Line #38 Film/TheBirdWithTheCrystalPlumage


1	[[quoteright:261:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uccello_3865.jpg]]
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3	''The Bird With the Crystal Plumage'' (''L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo'') is Creator/DarioArgento's debut as a film director, his first {{giallo}} film and the first film in his "animal trilogy". It was released in the year 1970. Music/EnnioMorricone composed the soundtrack.
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5	The plot follows American writer Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), who has been in Italy with his girlfriend Giulia for two years, trying to get around writer's block. Walking the streets one night, he witnesses a struggle between a woman and a man in black in a gallery. As he tries to intervene, [[RearWindowWitness he is locked between the gallery's glass doors and can only helplessly watch]] the man runs away as the woman is crumpled on the floor with a fatal wound on her stomach. He manages to get a passerby to call the police and the woman is saved in time. He finds out that there has been a string of similar murders of women in the area, and begins doing some investigation of his own on the matter.
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7	!!Examples in this film:
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9	* AcquittedTooLate
10	* ActorAllusion: Needles the hitman is played by Creator/ReggieNalder, who played Rien the hitman in ''Film/TheManWhoKnewTooMuch''. It's one of several nods to the works of Creator/AlfredHitchcock.
11	* AmateurSleuth: Sam is a writer who becomes obsessed with finding he killer.
12	* AmbiguouslyGay: The owner of the antique shop where the first victim worked.
13	* AutomaticDoorMalfunction: Sam is on the verge of returning to America but witnesses the attack of a woman in an art gallery by a mysterious black-gloved assailant dressed in a raincoat. Attempting to reach her, Sam is trapped between two mechanically-operated glass doors and [[RearWindowWitness can only watch as the villain makes his escape]].
14	* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:Even though the Ranieri's are partners in crime, Monica is much crazier than her husband Alberto and her attack on him is what brings Sam into the mix]].
15	* BigBad: [[spoiler:Monica Ranieri]] is the killer.
16	* BoundAndGagged: [[spoiler:Giulia]] in the killer's hideout which Sam investigates near the end.
17	* CarFu: Sam's police bodyguard is run over by two hired killers in a car.
18	* ChekhovsSkill: Sam's friend Carlo is an ornithologist, who helped Sam get a job writing a book on the preservation of birds. Carlo's knowledge of birds allows him to identify the cry of a rare bird heard in the background of a tape of the killer's phone call to the police.
19	* ClothingDamage: The killer slices open the fifth victim's nightgown before finishing her off.
20	* CreatorCameo: Every shot of [[HandOfDeath the black, leather gloves]], was actually Creator/DarioArgento, as it was far more convenient for him, knowing exactly how to handle the hand movements.
21	* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Alberto's death]].
22	* DisposableSexWorker: The second murder victim was a prostitute named Rosita.
23	* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler:Monica, whose attack Sam witnessed behind the glass, is the main killer]].
24	* EvilLaugh: Hearable when the killer starts playing with Sam in the climax.
25	* EyeScream: Averted when Giulia tries to stab and misses the killer peeping through the hole on her door.
26	* FlashbackEcho: [[spoiler:Monica survived a brutal attack in her past and when she saw a painting portraying a man killing a woman, she snapped and started killing people, while making her husband a partner in crime]].
27	* HandOfDeath: The murders are shown with close-ups of the killer's gloved hands holding a knife or other weapon.
28	* HarassingPhoneCall: Two threatening phone calls are made, one for Sam and one for the police.
29	* HelplessWindowDeath: Sam is trapped between the glass doors when he witnesses the murder attempt on the girl.
30	* HollywoodSilencer: Used by Needles the hired killer who are gunning for Sam.
31	* IAteWhat: Sam is horrified when he finds out that Consalvi keeps cats as a food source, and he just tasted some.
32	* IronicNurseryTune: The soundtrack. When you hear the 'lalalalalala', someone's gonna get it.
33	* JitterCam: Possibly the only Argento film that uses this. His later films have much steadier camerawork.
34	* MadArtist: Consalvi. He paints stuff and sustains himself with cats.
35	* OffWithHisHead: The killer tries to chop Sam's head off, but misses because an old woman passing by warns him.
36	* OnceMoreWithClarity: [[spoiler:You can clearly see that Monica is the one holding the knife if you know what you're looking for, but the scene likely goes by too fast the first time to notice.]]
37	* RearWindowWitness: Sam is trapped between the glass doors when he witnesses the murder attempt on the girl.
38	* TheReveal: [[spoiler:There are two killers, the Ranieris]].
39	* SerialKiller: After Sam witnesses the attack in the gallery, the police tell him the assailant is believed to be a serial killer who is killing young women across the city, and Sam is now an important witness.
40	* ShirtlessScene: Provided twice by Sam.
41	* TakeMyHand: When Sam and Inspector Morosini are attempting to arrest [[spoiler:Alberto]], he falls out of the open window while fighting them. Sam and Morosini each grab one of his arms, but are not able to hold him and he falls to his death.
42	* VerbalTic: Rosita's pimp adds "goodbye" at the end of his sentences. He also stutters.

Context Film / TheBirdWithTheCrystalPlumage