Cats of Giallo

Cats are prominent images in a plethora of giallo films of the 1970s. This list is not exhaustive, but there are some moments of animals acting as feline omens or scary tricksters.

There are two major trends; when cats appear at climactic moments and when cats appear at moments of quiet which allude to the horrors about to come.

Cold Eyes of Fear (1971)

This orange cat appears during a climactic moment of horror. The male protagonist is searching the premises for the killer he believes is present. A booby trap is placed at the door to catch the killer exiting a room, but this cat trips the chord instead.

The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971)

This cat appears at the patio door of this couple's apartment at a moment of quiet when thingsjust start getting weird. The couple then stops what they are doing, goes to the door and lets the cat enter. For several moments, the camera focuses on the cat's eyes--so as to allude to the common belief that cats (or domestic animals) can sense danger.

Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye (1973)

Aside from what is given in the title, this cat plays an important interpretive role in this movie. The cat is entombed with the body of a murdered woman (supposedly an enchantress), but comes back to creep through. Voyeuristically, from its view we see the drama unfold. Not only does the cat ominously creep around in the background, but it attacks and interacts with the characters strangely.

Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974)

I previously reviewed this movie for the blog, but failed to mention the creepy leering cats. First, there is a cat that attacks Silvia (Mimsy Farmer) which belongs to an old female neighbor. Throughout the film, the old woman carries around the cat; and in a later scene repeatedly asks Silvia is she knows of the cat's whereabouts. If you remember, I mentioned that several of the people with whom Silvia associated were in on some fake "African voodoo" plan to coerce Silvia's actions. This moment further drives his paranoia.

Additionally, a male elder neighbor whom she regarded as father-like figure, feeds his cats the remains of her young friend who lives in the building. Here are these casts feasting on her fingers

Inferno (1980)

Dario Argento makes the image of a witch with her cat look scary. In this film, Mark, the male protagonist sits in a lecture hall amongst several students wearing headphones and reading sheet music. An enchanting young woman with lustful eyes and an open pandering mouth sits diagonally from him, petting her cat and staring bewitchingly in his direction. Wind and light aim themselves at her as she bewitches him in this manner. After this scene, Mark begins his discovery of the Three Sisters' legacy in a most horrifying manner.

-Sana