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Franco (George Lazenby) is a successful sculptor in Venice whose life
is thrown out of balance when one day his daughter (Nicoletta Elmi)
doesn't come home from playing outside, and is later found floating in a
canal, brutally murdered, with the only clue being she was last seen with
a woman dressed like a picture book granny. The police though seems top
show little interest in solving the crime, which is why he, ridden by
guilt, decides to take matters into his own hands and starts to
investigate, encouraged only by his estranged wife (Anita Strindberg), who
actually feels drawn back to him by what has happened, and a befriended
journalist (Piero Vida), who provides him with many a clue - like one that
takes him to France where a similar murder has happened ... a murder that
somehow shows the involvement of many of Franco's acquaintances, like his
art dealer Serafian (Adolfo Celi), attorney Bonaiuti (José Quaglio), and
even the local priest, Father James (Alessandro Haber) - and each of them
seems to have something to hide, though it's unlikely that they're all
involved in the murder. Eventually, Ginevra (Dominique Boschero), a friend
of Franco's and Serafian's maybe girlfriend, promises Franco some
evidence, but is murdered only moments before the two can meet. And more
and more people die along the way, convincing Franco he's coming closer
and closer to the truth - but the closer he gets, the more dangerous the
thing becomes, not only for him but also for those he loves ...
Now I'll freely admit, narratively Who Saw Her Die? is
a convoluted mess, that's confusing even for a giallo - a genre that
didn't always rely too much on logic and stringency. But that said, it's
still a very strong genre entry, as what it might be lacking storywise it
makes up with wonderful camerawork - rarely has Venice been captured on
film more breathtakingly than here - and setpieces that keep the audiences
on the edges of their seats almost constantly, combining its excellent
score with superb editing and general excitement. Now add to that a very
solid cast, and you've got yourself a very cool movie. Sure, you'll have
to ignore the plot, but if you can it's a feast of a giallo!
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