Review of The Spider's Stratagem (1970) by Ken T — 09 Jan 2011

Perhaps the most artful whodunits ever put to film. Athos Magnani returns to the town of Tara where his father was killed before he was born at the request of his father's lover Draifa (Alida Valli).

Athos' father was a hero and has a statue in the town dedicated to his honor. Athos is soon convinced by Draifa to find who killed his father's murderer, who was never discovered. He is soon asking questions and the answers lead him nowhere and filled with denials or seem to be staged.

And Draifa, dedicated to the memory of Athos' father, begins to fall in love with the son. There are flashback moments to the father and then back to the son and often the viewer will be confused which time is actually happening - and perhaps that is the point? The characters seem to behave bizarrely - their mannerisms, dialogue and even the way the shots are setup - who headbutts a guy in the low of the spine?! I certainly have never seen that fighting method in any film! The Spider's Stratagem is about a world where nothing is what it seems - perhaps existing in a place where time itself is askew.

Definitely a unique film that the arthouse crowd will certainly love. Excellent photography by Vittorio Storaro.