MovieChat Forums > La casa dalle finestre che ridono (1976) Discussion > So many questions!

So many questions!

posted 14 years ago by Torgo_Area
3 replies | jump to latest

*Spoilers*
I just watched this movie. I enjoyed it, but wasn't really satisfied with many aspects of the film. I feel that although there were some red herrings, but also tons of discarded plot lines and questions left unanswered...especially the ending. And there were so many times we see someone's shadow or a window being closed by a mysterious figure. I guess its a combination of the priest/ paraplegic lady/villagers in general to lend a feeling of conspiracy? I'd love to hear some theories/answers:
1. Did the main character sleep with the first teacher? If so, did he keep his clothes on?
2. What was in that hanging bag that kept moving?
3. Why was Coppola obviously tortured or attacked and then left alone?
4. Why was the guy brought in to fix the painting if it would give away the village's secret? Was the mayor really trying to restore it to bring back tourists? Were the villagers covertly warring with each other on either the side of Solmi, who wanted to revitalize things, and the sisters who set up their cult in the church? That would explain why it was destroyed again. I remember Coppola said everyone but him went to church, I think, which could mean that they were all in the cult.
5. Why did the priest have such a young-looking booby?
6. What, if anything, did the wandering lady leaving flowers have to do with anything?
7. Did the mayor call the cops at the end to help him or pick up his body? (he placed a call after ignoring his cries for help, and at the end there were sirens, right?)
8. I can buy that they cleaned up the spot where they killed Francesca, but what about the buried bones, and the shot of the lower jaw bone after they gave up digging? Does that mean that the police are in on it I guess?
9. Did some of the guy's paintings look like Stefano dying to anyone else?
10. What's the deal with the mouths and flowers painted on the house???

One thing I think is that he got kicked out of the hotel because they realized that he was antagonizing the sisters by finding out too much. The owner and his wife (who the painter had been in love with) were not on the side of the cult, but weren't going to stand up to them or help Stefano. I thought the man said that the painting was of his wife, but then it said that no women would pose for him and they flashback to him painting himself, but its obviously a painting of a woman...and it looks like the priest's face, but also like the face could have been painted over.
I'm sure that I need to watch it again at least once..but I feel like I'll end up with more questions!

[–] snoblingoblin 14 years ago

question 1- He mentioned to that cute girl he was living with that "we stopped" so i guess they might not have engaged or he was lying to her.

2- not sure, maybe a cat? lol

3- maybe by the townspeople and not the sisters did it to shut him up?

4- I think they brought the restorer in to re-enact the murders.

5- don't know about the boobs- that part freaks me out the most! Had a bad dream about that sequence one night!

6- maybe she left the flowers out of sympothy knowing the cult or sisters would kill him and his lover?

7- The mayor felt guilty and almost called the police, but maybe felt doomed if he had, due to the fact he could be murdered in return?

8- Weren't the bones (the "drunk limo driver" Coppola? right character?) i thought he mentioned they were his families or something.

9- yeah it did look like him- like i mentioned above maybe they wanted to re-enact.

10- the flowers could be linked to the woman wandering and leaving flowers? The house with laughing windows being the title could possibly mean that the windows keep the sound within but can be seen through? Like the village can keep quiet as they watch what happens? I don't know!

GREAT MOVIE THO! A rare seen Italian Horror flick or Giallo if you will.

"I know it was you Fredo"

[–] smoovasbutter 14 years ago

I also have some questions regarding the movie:

1. What was the white stuff on the ground? I think it may have been the formaldehyde and it signified where they buried the bodies.

2. Why did Stefano get kicked out of the hotel? Did it really help the sisters' cause to have him move into the invalid's (sisters) house?

I'll try answer your questions,

The hanging bag probably contained a body or something.

I think the restaurant owner's wife may have been mentally ill and just walked around leaving flowers everywhere as a quirk of her personality. Maybe she used them as a symbol of warning to Stefano.

The mayor wanted to the fresco restored for tourism, but than I guess he realized that the sisters may resume killing because restoration would mean uncovering the clue to who the murderers are, and hence the cover up/reluctance to help.

They just wanted to shut Coppola up so he wouldn't talk no more.

I think at some point the sister went though sex reasignment surgery and took some testosterone treatments to look more masculine. That might've helped her have younger firmer boobs LOL.

As for the bones, I think they just dug up the bones and buried them somewhere else to cover it up. Of course they didn't do a perfect job, hence the jaw bone.

As for the mouths on the house I'm curious as to whether it was painted on the house for the movie or was it actually already there.

[–] fulcisbeard 9 years ago

As for the mouths on the house I'm curious as to whether it was painted on the house for the movie or was it actually already there.

I can answer this one at least! In the Shameless release of the film, an interview with Pupi Avati reveals that his brother Antonio was also the set designer and painted the mouths on the house. I guess it was supposed to be another symptom of the painter's madness. Plus, Gialli films generally have long and interesting, mysterious names. Perhaps the name was conceived first and so Avati decided to make this strange concept - 'laughing windows' on a house - part of the film's reveal towards the end.