Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

Puzzle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 15, 2021

Films featuring focal characters who are amnesiacs are often almost automatically involving, since the audience finds itself in exactly the same predicament as the hero (or heroine), namely trying to figure out who's who and what's what. There have been a number of rather interesting movies which have utilized this conceit, including Hitchcock's legendary Spellbound, as well as one of my own personal favorites, 1965's Mirage. Puzzle has been perhaps inaccurately termed a giallo, but it might be better assessed as yet another treatment of a guy who can't quite remember who he was, and therefore doesn't know whom to trust or whether whatever "reality" he's being fed by various people is actually the truth. One of the interesting things about that treatment in Puzzle is how a focal character initially introduced as Peter Smith (Luc Merenda) has actually been suffering from amnesia in London for some eight months, after a car accident (the film seems to suggest he may have been in something like a coma for some time, though he seems awfully spry and relatively cogent, if so). Many other films dealing with amnesiacs tend to pick up the story at more or less the moment the sufferer starts exhibiting symptoms, which can give viewers an immediate sense of being unsettled. That's probably accomplished in more or less the same way in Puzzle, however by having Pete quickly interact with a guy named Philip (Manfred Freyberger) who shows up at Pete's psychiatrist's office, where Pete has been trying to unravel the secrets of his psyche. Philip claims to know him, and when the two are alone socks him in the jaw and informs him his name is not in actuality Pete but Ted Walden, and that he is in fact a two bit con artist, something that leads Philip to believe Pete/Ted may be faking his memory loss (a plot point which recurs throughout the story). On the plus side, Philip tells the newly christened Ted he evidently has a wife named Sara Grimaldi (Senta Berger) who is waiting for him in Italy. Philip's information download is brought to a sudden end when he's shot through a window, which then leads to one of those unintentionally hilarious moments that occasionally dot this film. If you had just seen someone killed by a bullet zinging through a plate of glass, would you run over to that window, open it and look around outside? Well, Pete and/or Ted does just that, though of course there's really nothing to be seen.

Ted is of course quickly reunited with Sara in Italy, and one might expect yet another information dump from her to be forthcoming, but in yet another conceit this film attempts to capitalize on, it turns out the two are curiously unacquainted with each other for a variety of reasons. That said, Ted quickly finds out that even Sara, as little as she perhaps claims to know, isn't shy from detailing perceived flaws in her spouse, and in fact it does appear that Ted may be a two bit con artist, especially when it seems like someone with malevolent intent may be stalking him and Sara.

There's quite a bit to like about Puzzle, though it's frankly kind of odd as to why this film might have ever been considered a "real" giallo. There are thriller elements, of course, and a couple of kind of graphic moments (including one involving the horrifying killing of a dog, just so that any charter PETA members are forewarned), but there's not really the mysterious killer clad in black or some of the more hyperbolic aspects, including stylistic proclivities, that can sometimes inform the genre. The central mystery works reasonably well, even if it is slightly overheated, but the screenplay actually keeps its secrets relatively well hidden which can offer a surprise or two in the final act.

Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Puzzle is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of VCI Entertainment and MVD Visual with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.00:1. The back cover of this release states "new 4K restoration from 35mm archival print". VCI has often struggled with its Blu-ray releases, and while some of what's seen here is definitely source related, there are still a number of issues to address. The print utilized is in pretty ragged shape, as can easily be gleaned from the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review. Color timing is hugely variant throughout, with some moments having an obvious cyan skew, other leaning heavily toward magenta, and even others showing a kind of sickly green permeating the palette. There's quite a bit of damage to be spotted, including some rather large scratches, nicks and other blemishes, along with things like reel change markers. This is another VCI release where, while there may be grain in evidence (at least if you look for it), the overall appearance is filtered and pretty soft. What is most perplexing about this release, however, and which is actually not the first time I've encountered this anomaly on a VCI release, is the obviously if slightly anamorphically stretched presentation, which ends up being in 2.00:1 instead of 1.85:1. It's pretty obvious (to my eyes, anyway), that things are just a tad too wide throughout (look at Senta Berger's head and face in screenshot 2 for just one example). How this sort of thing keeps happening might suggest some better QC protocols might be in order.

Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Things are at least marginally better in the audio department, though VCI has included only a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono track in English. There's not the rampant damage or huge fluctuations in the audio that are in evidence with regard to the video, but there's a definite lack of dynamic range and a bit of stridency in the upper frequencies. Fidelity is decent if not mind blowing. Dialogue is rendered cleanly, though there are occasional moments of minor age related hiss and background noise. Optional English subtitles are available.

Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

VCI hasn't always offered very many supplements on its releases, and so it's to be commended for offering at least a few on this one:

• Commentary by Kat Ellinger can be accessed under the Setup Menu.


• Bird With the Crystal Plumage Italian Trailer (HD; 3:10)


• Bird With the Crystal Plumage English Trailer (HD; 2:44)


• Blood and Black Lace Italian Trailer (HD; 3:21)


• Blood and Black Lace English Trailer (HD; 1:00)


• Giallo Poster Gallery (HD; 4:14) offers an interesting assortment of marketing materials, but it's also interesting that this feature has LPCM 2.0 audio offering two rather nice sounding cues to underscore the offering, which may beg the question as to why the main feature only has lossy audio.

Additionally, an accordion style foldout insert is included which offers an essay by Alexandria Heller-Nicholas.

Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Puzzle actually has an interesting enough premise, and it's kind of fun trying to figure out what's going on along with Pete or Ted or Edward or whatever his name really is, but the film tends to traffic in a few too many clichés for its own good (including an ultimate revelation about a missing cache of drugs that is downright rote). This is another release from VCI that is unfortunately beset with technical deficits, especially in the video department, but VCI has at least included some supplements this time, for those who may be considering making a purchase.