The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971, Duccio Tessari)

By my exceedingly finicky standards, "The Bloodstained Butterfly" is a bit on the erroneously tame side in terms of my particular 'giallo' preference. That's not to say it's a BAD film, overall. Far from it, in fact, I just usually tend to favor the 'harder' forms of this genre, that's all...

Like many 'gialli' films, the plot is a pretty involved and convoluted, but the gist is: a 17 year-old French girl is found murdered in a park while a mysterious man in an overcoat is seen fleeing the general area. From there, the hunt for the killer is on as we follow the forensic inquest and trial of the guy whom they eventually deem guilty of the crime. Of course, after he's locked up, another murder victim turns up. Did they get the wrong man or do they have a copy cat on their hands?

The plot here is solid and mostly interesting for being more of a court-drama than anything else. This certainly is not a "Case of the Bloody Iris" or "Don't Torture a Duckling" (a couple of my favorites) type of 'gialli' flick - but more of a murder-mystery, melodrama. It's more along the lines of "The Flower with the Deadly Sting". Not a bloodbath or sleaze-fest, but intriguing enough if you're a die-hard fan of this genre. I wouldn't put myself in that category, though I do appreciate a well constructed story, but a little more carnage with it typically keeps me more enthralled. Just my own personal propensity for bloodshed. Sorry...

"The Bloodstained Butterfly" is a slow one and not totally my cup o' tea, but, like I said, for 'gialli' completists, it'll probably go over pretty big...