DVD Review: The Bloodstained Butterfly

Giallo, as a genre, doesn’t have the best reputation for producing films that are either coherent or make a great amount of sense. Much of the dialogue would normally make Jordan’s publisher blush, and whilst there’s usually a strong seam of style running through them, the plots are often largely nonsensical. Duccio Tessari’s The Bloodstained Butterfly has the rare combination of a strong plot, good acting and genuine mystery.

When a young student is brutally murdered in a park the obvious prime suspect is her boyfriend Alessandro Marchi (Giancarlo Sbragia), a TV presenter who is witnessed fleeing the scene. His conviction seems certain despite his protestations of innocence. However, whilst he’s in custody another body is found, and it’s clear that the facts aren’t as cut and dry as initially thought.

The Bloodstained Butterfly is very much an ensemble piece. There are great performances from Helmut Berger and Carole André, whilst the rest of the cast all add something in terms of intrigue or comedy. It looks gorgeous (especially with the new 4K restoration) and there’s a great score by Gianni Ferrio. This is superior giallo and a much watch for anyone who’s a fan of the genre or crime films.

Special Features:

Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original Italian and English soundtracks in DTS-HD MA mono 1.0
Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
New audio commentary with critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman
Murder in B-Flat Minor, a new visual essay on the film, its cast and crew by author Troy Howarth
New career retrospective on director Duccio Tessari
Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
Gallery of original promotional images
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin
Limited edition 36-page booklet illustrated by Tonci Zonjic, containing writing by James Blackford, Howard Hughes and Leonard Jacobs