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That was an excellent one.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

I came upon this by chance on late-night Italian TV; it was shown unannounced following a screening of the director's HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON (1970)! This rarely-seen (and, consequently, legendary) TV production emerges as a more fitting swan-song for Bava than his last disappointing feature film, SHOCK (1977)! As in that title, the female lead is played by Dario Argento muse Daria Nicolodi – who, while no great beauty, is very well-cast here as the lookalike/reincarnation of a Greek goddess/femme fatale. On the other hand, in the role of the narrative's cultured yet bewildered hero appears Lucio Fulci alumnus Marc Porel – who, interestingly, bears an uncanny resemblance to latter-day Hammer Films star Ralph Bates! Similarly, the compactly-told supernatural tale (from Prosper Merimee' and filmed three more times in 1922, 1962 and 1980!) feels like one of Hammer's TV episodes: it was, in fact, part of a horror series (all of them with a period setting) entitled THE DEVIL'S GAMES – though Bava's involvement here, naturally, guarantees a more subtly artistic approach. While somewhat talky and languidly-paced, the meticulousness of its detail and the inclusion of a couple of classic Bava moments (the sudden appearance of the statue's reflection in a window and the eerie, intense climax) makes the film a more than suitable follow-up to the director's earlier gothics – THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963) and KILL, BABY…KILL! (1966).In conclusion, I'd certainly be interested in checking out other episodes in this rather obscure series – not to mention Bava's other made-for-TV effort, the "Polifemo" episode from the mini-series THE ODYSSEY (1968; which was actually broadcast some years back on early Saturday mornings). As for co-director Lamberto (son and former assistant of the Euro-Cult master), I haven't been at all impressed with what little I've caught of his stand-alone work – though, with four more titles from him that I have lined-up, I'll do better to reserve a more objective judgment for a later date...

The big question of the story is wether or not a beautiful bronze discovered while uprooting trees is cursed, or worse, alive. As directed by Mario Bava, with the charming Daria Nicolodi, the movie becomes a study about love and what are you prepared to do for it. The camera turns around Daria and the Bronze like the soft touch of a lover. In that day of computer animated objects and incredible special effects, it is good to see a director who then relied on clever editing and camera movement and sound to make us believe.