Review: What Have You Done to Solange? (1972)

(aka Cosa avete fatto a Solange?)
Directed by: Massimo Dallamano
Starring: Fabio Testi, Karin Baal, Joachim Fuchsberger
Written by: Bruno Di Geronimo, Massimo Dallamano
Music by: Ennio Morricone
Country: Italy, West Germany
Available on: Blu-ray (Arrow)
IMDb

What Have You Done to Solange? is known for two things primarily: It’s weird and provocative title (though this one actually has something to do with the story!) and its killer’s perverse predilection for puncturing the female genitals with knives. That second bit plays out just as brutally as you imagine and though none of it is explicitly shown on screen, it’s going to make you cringe anyway. In fact, where it concerns actual visible gore, this giallo is pretty lightweight, especially compared to the works of the Lucio Fulcis and Dario Argentos of the world. But it manages to be sleazy as hell all the same, focused on female, often-nude college students, who are all part of a sex club, being offed via the aforementioned nastiness. There’s a whole lot of male gaze going on here and this is one of the most misogynistic gialli I’ve seen, and we’re talking about a genre packed solid with contempt for feminine wiles. The entire film is a bitter rant against progressive sexuality and abortion, but it’s still pretty damn good. Massimo Dallamano shoots the film with a lot of confidence, if not necessarily flair, and it moves along briskly without getting too caught up in its own story entanglements, though it’s also better plotted than many of its kin. The story is compelling and lurid. This definitely feels “dangerous,” with a killer that’s genuinely sadistic and harboring a hateful agenda. Ennio Morricone once again works his magic by providing a lushly ominous backdrop to the seediness. Fabio Testi is excellent in the lead role, with enough charm to keep you rooting for him but some smarm to keep you suspicious. What Have You Done to Solange? is nowhere near the flashiest, most artful giallo ever made, but its pure storytelling finesse is accomplished, which is a rare boon in Italian genre filmmaking. Even more rare is its satisfying ending, tying up everything nicely without relying heavily on verbal diarrhea from a police detective. This is enjoyable sleaze through and through if you’ve got a taste for its brutishness.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10