It's often said that Italian cinema is based on repeating itself, and this is never truer than when it comes to the Giallo sub-genre; but every now and again, you'll come across a completely absurd effort that isn't like any other Giallo, and Eyes Behind the Wall is one of those films. However, despite its originality, it has to be said that the film really isn't all that good. Despite the themes of voyeurism (obviously inspired by Hitchcock's Rear Window), Eyes Behind the Wall is a rather tame film. Ideas of the spied-upon neighbour's more sordid antics aren't really explored, and even the final sickening twist doesn't feel too bad because of the matter-of-fact way that it is presented. The plot revolves around a wheelchair bound aging writer who has set up some equipment in his house so that he can spy on his next door neighbour, who apparently fascinates him and inspires him for his work as a writer. He soon gets his wife Olga involved in the voyeurism, and even convinces her to get involved with the neighbour in order to give her husband more information on the man he's spying on...
I'm not sure if the version I saw was cut or not (77 minutes long); but considering that this film is about sex, there's very little of it present. There's also not a lot of violence or murder, with most of those themes seeping in almost as an afterthought, probably to ensure that the film was considered a Giallo. It's actually more of a psychological thriller, with all the characters having some sort of vice that makes them sick enough to even be in this story. Aside from the central theme and the final twist, there's also a subplot involving a butler who obsesses over the lady of the house, which he does by taking her underwear and pubic hairs to worship them! The acting is actually quite good, and even though nobody stands out too much; it seems obvious that director Giuliano Petrelli wanted his trash film to have a little more class than most of its counterparts. Overall, I really wanted to like this more, as aside from being one of the more original entries in the genre, I can also admire the film for it's trashy themes. However, the execution is poor and the lack of blood and nudity is none too pleasing, meaning the resulting film feels a little flat.
