Phantom of Death (1988)

AKA Off Balance

The giallo has always been one of the more interesting film genres in terms of its flexibility. Although there is an archetypal giallo, a pulpy, lurid crime thriller with several twists featuring exquisite production design, baroque color palates and graphically violent death scenes, there are also several films that function as giallos while taking the genre into some pretty far-out territory. Sergio Martino took the giallo into the realm of Satanic cults with All the Colors of the Dark (1972) and Umberto Lenzi took the genres penchant for plot twists that defy logic to their utmost extreme with his delirious opus Spasmo (1974). Lenzi's earlier jetset thrillers like Paranoia/Orgasmo (1969) and A Quiet Place to Kill (1970) along with Giulio Questi's utterly mad Death Laid an Egg (1968) are unique as they represent an era for the genre that predates Dario Argento's Animal Trilogy, Argento's work often considered the pinnacle of the genre along with Mario Bava, the original master. Curiously absent from the giallo boom of the 70's was Ruggero Deodato who didn't throw his hat in the giallo ring until the late 80's when many had read the genre's last rites. As late an entry to the genre it may be, Deodato's Phantom of Death certainly belongs to the class of films that divert from the standard giallo formula, Deodato's approach being memorably, appropriate given the films alternate title, off balance.

Robert Dominici (Michael York), a gifted virtuoso pianist is diagnosed with progeria, a rare disease that causes rapid aging. As Robert, a man in his 30's, gradually appears to look in his 70's, the disease begins to affect his brain and Robert embarks on a killing spree. Because of his condition, tracking Robert down proves to be an increasingly frustrating task for Inspector Datti (Donald Pleasence), whom Robert continues to drive crazy while working toward his end goal as the disease worsens.

Phantom of Death is a curious film that unquestionably stands out in a crowded giallo field and sits comfortably alongside the other oddball titles from around this time in Deodato's oeuvre like Dial: Help (1988) and The Washing Machine (1993). Obviously the aging disease aspect sets the film apart but the film also differs from many other films in the genre in that it's not a mystery. Although it's established that Robert is the killer going into the film, Deodato finds other ways of building suspense. Having such a strange disease be the root of Robert's killings may seem like a gimmick but Deodato's handling of the disease is incredibly clever especially the ways Robert can use it to his advantage, tossing a wrench into what would have otherwise been a standard police procedural plot. Michael York has a fine line to walk throughout the film and manages to maintain a fraction of sympathy due to his condition but also plays the psychopath extremely well, his warped mentality adding extra tension to the inevitable conclusion. The advanced aging make-up is not only effective but becomes rather grotesque later in the film and Robert's brief encounter with a fellow Progeria sufferer is one of the more strangely unsettling moments the genre has to offer. Deodato also gives the film plenty of the visual flair the genre is know for, even evoking Phantom of the Opera for a brief time and while not overtly gruesome, this being a Deodato film, the death scenes are visceral.

Interestingly, Deodato compared the film with Cannibal Holocaust (1980) in an interview with Total Sci-Fi Online. Deodato stated “...I did Phantom of Death because it was based on a true element – the idea of growing old – so it was based on something realistic like Cannibal Holocaust. And I got to work with Michael York and Donald Pleasance on Phantom of Death.” The film is also notable for having Edwige Fenech, arguably the face most synonymous with giallo, as York's love interest, her first and only film with Deodato, though Deodato has claimed that she was miscast at a producers insistence. Deodato also clearly had fun working with Donald Pleasance who has a memorable “off balance” moment himself in the film. Pleasance found himself in a number of Italian productions in the late 80's and would go on to feature in an even more off balance film, Sergio Martino's American Tiger (1990) a few years after Phantom of Death. Deodato would again steer the giallo into bizarre territory with The Washing Machine, his take on the hugely popular at the time erotic thriller genre. While a good chuck of Deodato's filmography tends to get overlooked in comparison with the more infamous Cannibal Holocaust or The House on the Edge of the Park (1980), Phantom of Death seems oddly underseen but the film does hold an important distinction of being Deodato's first giallo.