What a waste of my time!!!

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Brilliant and touching

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Much feted as the prototype giallo, if not the first of the genre, this is certainly a striking and then original piece of work. Viewed today, it almost appears as an homage or satire of gialli, as so many of the tropes that those who love the films will recognise are present here. The opening is stunning, never mind a death during a thunderstorm before we are even into the story, there is a fantastic and very creepy, wonderfully lit sequence on the famous Spanish Steps in Rome. Dark shadows, light reflected in pools - of blood or water - and we are away. Half naked girl strewn across the path and a knife in and out a body which is then unceremoniously dragged away. The film is uneven and although the lovely Leticia Roman and (a very young) John Saxon do well there are short periods when all is not quite so great. Plenty more brilliantly lit and varied scenes to come though before the surprising denouement. Thank you Mario Bava, maybe not the greatest giallo but you opened the door.

This Seminal "Giallo" Film, Directed by Mario Bava, is one of those that was "Split" into Two Versions. The International and the American. While there are certainly "Differences" in the Two in terms of Tone, Musical Score, and other "Insertions" and Cuts, it Remains Influential and Interesting in Both Versions.Leticia Roman and John Saxon are in front of the Bava Visuals and Roman is Strikingly Beautiful as a Harrowed Heroine and Her Acting is Superb. Saxon, on the other hand Over Emotes although is Adequate as a "Sidekick" to the Leading Lady.The Film is Sighted as the First "Giallo", however Bava's (and in Color) "Blood and Black Lace" (1964) is a Better Introduction and Fully Fledged. By the way, this is Bava's last Black and White Movie and His use of Color is Predominantly the Signature Style of this Italian Auteur.That's not to say His B&W Films lack Style. This, along with "Black Sunday" (1960) are Great Examples of a Director of Photography who could Illuminate and Shoot Striking Images in any Format. All of Bava's Movies are Visually Stunning, Creative, and Fun. His use of the Medium as an Artist's Playground was Immensely Influential for other Practitioners and Directors.The Story can be Befuddling to Follow, especially in the American Version, but it Matters Not. The Agatha Christie Mystery Formula is there as are the Twists and Turns, Red Herrings, and when all's Said and Done the Movie is Fun, Great Looking, and an Example of Mario Bava's Style (Eye) that made His Movies Magnificent Mini-Masterpieces in the B-Movie Market.Bava's Groundbreaking way of Making Movies has Gained and Maintained a Legacy of Legendary Status and is Commented Upon Repeatedly to this Day by Film-Makers and Fans.

"The Girl Who Knew Too Much" is a tedious early example of the giallo formula. Historically it has little else going for it.I guess we can call it a giallo because of the familiar trope of the main character witnessing a murder and then becoming the next likely victim.I found the plot really hard to follow and impossible to interest myself in. Mario Bava, the Italian "Master of Suspense", isn't really the master of anything. I've seen almost all of his movies now and they all suck, just like this one. Thinly plotted boring garbage that you couldn't follow even if you wanted to.I said at the beginning of this review that the movie is historically significant because it is one of the first gialli. By that same token, Bava is historically significant for having made it, and a few of the others. His significance ends there.

There are at least two film versions of this story. One is the English translation known as "The Evil Eye" a watered-down version of the original Italian construction called "The Girl Who Knew Too Much." The two versions differ in score and plot points. This review pertains to my viewing of "The Girl Who Knew Too Much."I would describe the film as a suspenseful murder mystery, one of the first Italian Giallos. Probably the best element is that wonderful B&W lighting consisting of overhead and side lighting that puts faces and objects in deep shadows. Outdoor settings at night are especially creepy. Water-glass camera effects suggest hallucination and delusion. And there are some terrifically unsettling POV camera shots.In one sequence the lead character enters a building at night. She arrives by elevator on an upper floor. No one else is visible, but hallway lights hanging from the ceiling sway back and forth, and someone is talking to her. As she approaches the room to which she had previously been invited, the light in the room suddenly goes dark. We see her silhouette as she stands at the entrance of the darkened room.The script contains relatively few characters. The two leads are a young female American tourist named Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) and a youthful Italian doctor named Dr. Bassi (John Saxon). The plot is acceptable. But I successfully guessed the identity of the killer fairly early which, to me, suggests that the plot could have been a little more subtle and the murderer less obvious. On the other hand, part of the plot was repeated in a subsequent Giallo that I had previously seen; so maybe I zeroed in on the killer's identity here as a result of the later film.There's some humor in this film as well. At one point the resourceful Nora makes use of talcum powder in an attempt to trap the killer, with unplanned results. Various murder mystery clichés in combo with explicit humor suggests that the story is something of a spoof of the genre.Casting is acceptable. Overall acting is only fair, except for the wonderful performance of Valentina Cortese. Didn't notice any problems with editing or prod design; and costumes really hark back to the 1960s. Love that jazzy score.This film deserves at least one viewing for those who enjoy murder mysteries. It has some negatives, but they are definitely outweighed by an interesting story and especially by the terrific visuals.