Let the Corpses Tan (Cattet and Forzani)

[MJD64]

Thanks again for this recommendation, horroru.

I finally got around to seeing this fever dream amalgamation of spaghetti westerns and eurocrime thrillers (with a dash of giallo) and very much enjoyed it; you could practically feel the heat of the Mediterranean sun in those bold color-saturated visuals. The extreme close-ups of sweaty and frequently brutish faces recalled Leone quite effectively, and the double-crosses by seedy and violent criminals paid proper homage to 70's Italian exploitation cinema. The dilapidated location was terrific, evoking old-world European charm whilst being sufficiently rundown to feel ominously dangerous as all the violence erupts. This is one nasty but artfully done film.

[Show spoiler]Several of those death scenes, where globulets of exploding paint essentially take the place of blood squibs, might have come across as pretentiously artsy in a lesser film, but damned if they didn't work gangbusters here. The scene where the beautiful Marine Sainsily, imagining bullet hits disrobing her as opposed to ripping her to shreds, links sex and death in a way both seductive and amusing...and of course, this seemingly most innocent of the characters has her own memorable burst of violence.

I'm always fascinated when art and exploitation meet, and this garishly gorgeous offering was a pleasure to watch.