La casa con la scala nel buio

A szereplők úgy adják elő a párbeszédeket, mintha 80-as IQ-val rendelkeznének, és az angol szinkronizálás is lehúzza a színészek teljesítményét (ami egyébként sem nagy szám). De technikailag a film működik. A látványvilág nem annyira kidolgozott, mint Dario Argento-nál (nem is szélesvásznú), de a hatásos zenével és a mesélés lassú tempójával kombinálva kellemes feszültséget és rejtélyt teremt, amely leköti a figyelmet, és időnként elragadtat. Kicsit buta, de technikailag nagyon jól sikerült giallo thriller, amiben minden benne van, ami kell. (2004.05.08)

The film A Blade in the Dark has an incredibly slow pace, which is reflected in its excessively long duration. For example, Dario Argento had a similar duration in his legendary film Deep Red, but throughout, there was substance to it. The impression of the length of A Blade in the Dark is also spoiled by the fact that the dialogues are really strange and don't contribute much to the film. They are forced, and you feel like you're listening to someone reciting rehearsed lines rather than following real characters. Of course, they are actors, but they should strive for the most realistic portrayal of their characters possible. Despite all the criticisms, however, Bava's film cannot be rated completely below average, and that's for the simple reason that there are elements here that stand out. First and foremost, it's the music, and secondly, the tension that occasionally sneaks into the film. It's just a shame that the creators didn't play with it a bit better and didn't try to sustain it. When the buildup to a really suspenseful scene finally came, it was soon interrupted by a cut. Maybe the mistake happened in the editing room, I don't know, but it's a pity. A shorter and better-edited film would stand out significantly above average. (2013.12.21)