The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Spain, 1970
Director: Luciano Ercoli
Writers: Ernesto Gastaldi, Mahnahén Velasco
Cast: Dagmar Lassander, Pier Paolo Capponi, Simón Andreu, Osvaldo Genazzani, Salvador Huguet, Nieves Navarro

Release Date: January 14th, 2019 (UK), January 15th, 2019 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 45 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: OOP

"Minou (Dagmar Lassander, Lucio Fulci's The Black Cat) leads a pampered but dull life with her frequently absent husband, Peter (Pier Paolo Capponi, The Cat O' Nine Tails). One night, while out walking on the beachfront, Minou is accosted by a mysterious blackmailer (Simón Andreu, Death Carries a Cane) who informs her that Peter is a murderer. Driven by misplaced loyalty to her husband, Minou gives in to the blackmailer's every perverted whim in exchange for his silence. But as the blackmailer ups the ante, demanding that she submit to his increasingly obscene demands, can Minou hold on to what little remains of her sanity?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion/Le foto proibite di una signora per bene is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with Italian and English mono audio. Scanning and restoration work was completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 2-perf Techniscope 35mm camera negative was scanned in 2K resolution on a pin-registered Arriscan. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, picture instability and other instances of film wear were repaired or removed through a combination of digital restoration tools and techniques.

The film was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master at R3Store Studios, London."

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.3 GB

Feature: 24.5 GB

The source is in excellent shape; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Italian and an LPCM mono mix in English. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (9 images - stills/poster), Italian language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles subtitles), a Q&A with actress Dagmar Lassander at the 2016 Festival of Fantastic Films in Manchester titled The Forbidden Lady (44 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with musician and soundtrack collector Lovely Jon titled The Forbidden Soundtrack of the Big Three (47 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Nieves Navarro and director Luciano Ercoli titled Private Pictures (44 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author and editor-in-chief of Diabolique Magazine, reversible cover art and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast and & crew information, an essay titled Every Maniac Has His Price written by Michael Mackenzie, original reviews compiled and translated by Roberto Curti and information about the restoration.

Summary:

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion was directed by Luciano Ercoli, whose other notable films are Death Walks on High Heels, Death Walks at Midnight, and Killer Cop.

A woman is blackmailed by a man who has incriminating evidence against her husband.

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion would mark the directorial debut of Luciano Ercoli, and after watching this film, it does not look like it was directed by a first-time director, since everything looks polished and perfectly put into the right place. When discussing the films directed by Luciano Ercoli, he is never mentioned in the same breath as some of his more elevated contemporaries. That said, Luciano Ercoli is an auteur in his own right; his films are every bit as accomplished and beautifully stylized of Dario Argento, Sergio Martino, and Lucio Fulci.

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is not your typical Giallo. It is revealed early on who the killer is, there is no black-gloved killer, and there is no excessive bloodshed. Another area where The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion defies this genre's standard conventions is its protagonist, Minou. Instead of seeking help, she believes she must keep the secret to protect her husband from jail by eliminating all the evidence from the blackmailers. Going any further might compromise too much of the mystery. Dagmar Lassander (The Laughing Woman) portrays Minou, and she delivers what is arguably one of her best performances.

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion’s other lead is actress Nieves Navarro (Naked Violence), who later in her career would play the victim in several Giallos. This time around she plays the most level-headed person in the film, and she is also the one that Minou relies on when she starts to lose her grip on reality. Both Nieves Navarro and Dagmar Lassander are undeniably stunning, and words alone cannot adequately capture their true beauty in this film. The rest of the cast is rounded out with familiar faces like Pier Paolo Capponi (The Cat O’ Nine Tails) in the role of Minou’s husband and Simón Andreu (The Blood Spattered Bride) in the role of the blackmailer.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion does not excel. The narrative effectively obscures the killer's intentions until the very end, and the pacing is consistently brisk. The combination of stylish visuals and another exemplary score from Ennio Morricone greatly enhances the mood. Ultimately, The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is an exceptional Giallo that succeeds without having to rely on genre cliches like violent and carnal set pieces.

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion gets an excellent release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer