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The giallo didn’t begin with Dario Argento, but his directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, is a signpost most critics and fans recognize as the defining moment which inspired the Italian film industry to flood the market with copycat productions featuring black-gloved killers, vapid victims and ridiculously obtuse titles. Argento himself participated in the process, considerably upping the gore and downsizing the plot with each new entry. But in 1970, Bird served as his calling card to the international film industry, and as such the director crafted a film much more reserved and “professional” than his later work, which suffered glorious highs (Deep Red, Suspiria) and embarrassing lows (Trauma, Phantom of the Opera). Bird is a roadmap to the genre before it became muddied with the footprints of countless producers looking for a quick buck. And while it may lack the visceral punch it once had, it retains the cinematic integrity lacking in most of the films it inspired. Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante) is a writer wrapping up a job in Italy, but the night before he’s set to fly back to the States he witnesses an assault on a woman inside an art gallery. Separated from the victim by glass doors, he watches helplessly as she bleeds on the floor and her supposed attacker escapes; “supposed” because Sam is bothered by something he saw...some vital piece of evidence he can’t quite pin down. This opening sequence is the highlight of the film and a perfect example of Argento’s skill at prolonging onscreen suffering, a talent used primarily for exploitational purposes in later films. Here he expertly puts us in Sam’s shoes; helplessness, frustration and fear all mingling into an uncomfortably powerful experience. Visually, Argento and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now) create an uneasy mood with striking camera angles interrupted by “memory flashes” of still images playing back in the protagonists mind. That Bird shows the genesis of an often brilliant visual style is no surprise; Argento evolved (or devolved, depending on your taste) along those lines from this point forward. But here he also works with a fully developed script and capable actors that ground the film. Musante in particular is a very sympathetic focal point for the audience, and his pursuit of a mystery better left alone is portrayed convincingly. Argento’s script plants hints and red herrings (which include a macabre painting and a squeaky sound effect) in typical Hitchcockian fashion, finally using a psychologist to explain away the killer’s identity and motivation, just as ‘ol Hitch did in Psycho. Those expecting liberal amounts of gore will be disappointed as most of the terrorizing amounts to a splatter of red coming from offscreen. And Bird comes nowhere near reaching the lunatic dream-logic nightmares Argento is now best known for. But what he does deliver is just as rare – a well-rounded thriller of wit, nuance and ice cold dread. Bird has always been the Argento film that earned mainstream respect and it's had a number of quality home video releases already. But Arrow Video tops them all in terms of HD transfer and extras. Visually, it's a real stunner with an impeccably film-like presentation that embraces the grain without losing the clarity. And most of the extras are new material including a commentary from author Troy Howarth, a spot-on visual essay, new analysis by crtic Kat Ellinger, new interviews with Argento and actor Gildo Di Marco (who plays an pimp with an endearing stutter) and limited edition booklet with illustrations.