The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) - full transcript

The usual rubbish.

Come on, Carlo, we'll be late.
Relax. They'll wait.

The thing you wrote was a success
with the experts. I'm glad.

Sam Dalmas,
great hope of American literature,

now writing manuals
on the preservation of rare birds.

Be funny if I won a prize for it.
How's Julia? Fine.

She's out of town on a modelling
job. She'll be back tonight.

How are things?
Very well.

I'm taking her back to the States
with me. Really serious.

Looks like it.

Back home I'll look for
a friend of mine to return a favour.



I was going through a bad period,
a little short on inspiration.

"Go to Italy", he said, "you need
peace, tranquillity, that's Italy".

"Inspiration will come to you.
Nothing ever happens in Italy."

May he burn in hell.
Anyway, I came. I believed it.

Saw the country and the monuments,
then spaghetti, the atmosphere...

Only I'm completely broke. And I
haven't written a line in two years.

I wouldn't have the plane fare home
if you didn't give me this job.

Which you carried out beautifully.

Here's your check, Mister Dalmas.

Hey, Sam, don't you want a copy?
Who needs it? I have this.

Open the door.

How do I open the door?

I can't get in.
How do I open the door?

Hang on.



Call the police.

I called the police.

Her pulse is weak but
it wouldn't appear to be serious.

She hasn't lost too much blood.

Get on with it.
Check for fingerprints.

I'm inspector Morosini.
Tell me about it. What's that?

What happened? I want to know
everything you saw and you heard.

How is she? She'll be
alright, thanks to you.

What's your name? Sam Dalmas.
Are you English? No, American.

I was walking in front of the
gallery and I saw these lights.

I looked up here and I saw
these two figures struggling.

Put her down carefully.

She was so good. Let me through
I'm the owner of the gallery.

What happened?
She's in no state for questions.

Is it serious? No, nothing
serious, just a flesh wound.

Monica.
Come on. Let go of me.

I'm Alberto Ranieri, she's my wife.

Excuse me. Speak to me, what
happened? You're tiring her.

Dear, who did it? Who?
We don't know.

I hope your wife may be able
to tell us... Right, we'll go.

What was she doing in the gallery
at this time of night?

She was going over the books,
I was supposed to pick her up.

Stand back. Let the stretcher
through. Poor girl.

Stand back now, please.
Right, that's it.

Where were we? There were
something wrong with that scene.

Something odd.

I can't pin it down, but I have a
feeling that something didn't fit.

Think about it. Isolate it.
I've tried, I can't pin it down.

Let's see if I can help. You saw
someone run out through this door.

Yes. But it was so dark
under here, the door was almost...

Don't touch anything. Try keeping
your hands in your pockets.

Just to avoid temptation.
It saves time and trouble.

On the mezzanine was noted a statue
of a warrior, a bronze on the wall

and a sculpture resembling
a branch of a petrified tree.

On the ground floor
an irregular trail of blood stains

from the service door at the rear
to within ten feet the front window.

Apart from that there's no other
sign of a struggle.

According to you, she came down
these stairs. She did.

Now we'll measure
from the window to the stairs.

Blood.

I've had it, I can't take anymore.

We've been through
the whole damn thing six times.

I've told you everything,
every detail...

I don't know that woman,
I'd never seen her before.

Let's start over again, maybe
there's a detail you've forgotten.

Let's go back to this strange
figure you saw, describe it.

It was dark, I was too far away,
it was nothing but a dark figure.

I'm tired, I leave for America
in two days and I got a lot to do.

Really? Have you made
the reservation?

Have you your passport on you?

May I have a look at it
a moment?

What?
My passport.

We'll take care of it. You're
Joking. I can't leave without it.

We don't want you to. You're
too important to us as a witness.

You saw something which, though you
can't recall it, is clearly vital.

And until this point is cleared up,
I can't allow you to leave.

I didn't mind coming here, but...

During the past month there have
been three unexplained murders.

The victim were women, three crimes
without any apparent motive.

It's clear to me that there's
a dangerous maniac at large here.

What makes the inquiry difficult,
as far as we're concerned,

and it's for this reason
we require your cooperation,

it's I'm certain this man is, as
far as his appearance goes, sane.

In his daily life he's completely
normal, like anybody else.

Even like you.
Me? Yes, like you, why not?

Let's suppose you're insane:
You entered there and attacked her.

But when you tried to escape you're
casually trapped between the doors.

You're mad. You can't hold a
foreigner and accuse him of murder.

No one's accusing you. Giving
me the third degree. It's illegal.

I want to call my consulate.

Go ahead. Call anyone you want.
Call the president of America.

Just humour him...
Here's a copy of Monti's report.

I want to cancel
a reservation.

Number twelve,
New York, day after tomorrow.

Look out behind.

Are you hurt? Can I help you?

That's the most enthusiastic
welcome I've ever had.

It's been a month now.

Had a hard day at the office,
dear?

No, I just witnessed
an attempted murder.

I was given the third degree
by the police,

I had my passport confiscated,
so we can't leave,

and just now I had my head nearly
decapitated by a meat cleaver.

You know, the usual.

Now you just tell me all about it.

Funny thing it's this is the truth.

Bring in the perverts. Look at them
and see if you recognize anyone.

The murderer would have gone back to
the gallery to see if she was dead

and we can't rule out the
possibility that he is a pervert.

Aldo Sarti, age 42,
eight convictions.

Sandro Larrani, age 35,
exhibitionist, twelve arrests.

Mario Zandri, age 66,
four convictions.

Giacomo Rossi, age 50, three
convictions for corrupting minors.

Rubatelli Luigi,
alias Ursula Andress.

Petrini.
What's this character doing here?

How many time did I tell you Ursula
belongs with the transvestites?

I should hope so. Come, I have
something interesting to show you.

We have subjected this glove
to a microscopic examination

and we came up
with a few interesting facts.

The blood stains are of
the same group as Monica Ranieri's

from which we deduce the murder
was wearing it at the time.

These grains are tobacco ash from
which we can tell he smokes cigars.

The traces of tobacco on the glove
are peculiar of Havana cigars.

This was our
most exciting discovery.

Microscopic particles of a type
of fibre made only in England.

We found it inside.
That's a good start anyway.

That means that we now know
he's a man who smokes cigars,

who dresses with elegance
and who is left-handed.

We deduced it
from the wear on the glove.

Now we feed what we discovered into
the computer and get the result.

Have you done that, yet? Yes.
Good, then we'll have a look.

This is an outline
of the man we are after,

reconstructed with an accuracy
of plus or minus 10%.

In a moment will follow
the first personal data.

Statistically speaking,

the description could fit about
150.000 inhabitants of this city.

Of those, most of the ones we feel
are the most likely, are in jail.

What're you waiting for?

Do you think it's easy to check
the alibi of 150.000 people?

I've got nothing to go on.
It's only a hunch.

But I'm sure that you really did
see the murderer's face that night.

But I told you...
Concentrate, Mr. Dalmas, please.

Try to remember what you saw.

No, it's not use. I've run
through it over and over again.

I can't get it out of my head,
but I can't manage to pin it down.

Monica Ranieri
has left the hospital

and returned to her apartment
in the via Bruxelles, number 35.

Can I go now?

What floor?
Third.

I'm really sorry, Mr. Dalmas,
but my wife can't see anybody.

She's under sedation at the moment.

You understand
after what she's been through.

What did you want
to speak to her about?

Nothing much. I just wanted
to talk to her about that evening.

I'm convinced I saw something that
may lead to the attacker's capture.

I wanted to check what I remember
with what your wife remembers.

My wife has already told the police
everything she knows several times.

I can see no reason for subjecting
her to that ordeal again.

I see.

May I ask you a question?
Certainly. How tall are you?

Six feet one, I think. Why?

Nothing, just curious.
Anything else? No.

I apologise if I've disturbed you.
Looking for your cigarettes?

Be seeing you, Mr. Ranieri.

Didn't I tell you not to bet
on that horse? Yes, I know.

One's no good,
you've got to get two or three to...

First victim. Right.
Sales girl in an antique shop.

She left at the same time and was
found murdered in a park. Park.

It was a mile from the shop in the
opposite direction from her home.

First question. What?
Why so far away and in a park?

She could have gone to meet
her boyfriend. Second victim.

Atart, she was killed under a
bridge where she took her clients.

They suspected her pimp. His name's
Garullo, but his alibi is ironclad.

Where can I find this Garullo?

You can't, he's in jail. At least
he was a month ago.

Number three.

That was a student.
Student.

She was killed on her
way home from the movies. Movies.

Enough?

We start with the first one,
that antique shop.

Yes, I'd like to see something...
You're interested in porcelain.

You have marvellous taste.
These pieces are beautiful.

Simply divine.

How much is this one?
Three hundred.

But I won't be unreasonable
about it. Not with you.

My goodness.

Isn't this the shop where
that girl worked? Pardon me?

The girl who was murdered.

The poor, poor girl.
What a terrible way to end.

What was she like? Lovely
girl. But a little unusual.

Yes, it was said
that she preferred women.

I couldn't care less.
Of course not.

I remember that night
as if it were yesterday.

We hadn't made a sale all day.

Then just before we closed, we sold
a painting that was in the window.

Did you make the sale? No, the
girl did. I was checking the books.

And then she went out
without even say goodnight.

Soon after, they found her.

What was the painting?
It was strange.

Naive but macabre at the same time.
Would you like to see it?

You still have it? I've
only a copy, we took a photo.

I would like to see it.

I will show you.

Let me see, here it is.

Can I borrow it? No, we don't
normally allow that.

What's wrong? I don't
know, that painting. It bothers me.

What is it?

It's a photo of a painting that
somebody mixed up in the murderers.

Looks a little perverted to me.

It gives me the shivers.

Something wrong, Miss?
No, nothing.

Tell me something.
Is it really necessary?

What? Running around
playing the detective?

Isn't it slightly ridiculous
and rather dangerous too?

I feel I'm closer to the truth
than either one of us realises.

What's happening to me? This blasted
thing is turning into an obsession.

Who is it?
Morosini.

For a minute out there I thought
I'd got the wrong address.

Doesn't anyone else
live in this building?

They're going
to pull the building down soon.

My lease doesn't run out
till next week, so I'm staying on.

Care for a coffee?

In fact it's just what I need.
I've been up all night.

How come?

Here.

When?
Last night.

A blonde, 28, lived alone.

The usual blank wall. No clues,
no tie in with the other three.

The press is putting
two and two together.

They think they see a link
between the four murders.

Julia, this is
inspector Morosini.

Excuse me, I think we've met
somewhere before.

No, I'm sure we haven't.
Hey, look at this. Not another.

As you may have suspected, there is
an ulterior motive for my visit.

I would like you to come down
to headquarters with me.

Why don't you just leave him
alone? No. Let me finish.

He isn't even Italian and
you're making him risk his life.

They tried to kill him. What makes
you so sure they won't try again?

You're blackmailing him,
you're hanging onto his passport

and at the same time you're
appealing to his humane instincts.

Shall we go?

Take care, won't you?

I apologise.

Alright, now then.
Now then, nothing.

I've gone over and over,
absolutely nothing.

I saw them struggling on the
mezzanine. That's as far as I got.

I can't think of anything else.
But I know there's something.

Thanks.
What are your plans?

I think
I'll stick around for a while.

Need any help
for your investigations?

I thought I was being followed.
For your own protection.

Yes, I would like some help.
I'd like to see that pimp Garullo.

That's easy. They've arrived
for the television interview.

I'll make a fool of myself in front
of millions television viewers.

What will you say? I don't know,
I'll make up some spectacular lies.

That briefly is the situation.

For the moment I can only say
that we have certain information

which I am sure
will soon lead us to the murderer.

I urge all citizen to remain calm

and report anything suspicious to
the police immediately, thank you.

Get back to me as soon as you can,
let me know if you need anything.

Hello? I wanted you to know
how much I enjoyed your talk on TV.

Who's this? Who, but the
person you are so anxious to find.

The unknown the city fears.
Tape the call on Morosini's line.

You got no clue. Not a suspicion,
you know that and so do I.

It isn't right to fool the public.

I'm not afraid, you'll have a fifth
murder before the end of the week.

Careful, it's heavy. It's one
of the best example of cosmic art.

But we never stand still,

in some days we're opening a show
of sculptures and bass reliefs.

You'll be changing everything.
We'll replace everything.

Would you
take a look to check the position?

Yes, I'll be with you. Will you
excuse me?

I want to thank you
for what you did for me that night.

They said if you hadn't been there
that madman would've killed me.

I'm better now, but...

It was so frightening that I don't
think I'll ever quite forget it.

Please, come here.

What do you think
of placing it like this?

It's not perfectly vertical, but
from below you can see it better.

Yes, of course, you're right.

Yes, she was my girl, so long.

Where are you going?

You said "so long".
I always said that.

If I don't I stutter.

I see.
What do you want to know?

I'm trying to help the police
find the killer.

That's good, so long.
But I don't know what to tell you.

They picked me up a week after
Rosita was murdered, poor girl.

There I am in jail and those girls
have to get along without me.

No protection, with that monster
loose on the streets.

What have they got you in for?
Nothing. I was stitched up.

They got it in for me. They say I'm
aiding and abetting prostitution.

But I'm innocent. Look at me,
do I look like a pimp?

Look me in the eyes, do I look
like a man who exploits women?

I got nothing against accepting
present every now and then, right?

Sure. Can you give me any help?
It wasn't nobody in my bunch.

We don't play those games.

It must've been some rich man.
You know, a gentleman.

They're the ones
who get those kind of ideas.

These men have
a particular code of honour,

which is very different
from anything anybody else has.

And this particular... That
man's been following us for hours.

He's Morosini's man,
he's our bodyguard.

It would appear that this chap "So
long" has got a sort of harem...

Well, I feel like walking.

"So long" expects everything
from women and nothing from men.

All right, you wait here.

Go in there, it's me they're after.
When you get away, call Morosini.

There's a man with a gun
after me. I don't see anyone.

There he is.
Who is he?

Excuse me, have you seen a man with
a yellow jacket and a blue cap?

Where did he go? In there.

I gave his liver a good working
over. To the tenth I laid him out.

It's about time we began talking
about some of the problems we face.

Pipe down, will you? There's the
problem of the insurance coverage.

The indemnity for permanent
disability... Listen to me.

He had a glass jaw.

He died without regaining consciousness.
Fractured spine and skull.

Do you think
you could recognise him?

I didn't see his face clearly.

I want every man at that convention
tracked down.

I want pictures, criminal records,
every particular you can dig out.

I want two of our top men detailed
to cover the two behind us,

they're to be watched
day and night.

I'm very sorry
to have got you into this mess.

Take my advice,
go back to the United States.

I feel that I'm getting closer
to the truth every minute.

The murderer is obviously
of the same opinion.

That's why he's trying to kill me.

The more he tries,
the more he risks discovery.

Stop,
let's see your driving license.

We had a wonderful time. I'll arrange
things so we can stay together.

I love you.
Me too.

The sons of bitches, they
really tried to get you, so long.

Yes. And I want to find him.
Sure, I'll help you, so long.

Let me think.

Yes, that's it.
I know the man for you.

He isn't cheap, but
there's nothing he doesn't know.

This is strictly between
you and me. No police, so long.

Don't worry.

Call the Caramba. Call hall and ask
for Faina. Say "So long" sent you.

Lift, get a lift...

Who are you?
I'm Faina.

I couldn't just made five flights.
I've got to exercise.

Who's that? She's a friend,
you can trust her.

Here, sit down.

Now get this straight, I don't know
anything, I don't know anybody.

And I don't see anything.
What do you want to know?

The other night a man tried to kill
me with a pistol and a silencer.

He got away
and went to the Lux Hotel...

What's the matter? This place
bugged? No, now listen to me.

There was a convention of ex prize
fighters. He was dressed like one.

You want to turn him in, right?
No, I want to talk to him.

Can't help you... Hundred.

Hundred what?
Hundred thousand.

Come on.

Here.

No, keep it.

When will I hear from you?
Never.

Perhaps tomorrow morning.

Get smarter, Mr. Dalmas. Take my
advice, mind your own business.

Stop playing detective.
It's not healthy.

That was a warning yesterday.
Wasn't it enough?

What do you suggest I do?
Go back to America.

Forget about the murders.
There is a limit to my patience.

Who's speaking? Is
the girl there with you?

She's young and very beautiful,
would you like her to die?

Because if you don't drop
everything I will kill her.

Go back to America. Forget about
the murders. There's a limit...

Did you hear that creaking sound?
I want to know what it is.

What makes a sound like that?
It's all we have to go on.

I'll find out.

What are you going to do now?

I don't know. It was simpler when
I only had myself to think about.

Blasted painting.
There's has to be a lead somewhere.

Maybe the first victim looks like
the woman. Too roughly drawn.

It could be anybody.

This is Faina,
I couldn't find out anything.

But if you're interested there's
an ex-fighter named Needles.

He might know something.
Lives not far from your place.

Via Angiolieri, 39.

Anyone home?

Now look at it on the oscilloscope.

I wanted you to know
how much I enjoyed your talk on TV.

Right.
Now we'll listen to the other one.

Be smart, take my advice,
mind your own business.

Notice any difference
between the tapes?

The waves on the first machine are
different from those on the second.

Exactly, every human voice, no
matter how well it's disguised

has a peculiar pattern of harmonic
intensities in the vowel sound.

When we analysed the vowel groups
of each of these two tapes,

we made an unexpected discovery.

The first registered at 5 decibels
on the lower range and 12 high,

while the second reading it only
barely registered to 4 and 10.

The explanation? The voices
don't belong to the same person.

Are you sure?
Absolutely.

That means there are
two killers. It would seem so.

Unless it's one trying to confuse
us by dragging a partner in.

In that case, he was no doubt
the one who tried to kill you.

The one you found murdered. Now
we listen to the sound you gave us.

We isolated the sound and compared
it with hundreds of similar ones.

We've exhausted the field of sounds
produced by industrial machinery,

factories, demolition sites,
through to electric doors, cranes,

coin operated machines,
domestic appliances.

But so far,
we've been unable to equate it.

What now?
All we can do is keep trying.

Sorry I won't be around
for the finish. You're leaving?

Day after tomorrow.
I've said that before, haven't I?

Forty pages in the last days. This
adventure started me writing again.

Glad to hear it. It's broken
me loose. Here, pack these too.

I'm writing frantically again.

Whatever happened to those leads
you were following up? Nothing.

Listen to this.

This came over the telephone.

It'd have been a great lead if we
could've figured out what it was.

Go back home. Forget the murders.
There is a limit to my patience.

Is the girl there with you?
She's pretty... Hold it.

Let me hear it again, will you?

There's a limit to my patience.

Is the girl there with you?
She's very...

I don't know,
it reminds me of something.

Perhaps I'm wrong.
Great.

Wait a minute.
Leave it, I'll do it.

I don't believe it.

I just can't believe it.
What? That we're leaving.

Listen, why don't I take the tape?

If I think of anything
I'll call you.

These are the last few hours
in this house.

Do you really love me?

Sure. How much time
have we got? How much what?

How long till the plane leaves?
Eight hours. Why?

That may be just enough.

What do you want to do now?

Hello. Is this the Trouvaille?

I'm Dalmas, I borrowed the picture
of the painting of that murder.

Yes, I remember
you were so charming.

Can you tell me the name of the
artist? Of course, Berto Consalvi.

Where can I find him? He lives
in a town not far from here.

It's about an hour and a half
by train. What's the name of it?

Aviano. Thank you very much.
You're welcome, it's a pleasure.

I can just make it,
I've got to talk to that painter.

The first girl was murdered
just after he sold that painting.

There's got to be a connection. I'll
be back in five hours. Finish packing.

There's no need to worry so long
as you don't leave the house.

Two detectives are watching the
door. Bolt it and don't open it.

I love you. I never should have
believed you. I'm a fool.

If you need anything, call
Morosini. You know the number.

Thanks for the lift. It would've
been some walk. You're welcome.

Get out of here, the man's insane.
You never know what will happen next.

Thanks for the advice.
Follow it.

If you want to carry on, you don't
need to go looking for the door.

He'd been walled up,
the whole building, doors, windows.

There's got a way to get in it.
It doesn't mean he'll let you in.

If your face ain't right, he'd
tell you what you can do with it.

Go to blazes.
I want to buy a painting.

What do you want it for?
For my house.

Why did you wall up your house?
To keep out the busy bodies.

Nobody gets in here unless I want
them to. Besides there are cats.

Who told you about me?

Nobody, I saw one
of your paintings. I liked it.

What was it? It was one
about a murderer killing a girl.

I don't do that stuff anymore.

I'm going through
a mystical period.

I only paint mystical scenes.
Why?

Why? Because I feel mystical.
Fit's any of your damn business.

No, it's not.

What was your inspiration for
that painting? You want to eat?

That was a real story
a long time ago.

How long?
Ten years, more or less.

A maniac got hold of a girl I knew.

He tried to cut her up.

I just stopped him in time.

They put him in an asylum for life.

Genius.

Do you want to buy a painting or not?

Come with me.

I have just the thing.
Early Consalvi, very rare.

Shut the window.

There you are.

Naughty Theodore.

Blasted cats, crafty creatures.

They always manage to find a hole
to slip through

and they're always away in a flash.

Why do you lock them up? The
less they move the fatter they get.

Why do you want to them
to get fat? Why?

I eat them.

What's the matter?
Don't you like cats?

I don't know. I never ate any.

Never?

Here, take this one.
Two hundred thousand.

Alright,
one hundred and fifty.

A hundred.

Fifty thousand.

You still mad at me?
Where are you?

I'm at the station in Aviano on
my way home. How did it go?

I talked to him,
but I didn't go anywhere.

There's a railway strike, I'll be
about an hour and a half late.

What about the plane? Don't
worry I'll be there in time.

Everything alright?
Yes. Carlo phoned.

He discovered something.
What? He didn't say.

I told him you had left and you'd
call him as soon as you get back.

You won't leave this house alive.

How do you feel?
Alright. Did they get him?

No, he must've slipped out through
the cellar or something.

What time is it?

Just after 4:30.
You slept around the clock.

Peeping Tom? So sorry.

You were supposed to call me,
you know? I've got news for you.

The phone's been out of order.

I think I've finally figured out
what that cracking sound is.

It's peculiar. What is it?
The call of the Hornitus Nevalis.

A magnificent bird with long white
feathers that look like glass.

What's so strange about it?

The only place in the world that
bird can live is Northern Siberia.

Are you sure?
Positive.

How about a drink? I deserve one.

It's almost impossible to keep one
of those birds alive in captivity.

There's only one specimen in Italy
and that has to be kept...

What's the matter with you?
Wait a minute.

You mean there's one here?
That's what I try to tell you.

It's practically a miracle but
they're managing to keep one alive.

Where? Where else would you
keep a rare bird? The zoo.

The cage is near the back
of the zoo. It's quite a walk.

It's not far now.
They have to keep it isolated.

It doesn't get along with the other
animals. They have to move it.

It can't even stand the smell
of them. There it is.

Ranieri. He called from his flat.
I remember now.

The telephone's
right next to that window.

Open the door.
Right, leave it to us.

Give me the knife.

Don't shoot.
Let her go. There's no way out.

Give yourself up.

You can't get away.
Drop the knife.

Don't move. There is no way out.

Drop the knife.

Keep away from me.

Keep away.

That's enough.
What has happened?

Where'd he get you?
Julia. Come on.

Please. I don't want to die.

Help me. I don't want to die.

I can't hold him.

Yes, it's true, I'm the murderer.

I killed all of them.
Please, take care of my wife.

She tried to stop me.

I loved her.

Poor devil, I feel sorry for him.

Morosini here,
put me through the homicide.

Have you seen the girl I was
with? No, she was behind us.

Isn't she here? No.
Have you seen her since then?

No, I haven't.

Have you seen a girl with blond
hair? She came down a while ago.

Which way did she go?
She ran off in that direction.

With two others.

His head split open
like a watermelon.

Excuse me, have you seen a girl
go by in that direction

with blond hair and a Gray raincoat
came down to about here?

Have you seen a girl with
blond hair and a Gray raincoat?

I saw her going there. In
that door? That's what I said.

This one here?

Carlo. My God.
What have you done with Julia?

Answer me.

It was you.

It's the other way around.

Like a knife in your hand. You were
trying to kill your husband.

It was the other way around.

That's what I knew I've seen.

Now you're going to die.

You're going to die.
Like all the others.

Right, come on, quick. Now, one
at each end. That's it, now lift.

That's enough, hold it.
No, I'll pull you.

That's it. Are you alright?

How did you find out?

Yes, she'll be alright.
And you'll be alright too.

Come on, I'll help you up.

As inspector Morosini, in charge of
the investigations, had told you,

the final curtain fell on what
kept the city in a state of shock.

Monica Ranieri is in custody
at the psychiatric hospital.

Her husband lost his life in a last
attempt to turn suspicion on him.

What lead this unbalanced creatures
to commit horrible murders?

The person best qualified to answer
this question is Professor Renoldi,

the well known psychiatrist who was
our consultant during the inquiry.

Please, would you explain?
Certainly.

for the moment
we can only make conjectures.

Ten years ago Monica Ranieri, who
had evident paranoid tendencies,

was brutally attacked
and suffered a severe trauma.

Still, she recovered sufficiently
to return to a normal life.

Her mental disturbance remained
dormant for ten years.

Until she came across a painting
which depicted the horrible scene.

Her latent madness came to life
violent and irresistible.

She didn't identify herself as
depicted, but with her attacker.

In order to explain
the behaviour of her husband,

who attempted murder
to protect his wife,

we must assume that he suffered
from an induced psychosis.

He was influenced by his wife
to become homicidally psychotic.

I can hear him saying it now: "Go
to Italy it's a peaceful country".

"Nothing ever happens there."