★ 6 / 10
Released in Italy as L'uomo senza memoria (The
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Released in Italy as L'uomo senza memoria (The Man Without a Memory), Puzzle was directed by Duccio Tessari, who like many Italy exploitation directors had a…
Released in Italy as L'uomo senza memoria (The Man Without a Memory), Puzzle was directed by Duccio Tessari, who like many Italy exploitation directors had a career that went from genre to genre: peplum (he wrote several, including Goliath and the Vampires and Mario Bava's Hercules in the Haunted World), westerns (he wrote and directed A Pistol for Ringo and The Return of Ringo), Eurospy (Kiss Kiss…Bang Bang), blacksploitation (Three Tough Guys) and the giallo with The Bloodstained Butterfly and this film.
Eight months ago, Ted Walden woke up from a car crash and has been trying to piece together his past. And when he meets anyone from it, they often pull guns on him and then get killed or they're his ex-wife who has moved on after his death. Well, if he can't find the million dollars he stole from the syndicate, he's going to die again and his ex-wife will as well.
I kind of love that Ted slowly learns what a horrible person he used to be and how he can use it to remain the better person he has become. Also, for an amnesiac, he has not forgotten how to dress well.
Less of a murder-based giallo and more of a discovery of identity — with a crowd-pleasing ending that was made the very same year as a certain film from Texas — this one surprised me.
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★ 8 / 10
A GREAT example of the genre!
The_Void
This Giallo is practically unknown, and that's a real shame as Puzzle is an outstanding example of the genre. Director Duccio Tessari made the excellent Giallo…
This Giallo is practically unknown, and that's a real shame as Puzzle is an outstanding example of the genre. Director Duccio Tessari made the excellent Giallo 'The Bloodstained Butterfly' three years before this film, and the two share the same keenness to buck as many plotting trends as possible; as while this film firmly fits into the Giallo in terms of style, the plot takes the focus away from common Giallo elements such as sex and murder and puts it more on the characters and an intriguing plot involving amnesia. The film is also known as 'Man Without Memory', and that is down the fact that the central character, Peter, has lost his memory. He's being treated in a hospital, and it's not long before a mysterious stranger turns up and accuses Peter of double-crossing him. We later learn that peter is really Edward, and he's married to the beautiful Sara. He finds out about his wife and travels to Italy in order to meet up with her; although she has chiselled out a new life for herself which involves a male friend named Reinhardt, and a young kid with a crush on her...
Director Duccio Tessari uses the first half of the film to get the plot basics in place, and as a consequence it's not always exciting. However, the director manages to hold the audience's attention long enough for the film to begin revealing itself in the second act. Puzzle was scripted by Giallo luminary Ernesto Gastaldi, and the film represents one of his best works, which says a lot considering the other films he penned. While the plot does take a while to get going, once it does the film becomes a real thrill ride, and this both offsets the sombre tone of the first half and is hugely entertaining. The main influence would appear to be the American classic 'Wait Until Dark', although the film doesn't take too much from the Audrey Hepburn film. The acting is above average, with Senta Berger, Luc Merenda and Umberto Orsini delivering fine performances in the central roles. The ending is superb and ensures that the film ends on a high, as a chainsaw revs into action and the film makes up for its lack of bloodshed. Overall, I really hope that Puzzle gets a wide release soon as this is a film that really deserves to be more seen!
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80%
AUDIENCE
6.3/10
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