L'arma l'ora il movente (1972)

by Mark Murton

English Title: The Weapon, The Hour, The Motive

Directed by: Francesco Mazzei

This review contains a mild Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A handsome young priest who teaches in a convent has been having affairs with two different women but when he repents and vows to return to his faith he is murdered. Unbeknownst to the police, whose investigation stalls due to lack of evidence, the murder was witnessed by a young boy, Ferruccio (Arturo Trina), putting his life in danger.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The opening shot of the film is of Ferruccio sitting at the window of his room watching the nuns play badminton as he cuddles his black kitten.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina in window holding black kitten

In the next scene the priest, Don Giorgio (Maurizio Bonuglia), accidentally drives over the convent gardener’s flowers. The furious gardener (Aldofo Belletti) curses at the priest and threatens to cut his head off with the sickle he is holding. He is still fuming as Ferruccio and one of the nuns arrive on the scene, declaring, “One of these days I’ll kill him.”

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina holding black kitten with gardener Aldofo Belletti

Ferruccio is next seen in his room on the bed with the kitten beside him with a yellow cord / lead around its neck.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina sitting on bed with black kitten

Ferruccio’s teacher and ward, Orchidea (Bedy Moratti), arrives to give him an injection during which there is a quick insert of the kitten on the bed.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - black kitten on bed

Ferruccio’s room has access to the church attic where a hole in the ceiling allows him to spy on the activity around the altar. One night Ferruccio is in the attic playing marbles with the kitten who is keen to join in.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - black kitten playing with marble

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - black kitten playing with marble animated gif

As Ferruccio watches something going on below, the kitten sits patiently nearby. Ferruccio accidentally lets one of his marbles fall down the hole which bounces noisily on the floor below. An unidentified shadowy figure pauses at the sound but then hurries away.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina looking through hole in ceiling with black kitten

Despite numerous other scenes featuring Ferruccio, the kitten disappears from film for over an hour with no explanation offered for its absence, nor does it seem to be missed by anyone! Much later Ferruccio enters the attic again and there is the kitten sitting near the spy hole (so are we to assume the poor thing has been there all this time?)

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - black kitten standing by hole in ceiling

Holding the kitten none-too-gently, Ferruccio gathers a suitcase from a cupboard by the wall.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina holding black kitten as he grabs suitcase

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina holding black kitten

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina looking at letter while holding black kitten

Suddenly Orchidea appears from the shadows and slaps Ferruccio hard across the face, at which point the kitten somehow swings up on its lead to fly into Orchidea’s face, which makes no logical sense at all.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - black kitten flying in face of Orchidea

The kitten is knocked to the ground, where the poor baby knocks over a clear glass jar containing the marbles.

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - black kitten knocking over glass container of marbles

The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive - L'arma l'ora il movente - Ferruccio Arturo Trina being slapped by Orchidea Bedy Moratti causing black kitten to fly into her face animated gif

At the end of the film Inspector Boito (Renzo Montagnani), who has been investigating the murder, has his attention drawn to the hole in the ceiling by an increasing cascade of marbles falling to the church floor. He quickly ascends to the attic where he finds the kitten playing with the marbles which continue to fall down the hole. Another discovery finally leads to the Inspector finally solving the case.