Ostrze w ciemności

The film "La casa con la scala nel buio" has an incredibly slow pace, which is also reflected in its length, which is disproportionately long. Dario Argento had a similar length in his legendary film "Tenebrae", but he had something to say throughout the entire film. The impression of the length of the film "La casa con la scala nel buio" is also spoiled by the fact that the dialogues here are really strange and do not help the film much; they are artificial and you have the feeling that you are listening to someone reciting rehearsed lines, rather than following real characters. Of course, they are actors, but they should strive for the most realistic portrayal of their characters. Despite all the criticisms, however, Bav's film cannot be rated as completely below average, for a simple reason. There are elements here that stand out. First and foremost, it is the music, and secondly, the tension that occasionally creeps into the film. It's just a shame that the creators didn't play with it a little better, didn't try to maintain it. When there was a buildup to a really suspenseful scene, it was interrupted by a cut. Maybe the mistake was made in the editing, I don't know, but it's a shame. A shorter and better edited film would stand out significantly above average. (21.12.2013)

The characters deliver their dialogue as if they have an IQ of 80 and the English dubbing also degrades the actors’ performances (which are nothing special to begin with). However, the film works in technical terms. The visual aspect isn’t quite as well done as in Dario Argento’s works (it’s not even in widescreen), but in combination with the impressive music and the slow pace of the narrative, it creates nice suspense and mystery that holds your attention and is even absorbing in places. A Blade in the Dark is a somewhat goofy but technically very well-made giallo thriller with everything this genre needs. (08.05.2004)