Giornata nera per l'ariete or The Fifth Cord as it's better known hit the big screen in 1971. Adapted from the novel which was written by, David McDonald Devine, director Luigi Bazzoni gave fans of the giallo a film that offers more twists and turns than fans can possible keep up with. The film boasts a fine cast that includes; Franco Nero (Andrea Bild), Rossella Falk (Sophia Bini), Renato Romano (Dr. Richard Bini), Silvia Monti (Helene), Augostina Belli (Giulia), Maurizio Bonuglia (John Lubbock), Pamela Tiffin (Lu Auer), Ira von Fürstenberg (Isabel), Edmund Purdom (Edouard) and Wolfgang Preiss (Inspector).

Andrea Bild (Nero) is a hard-drinking and womanizing newspaper reporter that of late, has been falling into the bottle more than he's been stumbling into good stories, but all that changes following a New Year's party. Bild confronts former lover, Helene (Monti) and while that confrontation is taking place, John Lubbock (Bonuglia) is brutally attacked and found by a young couple making out under a bridge. The female half of the couple is Giulia (Belli), the sister of Lu Auer (Tiffin) who at present is the girlfriend of Bild. It seems Lubbock is in love with Isabel (Fürstenberg) and Isabel is currently involved with Edouard (Purdom) and so Isabel and Edouard quickly become suspects in the attack on Lubbock. Not long after the attack on Lubbock, the wife of Dr. Richard Bini (Romano), Sophia (Falk) is brutally murdered and it becomes apparent that the attendees of the New Year's party are becoming the victims of some brutal attacks and murders. Bild begins delving deeper and deeper into the case and he soon becomes the Inspector's (Preiss) main suspect.

The Fifth Cord is offered for the first time on DVD for Region 1 and looks quite nice. It's presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and looks very sharp with nice solid colors throughout. The only audio option is English (Dolby Digital 2.0/Mono) with no alternate audio options or subtitles. Bonus features include:

 This was my first viewing of, The Fifth Cord and I quite enjoyed it, but that's not to say this is an easy film to follow. There are a ton of red herrings and you find yourself guessing so much at times that by the midway point of the film, I simply stopped trying to figure anything out and sat back and enjoyed the film. It's a fantastic looking film and Nero definitely steals the show, but the entire film is enjoyable with the cast and crew appearing to give their all for the final product. The musical score by Ennio Morricone is outstanding and adds a lot to the film's atmosphere. I'm not sure if, The Fifth Cord is a good film to begin a first time giallo experience with as it has so many subplots, twists and turns that some viewers may become overwhelmed by the film, but if you're an established fan of the giallo, then chances are you'll want to check this film out and more than likely, add it to your collection.

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