Directed by the noteworthy Giallo director Sergio Martino, “The Strange Vice of Mrs. Ward” (SVMW) is another good, watchable Giallo slasher movie. Like many of Martino’s creations, SVMW is a thrilling ride with a good storyline, great cinematography, and, of course, ample scenes of nudity and sex.

Edwige Fenech, the ‘Queen of Scream,’ a beautiful actress considered a sex symbol in her time, plays Mrs. Wardh. The acting performances in this movie, especially by Fenech, are surprisingly good, far superior to what one has come to expect from the Giallo genre.

Mrs. Julie Wardh is a fascinating character. She has led and continues to lead an unhappy yet fascinating life. The wife of diplomat Neil Wardh (Alberto de Mendoza), she has been unlucky in her relationships, thanks to her bad judgment of the character of her men.

After ending an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Jean (Ivan Rassimov), she is now bored, trapped in her loveless relationship with Neil. There is still more excitement to come her way. Funnily enough, the movie was originally titled “The Strange Vice of Mrs. Ward,” until a real-life Mrs. Ward protested, making it clear that her name should not be associated with women of Julie’s kind. Hence, an ‘h’ was added to the “Ward” in the title and to the name of its female lead. In the US, the same movie was released as “Blade of the Slasher.”

Flashbacks depict that Jean and Julie engaged in violent sex during their time together. Jean is physically violent, assaults Julie with his hands, and sometimes terrorizes her by slashing her with a knife when they have sex. Julie, strangely enough, seems to go along, not disliking the experience. Apparently, at some point, she left Jean, breaking the destructive pattern of abuse. She then picked Neil, choosing security and stability for herself.

The Wardhs return to Vienna from New York, where Neil was on assignment. At this time, Vienna is terrorized by a slasher-serial killer targeting women. If you have watched enough Giallo movies, you may come to believe that serial killers are as common as dirt (pun intended) in Italian society. At this stage in the plot, director Sergio Martino throws in a Hitchcock-style shower murder scene to set the tone.

Jean, still hoping to reconcile with Julia, continues to stalk her. Julie goes to an elite party where Jean, who is also in attendance, makes moves on her. She rejects his advances and stays close to Carol, her friend and confidant. Carol is the heiress to a large fortune from her uncle. Carol introduces Julia to George (George Hilton), who is smitten with her. (Aren’t they all?) Julie does not encourage George either, at least for now.

Later, at a lunch date with Carol, George makes a surprise appearance. Carol abruptly leaves, leaving Julie with George at the restaurant. George takes Julie on a ride, on the pretext of taking her back to her house, but instead, takes her to his, and you know what happens. Someone unseen watches the ‘proceedings’ and photographs Julie with George. Sure enough, a blackmailer calls Julie, threatening to reveal her encounter to Neil, and then demands a ransom. Julie strongly suspects that this person is Jean.

Julie confides in Carol about her tryst with George and the subsequent call from the blackmailer. Predictably, Carol volunteers to meet the mysterious person at the specified location, which is a thickly wooded park. There are no prizes for guessing what happens to Carol next.

Julie alleges to the investigating police officer (Carlo Alighiero) that Jean could be Carol’s killer, as he, like Carol’s killer, has a penchant for straight razors. After encountering some anxious moments, both in her reality and in her hallucinations, Julie elopes with George to Spain, seeking relief from her nightmarish predicaments. However, she soon realizes that her troubles are far from over.

Who is the vicious killer stalking Julie? Is it the same maniac killing women all over Vienna? Can poor Mrs. Wardh catch a break? Is the killer one of the men in her life? A series of unexpected twists and turns form the rest of the plot and finally reveal the reason behind the killings.

Edwidge Fenech as Julie really impresses in SVMW with a great performance, proving that she is more than eye candy. Beautiful as Julie is, she is a flawed individual, prone to picking the wrong men to be part of her life. Edwidge’s Julie is unsatisfied, vulnerable, and gullible, unable to find the strength to make her own decisions.

Ivan Rassimov also delivers a deliciously wicked and credible performance as the charismatic ruthless bad boy, Jean. George Hilton and Alberto De Mendosa too are great in their roles. The cinematography of the movie is also excellent. Its use of shadow effects in the nocturnal scenes is very reminiscent of film noir photography techniques.

SVMW is an enjoyable and steamy thriller.