The Bird with the Crystal Plumage: 55 Years On

The lasting influence of Dario Argento’s dazzling giallo horror-thriller

Credit: Titanus

If you’re a horror fan, you never forget your first Argento. The hugely influential Italian horror director first came to my attention during my student years. I’d somehow failed to notice that he co-wrote the story for classic western Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) but The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) was the first time I encountered Dario Argento’s work as director. And what an introduction! His style immediately captivated me. Vivid cinematic images of shadows, shining daggers, leather-gloved killers, and opulent bloody death seared themselves into my mind.