The House with Laughing Windows
La Casa Dalle Finestre Che Ridono
Italy - 1976
Writing: Pupi Avati, Antonio Avati, Gianni Cavina, Maurizio Costanzo
Cinematography: Pasquale Rachini
Music: Amedeo Tommasi
Produced by: Antonio Avati, Gianni Minervini
Cast: Lino Capolicchio, Francesca Marciano, Gianni Cavina, Giulio Pizzirani…
Distributor: SND
Legally restricted to persons over 12
Lenght : 110 min // Ratio : 1.85 // Format : dcpLanguage : Italian // Subtitles : French
Stefano settles in a small village, where he must restore a macabre fresco. As the days go by, local tongues wag about the personality of the deceased painter and the meaning of his works. Stefano's investigation leads him to a mysterious house.
The opening torture sequence creates a gentle sense of unease and imbues the following scenes with a lasting aura of sulphur. The narration seems calm, barely disturbed by a few passing absurdities, but then the plot spirals out of control. Our bearded hero loses his self-confidence, and one reference point after another collapses. Mario Bava and Dario Argento may have left their demonic mark on the giallo genre, but Pupi Avati's approach is not lacking in arguments. The House with Laughing Windows negotiates its ascent into horror with the handbrake on, splits its sides in the face of your anguish and adds generous dollops of dread in its memorable finale. His portrait of unholy rural Italy, with its obscene secrets, has lost none of its power.
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