A Bay of Blood (1971)

• Year: 1971
• Released: 03 May 1972
• Country: Italy
• Adwords: 4 wins & 1 nomination
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067656/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_bay_of_blood
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: Italian
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
• Runtime: 84 min
• Writer: Mario Bava, Giuseppe Zaccariello, Filippo Ottoni
• Director: Mario Bava
• Cast: Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso
• Keywords: murder, serial killer, slasher, suicide, gore,

6.5/10

A Bay of Blood Storyline

As murder stigmatises the palatial estate of the sorrowful wheelchair user, Countess Federica Donati, the unscrupulous real estate agent Franco Ventura, and his equally immoral lover, Laura, concoct an ambitious scheme to take over the magnificent property. One little signature remains to fulfil their wildest dreams; however, someone, who is not afraid to stain his hands with blood, is hell-bent on weeding out the competition. Now, as the smell of carnage and quick profit turns the noble lady’s kin into animals, there is no turning back. But are they willing to pay with their lives for a bay of blood?

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A Bay of Blood Movie Reviews

Innovative, perhaps…but there’s darn little in the way of plot–just a slash fest.

The film begins with a rich lady being murdered in a rather grisly fashion. Moments later, the next victim dies. Then, throughout the film lots of people die. They might be heirs to the money–at least some of them. But really it’s just a film about a guy who likes hacking people to pieces.

I noticed that quite a few reviewers liked “A Bay of Blood” and the film is reportedly the first slasher picture. I just thought the film lacked plot and was an excuse to show lots of grisly murders (a few of which look awfully real) and some nudity. To me, this makes this one of director Mario Bava’s weakest films–one with little in the way of subtlety and story. As for me, I value story much more than just random people lining up to be ripped to pieces.

Beautifully-shot odyssey of murder

Mario Bava’s seminal, influential slasher film is definitely his most brutal. With thirteen on screen graphic deaths, it has to be said that there is a definite nihilistic attitude displayed in this film, an overwhelming mean-spiritedness which may be off-putting to some. Plotwise, it plays like an episode of HOME & AWAY but with extra murder thrown in. Seriously, it’s a confusing murder mystery which does little more than tie together all of the murder scenes; however, the plot twists and turns rapidly and there are some very clever touches. Beware, the film is quite difficult to understand, I had to watch it twice before I fully realised what was going on. Or maybe that was just me.

Those of you expecting Bava’s usual beautiful photography will not be disappointed. As with most Italian films, it’s style over content in this case and the film is very nice to look at. There are lots of neat touches when it comes to imagery, such as a wheel spinning and getting slower and slower as a woman dies in synch with it. Or a squid sucking at a corpse’s blue face, which is quite a disturbing scene.

A BAY OF BLOOD is now recognised as being an early slasher film which inspired the American slashers of the late ’70s/’80s, and indeed there is even the trademark camera’s point of view from the killer which was later used to great effect in Black Christmas and HALLOWEEN. Some of the murders in this film were directly ripped off (or is that paid homage to?) in the Friday the 13th series, especially the double murder by spear scene which was used in part two of that instalment.

The actors are all adequate, but also very unlikable, they are all playing very selfish people who deserve what they get. The only two I liked were the comedy butterfly catcher man and Simon, who seemed to be a bit of a psychopath. Some of the actors looked a little too similar for my liking, and when they were running through dark woods it sometimes became a little difficult telling who was who.

The highlight (or low point) of this film are the graphic murders, and the blood does flow freely. Call it a celebration of death if you will. The best (or worst) is the infamous machete-in-the-face scene which is still shocking even to this day. If you’re a fan of slasher movies or you just like Bava’s photography, then this film is really a must see. What more can I say?

It does what it says on the tin

You don’t go to a Mario Bava picture expecting an Antonioni picture or a Fellini picture. Bava does exactly what it says on the tin and what it says on the tin here is “A Bay of Blood” so basically you know what you’re likely to get and what you’re letting yourself in for but Bava is as much an auteur as any Italian maestro and the killing that opens this film proves it. Working almost exclusively within the genre of the horror picture Bava was, above all, a great visual stylist, (as well as directing “A Bay of Blood” he was also the DoP), and unlike most films that might be termed slashers this could almost be called art, albeit of a very kitsch kind.

Budget-wise Bava had to achieve his effects with very little, other than sheer imagination. “A Bay of Blood” may be a fairly basic giallo in terms of plot but it is also creepy and clever and thankfully tongue-in-cheek, (with a laugh-out-loud pay-off), and Bava knew that by including a few ‘cult’ names in his cast, (Isa Miranda, Laura Betti), he could draw in the cineastes. It may not be in the same class as some of his better known works but it’s still worth seeking out.