A criminal mastermind, Diabolik, has just pulled off a massive heist, escaping scott free with millions. In between planning out his next heist, Diabolik spends most of his time in his secret underground lair, with his girlfriend, Eva, laughing at the world around them. All is well until Valmont, a master criminal in his own right, approaches the police, proposing to help them catch Diabolik. What ensues is an epic game of cat-and-mouse. Mario Bava's Danger Diabolik is a visually inventive film which fully utilizes bonkers production design, impressionistic lighting, and tons of kinetic camera work to create a truly original hybrid film of the heist/spy film variety. This is a lush, distinct world which these characters inhabit, and Bava deserves a lot of credit for bringing this inventive world to fruition. Another great example of economic filmmaking, Bava's Danger Diabolik was made on a shoe-string budget, which uses lots of Matte paitings and inventive techniques to help make the scope of the film feel much larger than it actually is. Diabolik is a great character, who is very playful with his pursuers -using all sorts of unique and creative gadgets to stifle them along the way. While the film is definitely a product of its time, the campyness feels more charming than restricting, as this was just a wholly entertaining piece of filmmaking from start to finish. 7.75/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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