What Have You Done to Solange?

I just read some of the previous "user comments" that stated that this film was boring, or not worth watching. These folks must belong to the generation accustomed to "Scream" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer" as being the epitome of a horror thriller. I don't care how jaded you are... If this film does not shock you, there's something inately wrong with you. (also... I was born in 1979, so a good deal of these "mainstream-ites" are close to my age) This film has a motive much more serious and understandable than many gialli. It is also the first film to make me shudder from the mere display of an X-ray. The plotline could have made an XXX masterpiece, but fortunately it is filmed in a rather un-exploitative style (even though photographed by the late "Joe D'Amato"). Anyone who finds this film "boring" is just looking for a cheap-scare each minute who doesn't care about the intelligence or thought put behind the story.

'What Have They Done To Solange?' can be seen sitting in the top ten list of many a giallo aficionado, and it's easy to see why: it offers fans of the genre almost everything they could possibly ask for, including, of course, the obligatory gloved killer, a ridiculously complex narrative with umpteen likely suspects, lovely cinematography and deft direction, plus a cool jazzy score (from the great Ennio Morricone). In addition to these 'essentials', there's also one hell of an unexpected death that packs quite a punch, and the application of a particularly unpleasant modus-operandi by the murderer—one that you certainly won't forget in a hurry! Set in an exclusive London girls' college (where every student is gorgeous, of course), the film sees a homicidal lunatic working his way through a group of pretty young things, all of whom are harbouring a dark secret from the past. As the police investigate the murders, student Elizabeth Seccles (Cristina Galbó)—who glimpsed the first murder whilst romping in a rowboat with handsome, married Italian professor Enrico Rosseni (Fabio Testi)—struggles to recall a vital visual clue that could help identify the maniac. Of course, this being a giallo, the plot doesn't always make perfect sense (it's a rare giallo that allows logic to get in the way of style) and the second half of the film definitely requires the suspension of disbelief: Enrico's estranged wife forgives her husband's affair on discovering that he hasn't made love to 18-year-old Elizabeth, and having reconciled their differences, the pair proceed to track down the killer. I don't know what is harder to believe: the fact that she forgives Enrico his infidelity so quickly, or that the Italian lothario wasn't banging a beauty like Elizabeth 24/7. Fortunately, these lapses in reason do little to mar one's enjoyment of the film as a whole: director Massimo Dallamano provides just enough clues as the story unfolds to keep us guessing until the very last moment; the clever script ties up all the loose ends with a satisfyingly sick motive for the murderer; and those of us who like the sleazier aspects of the genre will get a kick out of the constant female nudity (including a totally unnecessary, but very welcome shower scene), and several shocking glimpses of the victims' mutilated bodies.

This is a good murder mystery, based on an Edgar Wallace novel. It has all the ingredients of a good giallo: horrible murders, sex, religion and nightmarish flashbacks.(Especially the one at the end is bound to give you bad dreams). The plot isn't always logical, and the acting isn't very convincing. But the direction is good and the music by Ennio Morricone is one of the best scores he has ever made. If you like the movies of Dario Argento, you'll love this one.

What Have They Done To Solange gets a 10 for title creativity, as per Italian giallo tradition. The cinematography and direction are top shelf. The script is certainly intriguing. The acting is good. However the pacing, and lack of action and suspense, make it a tedious viewing experience. I found myself wanting it to be over. This is actually a hybrid of Krimi and Giallo; Fuchsberger and Baal made many Wallace films in the 60s and it "feels" like a mixture of both styles, with superior color photography thanks to D'Amato and Dalamano. Testi makes an okay giallo anti-hero: a good guy doing wrong things (like affairs with his students) but like most giallo leads, with the exception of James Franciscus in Cat O'Nine Tails and a few others, where does he find the time to investigate killings when he has an unrelated job? The Hollywood cliché of protagonists strong-arming and assaulting suspects and sources of information without fear of being charged by the police was alive and well in the gialli. I simply don't see the greatness in Solange that other gialli fans see. What Are Those Strange Drops Of Blood On Jennifer's Body? and Spasmo rate much higher on my list.

A group of friends from an all-girls school are being brutally murdered. The girls seem to be connected through Suspicion naturally falls on one of the teachers who had an affair with one of the girls. Even though his innocence is proved, he works to solve the case. The only real clue he has is a mysterious girl named Solange. If he is to stop the killer, he must discover the secret of what happened to Solange. A lot of the Gialli I've seen can realistically be described as quirky or campy. That's not the case with What Have You Done to Solange? It has a much more serious tone to it that can at times be almost depressing. I suppose if I were to compare it with any movie it would be Fulci's Don't Torture a Duckling. Both present dark, gritty portrayals of murder without a lot of the flash found in many of their brethren of the sub-genre. While much of the actual murder scenes take place off-screen, what is implied is as sick and twisted as you'll encounter. The gruesome aftermath of at least one of these deaths always leaves sick feeling in my stomach because of its brutality. And when you finally do meet Solange, she is as sad and pathetic a victim as I've ever seen in a movie. Overall, it's not what you would call a light-hearted watch, but it's one of the more engrossing Gialli I've seen.

In London, the Italian gym teacher Enrico 'Henry' Rosseni (Fabio Testi) is having a love affair with his eighteen year-old student Elizabeth Seccles (Christine Galbo), who is the daughter of the owner of the Catholic School where he works and she studies. His estranged wife Herta Rosseni (Karin Baal) is the mathematics teacher in the same school. On Sunday afternoon, Rosseni and Elizabeth are in a boat in a grove and the girl glances at a knife and a man hunting down a woman. Rosseni believes she is giving a pretext to avoid him and does not pay attention to her. On the next morning, Rosseni learns that a teenager was murdered in the river bank in the grove and he drives to the location. Inspector Barth (Joachim Fuchsberger) goes to the school since the victim Hilda studied there and soon Rosseni becomes the prime suspect since he protects Elizabeth, who could give an alibi to him. When a second student is murdered, Elizabeth recalls that the killer where a black soutane worn by priests. While the police investigate the suspects, Elizabeth is killed and Rosseni decides also to investigate. He teams up with Herta and the find the name of the mysterious Solange Beauregard. They seek her out but what might have happened to Solange? "Cosa avete fatto a Solange?", a;k;a "What Have They Done to Solange?" , is an intriguing giallo with a totally unpredictable story full of mystery and tension. The erotic plot is well-written with many twist and suspects. The conclusion surprises the viewer and it is worthwhile watching this film that is not dated. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "O quê Vocês Fizeram com Solange?" ("What Have You Done to Solange?) Note; On 10 Jun 2020 I saw this film again.

OK, this film isn't a masterpiece, but hardly any films are. Like most giallos, it's sometimes boring and hard to get through with long segments of talking. The murders were mostly brief and not as violent as they could've been, but still there was a somewhat original way they were carried out (I won't spoil it for anyone.) Really, I prefer Dario Argento and Mario Bava when it comes to giallo, but seriously, you have to be fair when judging this film and not compare this director to the greats, like Argento. So I suppose you could call this one of the better 'non-Argento' giallos. The film itself is definitely worth taking a look at, but don't expect much. At the very most, it's worth a 7/10, which is still a pretty good rating.

I tracked this down because of its reputation as a very complex mystery. I tolerated the bad production values, the odd dubbing, the gratuitous nudity and the misogynistic violence because of the promise of cleverness. If you are coming to this for the same reason, don't bother. Yes, it has a murderer and a motive not apparent in the beginning. No, the solution is not clever. No, it is not constructed so that you slap your forehead because you could have known. No, the ending doesn't make any sense except in the most artificial of worlds, worlds in which secret sex clubs exist. Yess, it has a score by Morricone, but in one of his sleeping moments. And you will get frustrated at the "vision" of the initial witness. The only interesting thing to say is that it is Italian made and set in London; the main character is Italian. Its mildly interesting to see how Italians see themselves as discriminated against and after proved worthy how they become the smartest and most earnest guys around. Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

An authentic and purely story-driven Giallo. That's how to describe this film best. `Solange' easily is one of the most compelling films I ever saw and the plot is pure gold! Several girls from a strict Catholic school are brutally murdered by a priest (or someone who's disguised as a priest). Police and teachers are unable to locate the killer, and prevent further deaths. Enrico, the handsome young teacher who has a romantic interest in one of the student, becomes the main suspect pretty quick. After he's proven innocent, he teams up with his estranged wife and decides to unmask the murderer himself. You really have to be careful when promoting this film to potential viewers. The film actually is one giant mystery that never stops developing itself. The synopsis I described above may sound dreadfully typical and déjà-vu, but you don't know half of it, I swear. That's what I appreciated so much about this film. The plot never stops thickening and the entire background of the killings isn't revealed until the very last minute! For example...I was closely paying attention to all the girls who get killed, but not once the name `Solange' is mentioned until the police and other amateur detectives are already on a dead end with their guesses and investigations. I think the whole premise is terrifically kept secret to the viewer and the clues are only given one by one. Let me tell you, this film digs real deep! You can't but respect the writing talent that features in this film. Unfortunately, "Solange" isn't a visual masterpiece like other specialists like Dario Argento make them. The budget clearly is limited and the film doesn't contain as much stylish gruesomeness as `Profondo Rosso', for example. But the substance is there, and in cases like this, it's more than enough to keep you entertained. Another praise goes out to the musical guidance. Ennio Morricone supplied this film with a wondrous and memorable score that lifts up the film to an even higher dimension. The opening sequence is burnt on my retina forever thanks to the music, which surely is Morricone's most effective non-western scores I heard till now. The acting performances are in conformity with the Italian standards…not highly impressive but bearable. Camille Keaton plays the mysterious `Solange' character. This name might ring a bell if you're a trained horror lover, as she played the leading role in the notorious film `I spit on your Grave'. In the rather exclusive cult-horror universe, this film stands as a masterpiece in my opinion. Admirers of rare, undiscovered gems will truly appreciate this film and regard it as highly as I do. `Solange' comes with my highest possible recommendation.

The intriguingly titled giallo classic "What Have You Done To Solange?" (1972) is a film that certainly does live up to its excellent word of mouth. While the less said about its twisty-turny story, the better, I can mention that the plot here concerns a string of brutal murders that have been plaguing an all-girls' Catholic school in London, and the hunky Italian gym teacher (well played by Fabio Testi) who is having an affair with one of the young women (the gorgeous Spanish actress Christine Galbo). But things get a bit complicated when this student witnesses one of the murders during a Thames pleasure outing... Regarding those murders, perhaps "brutal" isn't a strong enough word to describe them, as this giallo nutjob has a tendency to stick his knife...well, this is a family Web site, so perhaps I shouldn't say. Mercifully, these slayings are not at all graphic--the picture would have been rated XXX if they were, and would have been too terrible to watch. Indeed, this film features hardly any gore at all; the suggested acts are quite bad enough. Still, this is an excellent example of the giallo genre, with a meaty, involving story; numerous shifty-eyed suspects; loads of pretty women; and the requisite murder set pieces. Massimo Dallamano has directed his film impeccably, eliciting fine performances from every player; the legendary Ennio Morricone has supplied an alternately lovely/creepy score; and cameraman Aristide Massacasi has nicely captured the beauty of London and its countryside. The film has been superbly dubbed--indeed, it looks as if the actors were originally speaking in English!--but the image on the Shriek Show DVD that I just saw looks cropped at the edges, as the opening and closing credits reveal. Also, I couldn't get the extras to work, for some reason. Still, the film looks clean and bright, and is not to be missed. It was even better the second time I watched it!