The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire

Summary

Fans of giallo films have consistently been rewarded by Arrow Video’s releases on the Blu-ray format. The small distribution label out of the UK has recently released The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire. This film’s name should jump out to giallo fans due to its reliance on an animal for the title – taking cues from films like The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. Directed by Riccardo Freda, the film is primarily interesting due to the locations where it takes place – Dublin, and for a few moments, Switzerland. It also features a lush and inviting soundtrack composed by Stelvio Cipriani. Let’s dive in!

As the film begins a woman smokes a cigarette. Someone is in her house. Her phone line has been cut. She screams “You!” as a black gloved killer wearing sunglasses throws acid into her face and then slits her throat. In Dublin, at a wealthy home of the Swiss Ambassador, a driver pulls up to pick up Mrs. Sobieski and her family. When they open the back hatch of the car they find the dead woman’s body. The murderer sends in a passport that identifies the woman as being from Holland. Inspector Lawrence arrives to interview Ambassador Sobieski. He asks if the ambassador had known that woman. He denies knowing her. The ambassador suggests that somebody had put the body in his car to create a scandal and a form of tension between the two countries. They interrogate the driver. Meanwhile, the ambassador pays off a man. The ambassador visits a bar and pays a singer to corroborate his story. She asks for more money. Her body is found shortly after with a stab wound to the neck. A black glove kills the power to the bar. The Ambassador’s daughter meets a man outside the bar and they go back to the embassy and hook up. She doesn’t realize she has brought home an investigator for the police department.

As far as giallo films go – this one ranks somewhere in the middle. The biggest hangup for the film is that the plot itself is so dense and full of red herrings that it becomes difficult to fully follow what has transpired in the movie until the end. Giallo films always have twists and are fairly convoluted, but this film is even more so than usual. While watching the film it would be basically impossible to figure out the killer’s identity, despite the film treating the audience as if it is dropping clues and hints. This isn’t the biggest deal, but I think it is one of the reasons that this film has not been brought up in the same breath as some of the better examples from the genre.

The biggest asset for the film is its unique settings. I can not think of any other giallo film that takes place in Ireland or in Switzerland. These locations make the film stand out visually and the film more interesting for the viewer. The Switzerland scenes reminded me briefly of the movie Charade. The film also benefits from a great soundtrack from composer Stelvio Cipriani. The compositions are lush and wonderful. Arrow Video was so taken with them that they have released them on a vinyl for fans to purchase.

The acting in the film is pretty enjoyable. It has some of the overacting that fans of the genre will appreciate. Every reaction in the film is heightened. The standout actors in the film are Luigi Pistilli and Anton Diffring with standout actresses Dagmar Lassander and Valentina Cortese. None of these let the audience down with their performances, playing each role to the hilt. I really liked Valentina Cortese in the film in her small role. Luigi Pistilli is always an enjoyable performer but I may prefer him more in supporting roles rather than in the lead. Riccardo Freda pushes all of them into saying some fairly ridiculous and over-the-top things while keeping serious faces.

There is one scene in the film that gave me pause. There is a scene where a young actress is attacked and I could not determine the age of the actress. This was problematic because her chest was exposed. While the scene is pretty minor, I still thought it would be worthy of pointing out for the unsuspecting viewer. The scene made me feel uncomfortable.

Overall – this is a middle of the road giallo film. It is not as amazing as some of the gialli, but it is not bad either. There is a lot to enjoy, but it is a little bit forgettable due to how many ideas made their way into the script.

Video

Arrow Video have provided a brand new 1080p HD transfer that was remastered specifically for this release in 2018 using an MPEG-4 AVC encode from a 2K scan. The film is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Here is what the booklet had to say:

“The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire (L’iguana dalla lingua di fuoco) is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with Italian and English mono audio. Scanning and restoration work was completed at L’Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 2K resolution on a pin-registered Arriscan. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, picture instability and other instances of film wear were repaired or removed through a combination of digital restoration tools and techniques. The film was graded on Digital Vision’s Nucoda Film Master at R3Store Studios, London. All original materials used in this restoration were accessed from Movietime.”

This new transfer is pretty fantastic. The grain is very fine and the detail is excellent. There are some scenes that have softer focus in the style of the time, but very infrequently. This movie looks great. Visually the film is very appealing thanks to the location shooting in both Dublin and Switzerland. Fans are going to be very impressed!

Audio

The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire has been given two LPCM Mono tracks – Italian or English. Here is what the booklet had to say:

“The mono Italian and English language tracks were remastered from the optical sound negatives. The audio synch will appear slightly loose against the picture, due to the fact that the dialogue was recorded entirely in post-production, as per the production standards of the period.”

Both tracks are enjoyable. The dynamic range is limited as one would expect. The excellent score by Stelvio Cipriani sounds fantastic in these LPCM tracks. I think fans are going to be impressed with how clean everything sounds.

Supplements:

•Audio Commentary – Adrian J. Smith and David Flint have a lively and frequently very funny conversation regarding the film and the over the top antics within it. One of the best features on the disc.

• Of Chameleons and Iguanas – film critic Richard Dyer discusses The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire’s place in history among other giallo films. An enjoyable but slight piece.
• Considering Cipriani (1080p; 25:58) Lovely Jon discusses the multi-talented composer Stelvio Cipriani. 
• The Cutting Game – an interview with assistant editor Bruno Micheli. He discusses working as an assistant editor in the heyday of Italian exploitation cinema. Look at his credits on IMDB and you will see that he has worked on some of the most notorious films of that era.
• The Red Queen of Hearts – this interview with actress Dagmar Lassander is pretty interesting. She discusses her early start in Germany as a model and how she became embroiled in the Italian film scene. She also shares numerous memories from her glory years. 
• Original Trailers
• Image Galleries

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 3.5/5

The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire is an entertaining but somewhat forgettable giallo film. There are aspects I really enjoyed but there was also a scene that crossed a line that had no need to be crossed. This film never really elevates to the level of some of the best giallo films, but it definitely has its moments. The film features a beautiful score and some great scenery that makes up for some of my apprehensions. The new transfer by Arrow Video is stunning and the supplements are enjoyable. Fans will want to own this version and newcomers may want to consider a rental prior to a purchase.