The strange vice of Mrs. Wardh (O.V. Lo strano vizio della signora Wardh)
Italy, 1971
Director: Sergio Martino
Script: Eduardo Manzanos, Ernesto Gastaldi, Vittorio Caronia
Cast: George Hilton (George Corro), Edwige Fenech (Julie Wardh), Conchita Airoldi (Carol), Manuel Gil (Dr. Arbe), Ivan Rassimov (Jean), Alberto de Mendoza (Neil Wardh)
Music: Nora Orlandi
Story
Julie Wardh arrives in Vienna with her husband Neil, a diplomat who will have to work in the Austrian capital. At the same time, a murderer is on the loose in the city.
The marriage is not very well settled, and Julie feels that her husband does not give her the attention she needs. Neil is always very busy and his absences are continuous.
Therefore, Julie devotes herself to exploring the city with her friend Carol. At a party she meets Carol’s cousin George, and a mutual attraction develops between the two.
But not everything was going to be so idyllic, because suddenly a certain Jean, Julie’s former lover, appears and starts harassing her in a thousand ways. Julie doesn’t know how to get rid of him. And the worst thing is that Jean is not only a nuisance, but also has a certain sadistic tendency… Is he the serial killer who is spreading terror in Vienna?
Commentary
The voluptuous Edwige Fenech, who plays the main character here, would be the undisputed muse of director Sergio Martino for much of his seventies filmography.
This proposal can be framed in the subgenre of “giallo erotico”, where the sexual component (or at least, sensual) is of great weight. There is no explicit sex, but nudity and high-toned scenes abound. The intrigues of high society, as well as the complex psychology of the characters and their romances, are intermingled here with the detective suspense of the giallo.
The sex maniac who murders prostitutes, who sows terror in Vienna, almost seems like a filler; so that the story advances through police investigation. The central figure is undoubtedly “Mrs. Wardh” to whom the title alludes; her conflicts with men and with herself. But if the crimes have anything to do with her, the link between the victims and Julie, is something I will not reveal.
It’s good that the plot and the turns the story takes are easy to follow, as there are not too many characters. The too convoluted gialli end up confusing and boring the viewer.
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