Stylish but barely mediocre overall

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Small cast does well in small setting; claustrophobic film largely takes place in their flat, as weird husband and his wife, who calls out another's name while asleep, try to sell a the biggest yellow rug, which doesn't even fit in their flat and was given to her by her now dead father. Potential buyer appears, while hubby is out, and proceeds to psychologically taunt and terrorise her, knowing personal information about her, before turning violent, and she kills him in self defense. His wife shows up looking for him, and that first of several twists is where the real fun begins. Surprisingly for a giallo, it mostly shows restraint in regard to violence and gore, using them sporadically, in only a couple of scenes, relying on acting and atmospheric photography to create tension and suspense. Interesting composure as well, and the film doesn't over do the dark lighting.

For the first 4/5s, this is a cheaply done version of a few similar films, where a husband concocts a drama to fool his wife. In this case, it is validate a perceived infatuation with another (albeit deceased) man.But as it starts to wrap up, we relax and things start to spring all over the place, just when we are at our most vulnerable. Just as the supposed affair is passionate misdirection, so too is the first part of the movie where the primary deception occurs.But there is a secondary deception, that of the deceivers. It seems that while we watched, we were being doubly fooled. First the visiting man is a potential buyer of a carpet, then he is a murderer, then an actor, then a psychiatrist and finally some novel combination of them.This is based on a play and largely presented in a single apartment. it is clear that the play worked out all the necessaries.

Carlo Lizzani's "La Casa del Tappeto Giallo" is based on a play by Aldo Selleri.It's very interesting and quite original psychological giallo about a young couple Antonio and Franca.Franca inherited yellow carpet from her abusive stepfather.Antonio wants to sell yellow carpet and puts an ad in the local newspaper.During the absence of Antonio Franca is visited by a middle-aged man with a paralyzed hand.This mysterious man becomes more threatening and violent as he tells Franca that he killed his wife on the same carpet Franca is selling."The House of the Yellow Carpet" is an atmospheric and theatrical giallo which mostly takes place in a small apartment.The acting is excellent and there are two nasty moments including vicious stabbing and syringe in the eye moment.7 yellow carpets out of 10.

This not very well known Italian thriller (Giallo) is a thoroughly unique feature that reinvents classical issues of the Film Noir and the classical Italian Giallo of the 1960s and 1970s to become an extremely original movie of its own.Most remarkably, "La Casa del Tappeto Giallo" is packed with surprises, and - best of all - they are all real surprises that manage to startle the viewer. Also, the setting of the flat where the yellow carpet of the title lies remains the almost only setting of the whole feature (with very few exceptions), which adds a creepy claustrophobic touch to the quite subversive and mean story. Lizzani also delivers a healthy portion of subtle but delicious black humor, and some nasty moments typical for the Giallo genre.Not to forget the splendid cast. Especially Erland Josephson delivers a delightful performance. The fine score was composed by Stelvio Cipriani, best known for his compositions for Italian police thrillers of the 1970s (e.g. "La Polizia ha le Mani Legate").Not to be missed... if one can get hold of a copy.