Luc Merenda plays Pete, a guy in London who has no memory following a car crash eight months previous. In fact, although his driving license says Peter, he might actually be called Ted. At least that's what the guy who tries to kill him calls him, before he himself is killed by a mystery assassin. It's around this time that Pete/Ted receives a telegram telling him to get ass over to Italy, where his wife is waiting for him. Problem being is that Ted didn't even know he was married.

Still, he heads over there anyway, and luckily enough a mysterious guy with a runny nose points out his wife at the train station. Now Sara's got problems of her own, seeing as she'd written off Ted's disappearance and now gotten a job as a swimming instructor at a local school, hooking up with new guy Reinhart (Orisini). Sara actually finds this new Ted a lot more pleasing than the old one, and starts falling in love with him all over, much to the dismay of Reinhart.

Runny nose guy turns out to be George, a very aggressive man who claims that Ted owes him something, and that he needs it before 'they' kill him, and if doesn't get it, he's going to kill Ted, but Sara first. Ted around this time also starts getting flashes of the past, and that turns out not to be good news, as his first recalled memory is seeing a man getting his throat cut by a mystery figure. To make things worse, George also starts on Sara, but when someone slashes her dog's throat, he's adamant that it wasn't him.

The first thing you'll notice is the complete absence of the black gloved killer in this giallo, but all the mysterious plot elements are there for the viewer to figure out. Is Ted suffering from amnesia or is he pretending? If he's not pretending, how can he trust anything that's going on, or anyone he meets? And what exactly is it that George is after?

This film, while not action packed, has a lot going for it. Starting with the great cinematography and use of colour (as usual for a giallo),the predominant colour here is blue, which appears in many shades and forms. Better still is Bruno Corazzari having a much larger role than usual. He always plays sinister types, but here he's given the space to branch out and his presence hangs over much of the film. His best scene is when he corners Sara, who is recovering with a broken leg, and just stands throwing lit match over lit match at her. Not life threatening, but a tense scene indeed. Umberto Orisini also has a bigger role than usual and has a very natural acting style I notice, that serves him well throughout the film. Luc Merenda of course is all eyebrows and glowering, and still comes across like a really thin Arnie.

There's a lack of blood and gore in this one that pays off in a later scene involving a chainsaw. One thing I did notice was that when one character falls to their death, the dummy's head falls off. Strange gaff from Tessari, whose composition and execution are usually flawless.

Luc Merenda suffers from amnesia.His memory is fragmented but he seems to remember that he was once married to Senta Berger.When he returns to her his past partners in crime appear and want to get the money he has hidden somewhere...Superbly shot Italian giallo with violent and exciting finale which includes chainsaw vs chair duel.Luc Merenda is a pretty good lead and Senta Berger makes for a beautiful heroine and there's also a smaller role for genre regular Anita Strindberg.There are several suspenseful moments in "Puzzle",so fans of Italian gialli won't be disappointed.The film lack sleaze and high body-count,but overlook that and you have one of the best Italian giallos of early 70's with lovingly breezy Gianni Ferrio score.8 giallos out of 10.

An obscure and rather subtle Italian giallo which forsakes a string of bloody murders in favour of building up a gentle atmosphere of suspense. This isn't one of the finest films of the genre but neither is it one of the worst, instead a matter-of-fact movie that sits amiably in the middle and is worth at least one watch for genre fans. The slow pacing of the first half is a little off-putting at first but the movie soon picks up to offer plenty of menace and some fine action at the finale. The central theme of the film is that old chestnut of the participant having lost his memory and having to gradually piece together the events leading up to his current situation but the interest is retained through some interesting, fleshed-out characters who make the whole thing worthwhile.

The small cast also deliver accomplished performances adding to the viewer's enjoyment. First up is Tommy Lee Jones lookalike Luc Merenda playing the amnesic victim. Although the character is a romantic led, Merenda still keeps something sinister and hidden about him, a man with a dark past who may not be entirely trustworthy. This ambiguity surrounding his character makes for an interesting part and Merenda pulls it off performance-wise. Rather more straightforward is Senta Berger's turn as the heroine, a damsel in distress who is repeatedly menaced by human scum George (a wicked part played superbly by Bruno Corazzari) who in one memorable scene throws lighted matches at her. Finally we have Umberto Orsini as a doctor and family friend who may or may not be hiding some dark secrets of his own; Orsini is also very good in the part. The only other notable cast member is a young boy who is actually rather endearing.

Don't come here looking for a blood and guts movie because in terms of bloodshed it's fairly restrained. In fact the only gore for the most part is the brutal murder of a lovably cute dog and a guy having his throat slit slowly (ouch) in a flashback. However the finale - in which a chainsaw figures predominantly - certainly rewards the viewer's patience, a powerful battle between good and evil which ends with a fine unpleasant death for the villain and an excellent highlight to top off the film. PUZZLE is a movie with a fine build-up of mystery and suspense, highlighted by a realistic script from Ernesto Gastaldi and some acceptable camera-work to keep things fluid and interesting.