1) Despite Mr. Lucas' claim that Bava threw out funny stuff and made the film dark, I and my wife found this film very humourous! It is one of those rare thrillers with actual wit and charm, without overtly comedic elements, from droll narration, to an impeccably timed comic performance by the much underrated John Saxon. I even found the drug-laced cigarette bit an extremely witty and clever framing device.

2) While not as incredible as BLACK SUNDAY, the cinematography and editing of this film are still light-years ahead of many contemporary movies, which goes without saying in a Mario Bava production. The "hospital wakeup" scene with nun's habits arranged like shifting flower petals, and the blurred, out-of-focus visuals in the flashbacks of the journalist-suspect are only two of the numerous examples.

3) It could be my suspicious nature but A LOT of FAMOUS filmmakers seem to have RIPPED OFF this movie. The sequence in which Nora lays out a trap for the murderer is strongly reminiscent of Wes Craven's NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. (Also with Saxon, cast because Craven remembered how good he was in THE GIRL?) The entire final sequence as well as plot points involving the identity of the murderer are almost exactly reproduced in the much better-known Dario Argento's BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE. And those who remember and admire the "beams-of-light-through-bullet-holes" scene in Coen Brothers' BLOOD SIMPLE may be startled to find that Bava has already done it in THE GIRL 25 years ago! And... the list can go on. But the POINT is, MARIO BAVA HAS DONE IT FIRST! HE is the true original.

Oh well, Bava and screenwriters have also "borrowed" the "alphabet murder" trick from Agatha Christie's ABC MURDERS, although they do acknowledge their debt to Christie in the narration.

At any rate, I highly recommend this film to not only fans of a Hitchcockian murder mystery, but also to (despite Mr. Lucas' liner notes)those who are looking for a cleverly constructed romantic thriller, with a good sense of humour. (Okay, Leticia Roman is no Audrey Hepburn, but who cares?)


Overwhelming movie - average DVD   August 30, 2001
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

In the liner notes by Tim Lucas (which are as usual
the strongest and most interesting entry in the bonus
section) we learn that Bava only reluctantly accepted
to direct this movie. Nevertheless, the result is
a masterpiece.
The plot evolves around Nora Dralston, a lover of "Gialli"
who travels to Rome for vacation but wakes up in a nightmare
which forces her to solve a murder mystery. The plot is
quite artificial, but that goes for most movies of this
genre.
It is Bava's direction which makes this movie an unforgettable
experience. Like Hitchcock (to whom not only the title pays
hommage), Bava is in the entire movie in full possession of
all the means at his disposition, he always finds
the right camera angle, the right shot to propel the story
and to create an extremely intense atmosphere of fear and
threat. Bava contrived almost surreal scenes such as an empty
appartment with swinging light bulbs and an eerie voice from
a tape recorder. The scene when Nora gets mugged at the totally
deserted Piazza di Spagna and witnesses the crime is one of
the most memorable scenes I have ever watched. In order
to provide the viewers with a little relief from the thrills
he has created, Bava inserts quite a lot of comic moments.
The movie has definitely had an enormous impact on movie makers
around the world. Most clearly, "The Girl who knew to much"
reveals the influence Bava's work had on Dario Argento.
E.g., the relationship between Marcus Daly and Gianna Brezzi
in "Deep Red" is somewhat reminiscent of the one between
Nora and Dr. Bassi in "The Girl ...".
This movie would have deserved a better release than the one
given by Image. The transfer seems a little too dark and too
grainy and could have been a little sharper. The master was -
with some exceptions - quite clean. The sound is clear.
This movie is highly recommended and the DVD is a must for everybody with an interest in Italian thrillers.


THE A B C ... MURDERS   April 19, 2001
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

In my humble opinion, a movie like Mario Bava's THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH has a lot more cinematographical value than the majority of today movie productions. Even if it's a black & white movie, even if it was filmed in 1962 and even if the actors are not big Hollywood stars. I cherish this kind of movie because films like THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH were responsible a long time ago for the passion I have developed for the seventh art.

Firstly, the screenplay is absolutely delirious. Just think that Leticia - NORA - Roman, in the first 20 minutes of the movie, has the chance to

- Meet a high-class marijuana dealer in her flight to Rome.

- Mourn the death of her aunt in her first night in Italy.

- Witness, during the same night, the murder of a young woman while running to the hospital.

With a plot like this, one has hardly the time to admire the sense of humor of Mario Bava or appreciate the voice of the italian crooner Adriano Celentano as musical background of THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH.

If you want some beef in a movie, Mario Bava is also your man. You can spend a lot of time discussing the psychological implications of THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. After all, you don't see so often in a film a young girl going to bed after having carefully built a spider nest around herself !

The copy presented by Image is for once of excellent quality. Bonus features, apart of a booklet prepared by the always interesting Mario Bava specialist - Tim Lucas - , consist in the american trailer and a photo and poster gallery. Meager.

A DVD zone movie lovers only.