time and most of it is spent running from stalker, dogs and a Black Mass Cult. One of the movies best scenes is when Jane is being stalked in the subway as Martino manages to build up tension and it is one of his best scenes as a director that I have seen so far.

Bruno Nicolai’s (a frequent collaborator of Ennio Morricone), seductive score for All the Colors of The Dark is a key element to film atmosphere and a lesser score would definitely lessened the films overall impact. There is just some much to like about All The Colors of The Dark like a great cast, solid writing, beautiful score and Sergio Martino elegantly balances all the pieces of the puzzle making this one of more entertaining Giallo’s you ever see.