A bit of film history, folks:
A quick search of Google.com states that filmmaker Lamberto Bava reached the height of his commercial and critical success on the Italian scene during the 1980’s; and – lo and behold – it was at this time when producers hired the storyteller to make four telefilms that would serve as the foundation for an all-new television anthology. And why not? Bava had just completed Demons (1985), Demons 2 (1986), and Delirium (1987) – a Horror trifecta that won over audiences and clearly established his particular style of cinematic paranoia along with immersing viewers into such dark plights imaginable. Breaking out of the shadow of his father’s footsteps – the much-lauded Mario Bava – here the son was trying to expand the genre by both returning to basics and ratcheting up the realism. Giving him the opportunity to continue to explore such haunts on television probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but hindsight – as they say – is always 20/20.
What happened was that Bava produced content that broadcasters found these four installments – The Prince Of Terror, The Man Who Wouldn’t Die, School Of Fear, and Eye Witness – a bit too shocking, a bit too graphic, and a bit too over-the-top for their regular viewing audiences. As a consequence, the titles fell into obscurity as some do, some seeing the light of day with limited releases on home video (VHS) here and there. Languishing as either bootlegs or choppily edited fodder, the stories were mostly forgotten except by a few who continued to champion whatever airings they could muster. It was about as grave an oversight that’s ever happened; but now, thankfully, circumstances have changed.
Severin Films has once again come to filmdom’s rescue.
Plucking these features from obscurity, the distributor has put together High Tension: Four Films By Lamberto Bava for everyone’s consumption. It’s a four-disc Blu-ray set – along with an accompanying CD Soundtrack reflecting these flicks and others from the greater Bava catalogue – and it’s set to hit the marketplace in late August 2025. They’ve gracious provided me with an advance copy, so over the next few days or so I’ll be making my way through such filmic goodness, sharing my thoughts and observations on these true originals.
Today’s review: 1993’s Eye Witness, a rather impressive crime thriller starring Barbar Cupisti, Stefano Davanzati, Alessio Orano, Giuseppe Pianviti, Wanja Mary Sellers, and others. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the critical consensus is that this telefilm is the best of the bunch because it’s smart, presents an always timely yarn, and lays it all out on the table, leaving nothing to the audience’s guessing. A good flick that deserves some solid attention …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
A quick search of Google.com states that filmmaker Lamberto Bava reached the height of his commercial and critical success on the Italian scene during the 1980’s; and – lo and behold – it was at this time when producers hired the storyteller to make four telefilms that would serve as the foundation for an all-new television anthology. And why not? Bava had just completed Demons (1985), Demons 2 (1986), and Delirium (1987) – a Horror trifecta that won over audiences and clearly established his particular style of cinematic paranoia along with immersing viewers into such dark plights imaginable. Breaking out of the shadow of his father’s footsteps – the much-lauded Mario Bava – here the son was trying to expand the genre by both returning to basics and ratcheting up the realism. Giving him the opportunity to continue to explore such haunts on television probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but hindsight – as they say – is always 20/20.
What happened was that Bava produced content that broadcasters found these four installments – The Prince Of Terror, The Man Who Wouldn’t Die, School Of Fear, and Eye Witness – a bit too shocking, a bit too graphic, and a bit too over-the-top for their regular viewing audiences. As a consequence, the titles fell into obscurity as some do, some seeing the light of day with limited releases on home video (VHS) here and there. Languishing as either bootlegs or choppily edited fodder, the stories were mostly forgotten except by a few who continued to champion whatever airings they could muster. It was about as grave an oversight that’s ever happened; but now, thankfully, circumstances have changed.
Severin Films has once again come to filmdom’s rescue.
Plucking these features from obscurity, the distributor has put together High Tension: Four Films By Lamberto Bava for everyone’s consumption. It’s a four-disc Blu-ray set – along with an accompanying CD Soundtrack reflecting these flicks and others from the greater Bava catalogue – and it’s set to hit the marketplace in late August 2025. They’ve gracious provided me with an advance copy, so over the next few days or so I’ll be making my way through such filmic goodness, sharing my thoughts and observations on these true originals.
Today’s review: 1993’s Eye Witness, a rather impressive crime thriller starring Barbar Cupisti, Stefano Davanzati, Alessio Orano, Giuseppe Pianviti, Wanja Mary Sellers, and others. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the critical consensus is that this telefilm is the best of the bunch because it’s smart, presents an always timely yarn, and lays it all out on the table, leaving nothing to the audience’s guessing. A good flick that deserves some solid attention …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Elisa and Karl in a department store at closing time are about to steal a shirt, but Karl has to run to retrieve the car. And in the dark, after closing, Elisa witnesses the murder of Mara. Commissioner Marra thus has something to start the investigation with: an eyewitness. But she immediately discovers that Elisa is blind. And when a policewoman who was supposed to protect the witness is killed, things get complicated for the commissioner. And even more complicated when his relationship with Elisa begins to become a relationship of hate-love.”
When it comes to plotting out a theatrical murder mystery, there are essential two different types.
First, some storytellers prefer to withhold the identity of the big, bad villain, focusing on ramping up the mystery so that the procedure becomes an authentic whodunnit. Some of the fun of watching such an exercise is that it gives the audience the chance to play the role of the detective as well: they get to look for clues, they get to formulate their own theories, and they get to venture a guess at just who the guilty culprit is before the big reveal. A great number of projects have used this technique chiefly because it gives the production the hallmarks of a ‘twist ending’ without really offering a great deal of ‘twist,’ if you know what I mean.
Still, the other type of murder mystery isn’t so much a mystery at all: instead, those in the audience are in on just who pulled off the nefarious deed – we’re witnesses to the event itself – and they get to watch the layers of the resulting puzzle slowly dissolve as the events are structured more around the tensions rising before the villain is ultimately found out or undone by the other characters in the evolving story. Clue aren’t nearly as significant, of course, nor is there the vicarious thrill of playing Sherlock Holmes. There might be a lesser ‘race against time’ to watching the characters save themselves, but the puzzle is secondary to the pressure percolating in their efforts to achieve a measure of justice.
In that respect, Lamberto Bava’s Eye Witness falls into the latter category.
Elisa (played by Barbara Cupisti) is perusing blouses to purchase in a ladies store when she accidentally gets locked in after closing time. While she’s trying to get out, she overhears another woman’s flight from her attacker, a chase that ultimately takes the two right up to the locked glass doors of the retailor. Right in front of her, Elisa stands silent as the woman is choked to death and then smashed through the plate glass windows, left for dead on the cold mall floor.
The problem to all of this is that Elisa is blind, meaning that even though she’s the police’s only eyewitness to the event she can’t exactly positively identify the suspect in any meaningful and lawful way. Elisa insists that her heightened skills of perception when it comes to smell and ‘sensing’ a person’s aura (of sorts) can aid Commissioner Marra (Stefano Davanzati); and the only reason the inspector is willing to hear her out is his growing fascination with the young lady. Complicating the whole affair is the fact that the killer – the department store manager (Alessio Orano) – knows that she is working with the police; and he’ll stop at nothing to hunt her down and silence her from destroying his career and identity.
“Elisa and Karl in a department store at closing time are about to steal a shirt, but Karl has to run to retrieve the car. And in the dark, after closing, Elisa witnesses the murder of Mara. Commissioner Marra thus has something to start the investigation with: an eyewitness. But she immediately discovers that Elisa is blind. And when a policewoman who was supposed to protect the witness is killed, things get complicated for the commissioner. And even more complicated when his relationship with Elisa begins to become a relationship of hate-love.”
When it comes to plotting out a theatrical murder mystery, there are essential two different types.
First, some storytellers prefer to withhold the identity of the big, bad villain, focusing on ramping up the mystery so that the procedure becomes an authentic whodunnit. Some of the fun of watching such an exercise is that it gives the audience the chance to play the role of the detective as well: they get to look for clues, they get to formulate their own theories, and they get to venture a guess at just who the guilty culprit is before the big reveal. A great number of projects have used this technique chiefly because it gives the production the hallmarks of a ‘twist ending’ without really offering a great deal of ‘twist,’ if you know what I mean.
Still, the other type of murder mystery isn’t so much a mystery at all: instead, those in the audience are in on just who pulled off the nefarious deed – we’re witnesses to the event itself – and they get to watch the layers of the resulting puzzle slowly dissolve as the events are structured more around the tensions rising before the villain is ultimately found out or undone by the other characters in the evolving story. Clue aren’t nearly as significant, of course, nor is there the vicarious thrill of playing Sherlock Holmes. There might be a lesser ‘race against time’ to watching the characters save themselves, but the puzzle is secondary to the pressure percolating in their efforts to achieve a measure of justice.
In that respect, Lamberto Bava’s Eye Witness falls into the latter category.
Elisa (played by Barbara Cupisti) is perusing blouses to purchase in a ladies store when she accidentally gets locked in after closing time. While she’s trying to get out, she overhears another woman’s flight from her attacker, a chase that ultimately takes the two right up to the locked glass doors of the retailor. Right in front of her, Elisa stands silent as the woman is choked to death and then smashed through the plate glass windows, left for dead on the cold mall floor.
The problem to all of this is that Elisa is blind, meaning that even though she’s the police’s only eyewitness to the event she can’t exactly positively identify the suspect in any meaningful and lawful way. Elisa insists that her heightened skills of perception when it comes to smell and ‘sensing’ a person’s aura (of sorts) can aid Commissioner Marra (Stefano Davanzati); and the only reason the inspector is willing to hear her out is his growing fascination with the young lady. Complicating the whole affair is the fact that the killer – the department store manager (Alessio Orano) – knows that she is working with the police; and he’ll stop at nothing to hunt her down and silence her from destroying his career and identity.
Now, there is a bit more to the story as plotted out by Bava and screenwriters Massimo De Rita, Andrea Piazzesi, and Giorgio Stegani; but a fair amount of that is what critics might refer to as ‘set dressing’ that doesn’t really do anything more than give the film a bit of extra flavor. As she’s blind, Elisa had a friend from her nearby commune accompanying her on the big trip to the city – Karl (Giuseppe Pianviti) – and the troubled young man winds up being ‘considered’ by the police in their pursuit of a quick and easy solution to the investigation. There’s also a second police officer involved in the script – a female – who winds up dead in a curious bit of mistaken identity. While interesting, these developments really don’t advance the story in any meaningful way but rather serve to distract the players from closing in on the truth more quickly than Bava could deliver, which would make Eye Witness a vastly shorter film.
Still, Bava smartly builds the action around separating Elisa from the police and relocating his procedural to the aforementioned commune, a place where the differently abled coexist peacefully by relying heavily upon the support of those around them. Eventually, our assassin has to infiltrate his victim’s favored stomping grounds; and this turns out to be a bridge too far when she and her friends rather capably turn the tables on him with a set-up that’ll also find them innocent even though they commit a collective atrocity to protect themselves against one lone and depraved killer. As the saying goes, there’s always safety in numbers, even if those numbers aren’t exactly ‘whole’ when compared to folks living without such physical or sensory disadvantages.
Eye Witness resembles a great many like-minded thrillers audiences have embraced before and (probably) since.
1967’s Wait Until Dark plumbed the depths of isolation pitting a blind woman against three would-be assailants looking to recover a doll they think is stuffed with heroin; and 1971’s See No Evil showcases a blind woman frantically on-the-run from a bloodthirsty lunatic who killed her family. 1985’s Witness removes blindness from the equation, choosing to make the unfortunate bystander a young Amish boy who finds himself up against a police task force crooked as the day is long. This is the same territory that Bava uses to cast his landscape of domestic chiller; and it’s fairly easy to see exactly where all of it is heading despite any minor obfuscation the skilled director might force in the way. In other words, everyone knows this is all building to a showdown between the good and bad; what they don’t know is precisely what that destination might resemble until we get there. But without a doubt, Elisa’s skills will be no match for her adversary, and that is proven true in the closing stages.
Where Eye Witness fails to reach high marks is the fact that Bava leaves a bit of the killer’s motivations a bit nebulous. Initially, he’s played up to be a run-of-the-mill rapist who had the hots for his deliciously buxom secretary, only them to curiously evolve into a predator who apparently gets his sexual jollies by strangling a partner to death. Were that the case, then wouldn’t the man have some previous record of doing this? Were there really no warning signs for anyone involved along the way? And how did he apparently ‘get away with it' for so long without being questioned as a suspect? It’s all a bit too vague, and the script could’ve used a bit more substance in that regard.
Also, Eye Witness feels a bit bloated at times because of Bava’s artistic tendencies. Several sequences stretch out longer than are absolutely necessary, likely as the director though he was both establishing atmosphere and letting the tensions rise. I’ll always argue that I don’t need to see every single step a woman takes across a long apartment corridor unless there’s some really elaborate surprise at the ending: when there isn’t, then why was I forced to plod along with each and every movement? It’s a false sense of anxiety – one that cheapens the ride – and a bit of trimming was definitely in order.
Still, Bava smartly builds the action around separating Elisa from the police and relocating his procedural to the aforementioned commune, a place where the differently abled coexist peacefully by relying heavily upon the support of those around them. Eventually, our assassin has to infiltrate his victim’s favored stomping grounds; and this turns out to be a bridge too far when she and her friends rather capably turn the tables on him with a set-up that’ll also find them innocent even though they commit a collective atrocity to protect themselves against one lone and depraved killer. As the saying goes, there’s always safety in numbers, even if those numbers aren’t exactly ‘whole’ when compared to folks living without such physical or sensory disadvantages.
Eye Witness resembles a great many like-minded thrillers audiences have embraced before and (probably) since.
1967’s Wait Until Dark plumbed the depths of isolation pitting a blind woman against three would-be assailants looking to recover a doll they think is stuffed with heroin; and 1971’s See No Evil showcases a blind woman frantically on-the-run from a bloodthirsty lunatic who killed her family. 1985’s Witness removes blindness from the equation, choosing to make the unfortunate bystander a young Amish boy who finds himself up against a police task force crooked as the day is long. This is the same territory that Bava uses to cast his landscape of domestic chiller; and it’s fairly easy to see exactly where all of it is heading despite any minor obfuscation the skilled director might force in the way. In other words, everyone knows this is all building to a showdown between the good and bad; what they don’t know is precisely what that destination might resemble until we get there. But without a doubt, Elisa’s skills will be no match for her adversary, and that is proven true in the closing stages.
Where Eye Witness fails to reach high marks is the fact that Bava leaves a bit of the killer’s motivations a bit nebulous. Initially, he’s played up to be a run-of-the-mill rapist who had the hots for his deliciously buxom secretary, only them to curiously evolve into a predator who apparently gets his sexual jollies by strangling a partner to death. Were that the case, then wouldn’t the man have some previous record of doing this? Were there really no warning signs for anyone involved along the way? And how did he apparently ‘get away with it' for so long without being questioned as a suspect? It’s all a bit too vague, and the script could’ve used a bit more substance in that regard.
Also, Eye Witness feels a bit bloated at times because of Bava’s artistic tendencies. Several sequences stretch out longer than are absolutely necessary, likely as the director though he was both establishing atmosphere and letting the tensions rise. I’ll always argue that I don’t need to see every single step a woman takes across a long apartment corridor unless there’s some really elaborate surprise at the ending: when there isn’t, then why was I forced to plod along with each and every movement? It’s a false sense of anxiety – one that cheapens the ride – and a bit of trimming was definitely in order.
But as a whole I liked Eye Witness if for no other reason than it knew what it was, where it was heading, and delivered me there with minimal surprise but maximum effect. Cupisti made for a fetching centerpiece even though she’s occasionally shackled with dialogue that feels like it would’ve been coming from a much younger potential victim; and Davanzati – despite succumbing to all-too-typical sexual attraction with the lady he’s trying to protect – also feels like his lead inspector had everyone’s best interests at heart across his investigation. The added flavor of a few subplots never accounted to anything more than side dishes to an effective main course, so much so that they got out of the way when no longer needed and left me to enjoy the meal.
Eye Witness (1993) was produced by Hamster Productions, La Cinq (La 5), and Reteitalia. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought the provided sights and sounds to this 2K restoration (from the original camera negative) were quite good, though I’ll admit that the English-dubbed track occasionally didn’t quite match up the way I’ve seen done better elsewhere. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There are a few shorts here – good – along with an audio commentary track from Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth: I’ve mentioned before problems with actually comprehending Thompson – he speaks far too quickly for my ears, sounding more like a failed auctioneer than a great commentator – and, sadly, the same is true here. Someone really needs to tell that guy to slow down a bit.
Strongly Recommended.
Because Eye Witness (1993) might not be viewed as all that original by some, I suspect that the title could be overlooked; and I find that very sad. It possesses solid enough central performances and an interesting enough premise to carry its own weight from start-to-finish; and Cupisti really rules the day come the showdown her character orchestrates to protect herself and those around her (whether she intended it or not). I will concede that the villain could’ve used a bit more substance behind what I suspect had to be a campaign of terror that exists before his dark deeds here; and, yet, overall, I still had a good deal of respect for Bava’s efficiency as a visual storyteller. It’s not without a bit of Giallo-style bloat but a winning effort come the ending.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Eye Witness (1993) as part of their High Tension: Four Films By Lamberto Bava release by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. This contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Eye Witness (1993) was produced by Hamster Productions, La Cinq (La 5), and Reteitalia. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought the provided sights and sounds to this 2K restoration (from the original camera negative) were quite good, though I’ll admit that the English-dubbed track occasionally didn’t quite match up the way I’ve seen done better elsewhere. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There are a few shorts here – good – along with an audio commentary track from Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth: I’ve mentioned before problems with actually comprehending Thompson – he speaks far too quickly for my ears, sounding more like a failed auctioneer than a great commentator – and, sadly, the same is true here. Someone really needs to tell that guy to slow down a bit.
Strongly Recommended.
Because Eye Witness (1993) might not be viewed as all that original by some, I suspect that the title could be overlooked; and I find that very sad. It possesses solid enough central performances and an interesting enough premise to carry its own weight from start-to-finish; and Cupisti really rules the day come the showdown her character orchestrates to protect herself and those around her (whether she intended it or not). I will concede that the villain could’ve used a bit more substance behind what I suspect had to be a campaign of terror that exists before his dark deeds here; and, yet, overall, I still had a good deal of respect for Bava’s efficiency as a visual storyteller. It’s not without a bit of Giallo-style bloat but a winning effort come the ending.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Eye Witness (1993) as part of their High Tension: Four Films By Lamberto Bava release by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. This contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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