“Your Vice Is a Locked Room, and Only I Have the Key,” directed by Sergio Martino in 1972, is an Italian Giallo film known for its intricate plot, psychological tension, and stylistic flair.
The story centers on Oliviero Rouvigny (Luigi Pistilli), a dissolute, alcoholic writer living in a decaying villa with his estranged wife, Irina (Anita Strindberg). Oliviero’s once-promising career has dwindled, and he now spends his days hosting decadent parties and abusing his wife. The film’s title is derived from a phrase he cruelly carves into a wall during one of his drunken rages.
Oliviero’s life takes a darker turn when his mistress, Fausta, is brutally murdered. The police begin investigating, and suspicion falls on Oliviero due to his violent behavior and connection to the victim. Simultaneously, Oliviero’s young and beautiful niece, Floriana (Edwige Fenech), arrives unexpectedly at the villa. Floriana’s presence adds to the tension, as her seductive and manipulative nature creates a volatile atmosphere.
Irina, already tormented by Oliviero’s abuse and the haunting presence of his deceased mother’s cat, Satan, becomes increasingly distressed by Floriana’s provocations and the ongoing police investigation. The arrival of Floriana shifts the power dynamics in the household. She seduces both Oliviero and Irina, manipulating them to serve her own hidden agenda.
As the story unfolds, more murders occur, including the maid and a local girl, further entangling Oliviero in a web of suspicion and fear. The police inspector (Franco Nebbia) intensifies the investigation, but the true motives and identities of the killers remain obscured by deception and intrigue.
Floriana, who seems to know more about the murders than she lets on, reveals her plan to inherit Oliviero’s wealth to Irina. Desperate and terrified, Irina forms an uneasy alliance with Floriana, but their plans spiral into betrayal and violence.
The film reaches its climax when Irina discovers Oliviero’s plot to kill her and frames him for the series of murders. In a dramatic twist, Floriana kills Oliviero, and Irina turns the tables on Floriana, revealing her cunning and ruthlessness. The story concludes with Irina inheriting the wealth and the villa, now free from Oliviero’s tyranny but deeply scarred by the events.
“Your Vice Is a Locked Room, and Only I Have the Key” is a masterful blend of psychological horror, eroticism, and mystery.
The Other Cinema 