La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film

by Mikel J. Koven

With the exception of die-hard aficionados of European or Italian horror cinema, most people may not have heard of giallo cinema or have seen many films in this subgenre of horror. Most academic film studies tend to ignore horror cinema in general and the giallo specifically. Critics often deride these films, which reveal more about the reviewers' own prejudices than any problem with the works themselves. As a counter to such biases, Mikel J. Koven argues for an alternative approach to studying these films, by approaching them as vernacular cinema―distinct from "popular cinema." According to Koven, to look at a film from a vernacular perspective removes the assumptions about what constitutes a "good" film and how a particular film is in some way "artistic."

In La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film , Koven explores the history and evolution of this aspect of cinema, and places these films within the context of Italian popular filmmaking. He addresses various themes, motifs, and tropes in these films: their use of space, the murders, the role of the detective, the identity of the killer, issues of belief, excess, and the set-piece.

In addition to being the first academic study of the giallo film in English, this book surveys more than fifty films of this subgenre. In addition to filmmakers like Mario Bava and Dario Argento, Koven also looks at the films of Lucio Fulci, Sergio Martino, Pupi Avati, Umberto Lenzi, and others. In all, the works of twenty-five different filmmakers are considered in this book. Also explored are the inter-relationships between these films: how one influences others, how certain filmmakers take ideas and build off of them, and how those ideas are further transformed by other filmmakers. Koven also explores the impact of the giallo on the later North American slasher genre.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Italy, Ebooks

206 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2006

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world of giallo films is not one that’s often written about outside of fanboy gore-zines and likeminded auteur studies of particular directors. But these fail to capture the scope and importance of such a movement, not only in Italian filmmaking in general, but more importantly to the audiences for whom the films were specifically made. Enter Mikel J. Koven. His main argument in La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film is that giallo films were a vernacular cinema meant for a particular group, namely patrons of the terza visione (or roughly third-run suburban) theaters frequented by the Italian working class. For this group, Koven claims that cinema served as escapist fare while the theater itself doubled as not only a means of seeing the films but also as a social space where people would congregate and converse. While this riles my inner filmgoer who would like to strangle movie-talkers, the working class Italians of the time saw film as a diversion rather than as an artistic whole meant for silent contemplation and consumption. Koven goes so far as to posit that directors or reviewers that favor the narrative by looking down on the sensational cinema of the giallo are being elitist. And given the context of the usual audience at the terza visione, this becomes a class-based dichotomy.

To accommodate the theater as social space, directors would create films that sporadically capture the attendee’s attention through the use of suspense, violence, sex, or all of the above. Combined with a de-prioritized (and frequently unimportant) narrative, this allowed filmgoers to talk, watch if something caught their eye, and then go back to talking. Koven claims that not only were these films meant for the grind houses and not the art houses, but that their production made up the majority of the revenue that Italian filmmaking earned. So while looked down upon, these films were actually quite important in the production of art house pieces by the likes of Antonioni and Fellini.

The names Stephen Thrower and Walter Ong appear so often in this text that they almost seem like its co-authors, and while their contributions to Koven’s thinking are important, I feel that much more credit should be given to Leon Hunt for his 1992 essay “A (Sadistic) Night at the Opera: Notes on the Italian Horror Film.” Koven spends the majority of the text analyzing the various tropes which are prominent giallo fixtures. He also includes analysis as to why certain tropes are so important to the terza visione audiences. Most of these tropes serve as sub-points to the larger issue of an ambivalence towards modernity which, according to Koven’s theory of a vernacular cinema, the giallo viewers shared. The vast majority of Koven’s discussion points are mentioned by Hunt in identifying the tropes inherent in gialli. Hunt’s essay almost feels like the Sparknotes from whence Koven’s tome is exhumed. And while Hunt addresses gialli from more of a psychoanalytical perspective, he still deserves more than a passing mention in Koven’s social contextualization of the subgenre.

But Koven also makes an interesting assertion relating the classically-perceived “low” art of the giallo and connecting it with a director of traditionally “high” art films, Pier Paolo Pasolini. In 1965, Pasolini made a presentation called “Il cinema di poesia” (“The Cinema of Poetry”). And while his semiotics-obsessed colleagues derided him at the time, Koven brings in scholars like Naomi Greene and Gilles Deleuze to affirm Pasolini’s intentions. He then takes this theory of a “free indirect subjectivity” (which basically prioritizes the breakdown of narrative continuity to form an awareness of the materiality of the cinema for the viewer which allows them more contemplative opportunities than would be offered by just the narrative) and applies it to the giallo films. He claims that the set pieces of violence and sex combined with their stylistic presentation “demand that we think about the very ontology of the cinema and our pleasures of watching such images.” I feel fairly safe in saying that, outside of fanboy publications, this is the first time that giallo films have been called a “cinema of poetry” (especially with any sort of theoretical backing as proof).

Interestingly, Koven’s text itself imitates the gialli he describes to a certain extent. By considering his more novel theories (namely giallo as vernacular cinema and giallo as cinema of poetry) to be the elaborate set pieces of his book, the text ends up reflecting the movement it discusses. The more impressive theories stand out to the reader while the points previously trod by Hunt reflect the giallo’s narrative content in that they’re present, but their raison d’être seems mostly to be to set up those points which will have a more profound impact on the field (not to suggest that a reader should be inattentive during the discussion of tropes, but rather that the amount of description in those chapters makes them less interesting on a theoretical level).

Koven has written a book which claims to be the first academic study of the field of giallo films in English. It serves as a great introductory text for the uninitiated, but for those more aware of this movement (or “vernacular readers”), the only new ground (or “spectacular set pieces of suspense, violence, and sex”) covered are the theories about vernacular viewers and giallo as a cinema of poetry, but these are worth the price of admission.

[Antonio Haro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some key takeaways I learnt on this genre:

+ Horror is considered a lower, less artistic film genre, and particularly Italian horror. In the 60s-70s, these (giallos) are designed for the 'terza visione', to be watched passively in 'social' cinemas. The gory, sleazy set pieces are intended to draw quickly the attention of the public, such that plot narrative can be as incoherent as it is careless for the audience.

+ The settings, characters and actions display an ambivalence towards modernity, ideology, morality and religion. Although the killers' 'madness' come from childhood trauma, given the age of the public back in the 70s, they all share a common experience: that of growing up in a fascist and/or postwar, emasculated Italy.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book because I love the giallo genre. I should have listened to the reviews about how dry and academic it was.

It wasn't a terrible book.. but the first red flag came in the introduction where the author notes that the reader shouldn't be mad that their favorite obscure giallo film isn't in there. His reasoning is that he was outbid on ebay when trying to get some of the more rare ones (which, by the way, aren't so rare).

I just felt that if you are writing a book that studies the genre, the author owes it to the reader to take the time and money to get as many examples of the genre as possible. I think he mainly uses about 15 films in his study (he does mention other ones briefly).

Anyway, he also makes quite a few generalizations. The author is an intelligent guy who can write very well but in my opinion, he is no expert on the genre (which he should've been if undertaking this sort of project).

If you are a fan, get the book BLOOD AND BLACK LACE instead. It's a valuable resource.

I do give kudos to this author for even writing about giallo cinema...but he should've taken his time and saved his money so he could win some more eBay auctions. That way maybe his study would be more comprehensive.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few nonfiction books I read all year; one of my favorite genres of film and a pretty good survey, though at times a bit too jargon-laden and technical.

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academically interesting on a subject that's rarely been studied. It would be better if the author organizes his materials according to the movie directors instead of the thematic entry.

[Zeke Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film is an excellent academic text on the subject. It is approachable, easy-to-read, and clear. Koven does a fantastic job of outlining concise and well-communicated ideas about what social & cultural factors led to the rise of the giallo and its influence on other genres, such as the North American slasher. However, I felt that the way topics were divided made some chapters feel like repetitive beat-for-beat retreads of previous chapters. Additionally, I wished some chapters had a bit deeper of an analysis or tried a new lens/literary framework, but overall it was a really fun read that’s helped me get into giallo films much more!

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting book on the Italian giallo films compared to slashers. You'll find the definition of the genre, an understanding of the vernacular cinema, the ambivalence of modernity, murder and other sexual perversions, the detection of the killer's identity, the ambivalence of belief, a cinema of poetry and the step from giallo to slasher. A bit dry at parts, no movie stills or photos either, but a very good book on the giallo film. Really recommended if you want to find more about this genre.

[astrid]

I can't step to that monster of a review below so I'm just gonna say that this book is a great resource, and in combination with Adrian Luther Smith's Blood and Black Lace would make a great Christmas gift to the budding sleaze fan in your family. Also it's worth the price of admission for Koven's wearied, thousand-shlock-stare concession that "As vernacular poetry, these films may be poetic, but that is not to say they are necessarily very good poetry." Wade through a hundred lesbianism-is-death thrillers and you too can express mild praise for their artistic value!

Solid introductory text, nicely balanced between casual and academic readers. And don't whine that "your favorite giallo" isn't in here, because dude couldn't find all the movies on eBay!!! Who said being a writer wasn't glamorous.

[Ryan Akler-Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read.