Review of Puzzle

Puzzle (1974)
7/10
Dull middle, but good beginning & end
1 September 2022
Luc Merenda has amnesia. He woke up from an auto accident about a year ago and has been unable to remember anything about his life. He had identification on him, but nothing can be found about his past. His psychiatrist introduces him to someone who claims to know him, but he immediately attacks Merenda demanding to know where the stuff is. Someone shoots and kills him through Merenda's window.

Merenda learned a bit from the guy. He learned that his name is actually "Ted Walden" and that he has a wife waiting for him in Italy. When someone sends him info about his wife and a train ticket, he goes to see her.

His wife is Senta Berger. She's assumed for the last year that Merenda ran out on her. She learns of his imminent arrival, but someone breaks into her house ... but doesn't take anything. When Merenda arrives, he's confronted by Bruno Corazzari who claims they are friends and partners in a shady deal that was to net them $1 million. The problem is that Merenda has the goods, and if he doesn't start remembering, the big boss will come after all of them.

After this fairly compelling setup, this film settles into a long rut before livening up for a delightfully absurd climax involving Chekhov's chainsaw and a villain undone when the rug is literally pulled out from under him. I think anyone watching this will know who the main villain is long before the film bothers to tell you, but it's a mildly entertaining diversion. It's pretty tame for a giallo, especially one this late in the cycle, but Duccio Tessari delivers this one just fine.

Anita Strindberg has a tiny, but fairly significant role.
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