``A Dressed to Kill'' I want to enjoy De Palma's technique more than Hitchcock's imitation.

A strange obsession with "mirrors"

Mirrors used in split screen depictions are used to an almost paranoid level in "Dressed to Kill." The mirror in the bathroom at the beginning, the rearview mirror reflecting the affair in the taxi, the mirror on Michael Caine's desk, the mirror reflecting the feet of the murderer... The best of all is the mirror in the elevator that reflects the murderer. Furthermore, there are many "reflective objects" that appear meaningfully, such as the glass in the bathroom, the murderer's sunglasses, the razor used in the crime, and the glasses of Keith Gordon who plays Peter! "Dressed to Kill" even makes you feel an obsession with multiple "reflections."

DRESSED TO Dressed to Kill(C) 1980 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Speaking of split scenes, spirit focus, which focuses on both people in the foreground and background on the same screen, is used frequently in this film, but it is also a technique that appears more effectively in many other De Palma films. It is a production that intends to have two places proceeding simultaneously, making the audience aware of something important happening in the background, not just the important "foreground."

Keith Gordon, who played the role of De Palma's alter ego in the film "Dressed to Kill," which was filled with many excessive techniques, went on to become a film director. He directed unique films such as "Chocolate War" (1988), which depicts a struggle against the pressures of Catholic schools, and the musical comedy " Bayside Shakedown " (2003), which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Mel Gibson, and in recent years has been active as a director of TV series such as " Homeland " and " Fargo ." Keith Gordon later reflected that his experience with De Palma in "Dressed to Kill" had a major impact on his subsequent directorial career.

Text: Hiroaki Saito

Became freelance in 1997, contributing movie reviews and interview articles to various media such as movie magazines, theater pamphlets, and movie sites. The column is constantly updated on Yahoo! News. Star Channel's program "GO! Theater" introduces the latest released works.

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"Dressed to Kill - 4K restored version"

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4,800 yen (excluding tax)

Publisher: New Line Co., Ltd.

Sold by: Happinet Corporation

DRESSED TO KILL (C) 1980 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.