Review #278: 'Delirium' (1972)

Respected doctor Herbert Lyutak (Mickey Hargitay - former Mr. Universe!), who regularly works with the police in helping solve murders, picks up a girl at a bar and brutally murders her. He is identified by an eye witness when in police custody, but then another murder takes place in the same fashion. The police are forced to release Lyutak, who we begin to learn is a very disturbed man. His wife knows of him murdering the girl, but is so in love with him that she is prepared to satisfy his violent desires. As the murders build up, a bizarre cat-and-mouse game starts between the police and Lyutak, where apparently no-one knows what is really going on.

First of all, I watched this believing it was the Delirium from the Video Nasty list, made in 1979, only later to find out I had watched the wrong film. But it was a welcome mistake, as the 1972 Delirium is actually quite good. This is one of the more extreme giallos I've seen. Usually the style eclipses the gore, and if the gore is heavy, then it usually comes with paint-red blood and an extra slice of cheddar. Here, although most of the violence is far from convincing, it is certainly unpleasant. One scene sees a girl being masturbated as she lies doped up and being strangled. It is the sexual edge that gives the film its unpleasantness, and the film is carried by a pretty good performance by Hargitay.

Even for a giallo, the focus on the sexual is heavy. These type of films are always filled with beautiful 70's Italian women who are not afraid to show a bit of flesh, but here it dominates practically every scene. More disturbingly, it features highly during the murder scenes. Shirts and gowns open to reveal breasts, and legs twist and bend to reveal panties, all as they lie dying or dead. As well as being heavily exploitative, it also adds to the sleazy tone of the film, and makes the film just that bit more unnerving. This is one of the most bonkers giallos I've seen - there were moments when I just didn't know what was going on - but stick with it and it's lots of fun.


Directed by: Renato Polselli
Starring: Mickey Hargitay, Rita Calderoni, Raul Lovecchio
Country: Italy

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie