Blood and Black Lace

Mario Bavas Blood and Black Lace (1964) is a legendary title, and is commonly considered as the archetypal giallo. A murder mystery about a faceless and menacing killer stalking the premises of a luxurious fashion house in Rome, Blood and Black Lace set the rules for the genre: a masked, black-gloved killer, an emphasis on graphic violence, elaborate and suspenseful murder sequences. But Blood and Black Lace is first and foremost an exquisitely stylish film, full of gorgeous color schemes, elegant camerawork, and surrealistic imagery, testimony of Bavas mastery and his status as an innovator within popular cinema. This book recollects Blood and Black Laces production history, putting it within the context of the Italian film industry of the period and includes plenty of previously unheard-of data. It analyzes its main narrative and stylistic aspects, including the groundbreaking prominence of violence and sadism and its use of color and lighting, as well as Bavas irreverent approach to genre filmmaking and clever handling of the audiences expectations by way of irony and pitch-black humor. The book also analyzes Blood and Black Laces place within Bavas oeuvre, its historical impact on the giallo genre, and its influential status on future filmmakers.