Watch Death Laid an Egg

Death Laid an Egg, a 1968 Italian thriller, centers around a complex love triangle and the bizarre world of industrial chicken farming. The film stars Gina Lollobrigida as Anna, the beautiful and manipulative wife of Marco (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a mild-mannered poultry farmer. The couple runs a successful chicken farm using advanced technology to produce eggs at an industrial scale. Ewa Aulin plays Gabri, Marco's secretary, who also becomes embroiled in the twisted love affair.

From the opening scenes, the film presents a strange and unsettling atmosphere, as we see Anna and Marco in the midst of their monotonous routine on the chicken farm. The camera lingers on the faceless rows of caged chickens and the conveyor belts that transport eggs to the packaging facility. Throughout these scenes, an eerie electronic soundtrack heightens the sense of unease. It's clear that the industrial production of chickens and eggs is not just a business for Anna and Marco, but an obsession.

Soon, we learn that the couple's relationship is strained, as Anna's affections have shifted to Gabri. However, things are not as they seem, and their tangled past and twisted motives emerge through a series of surreal, nightmarish scenes. At the same time, the film delves into the nightmarish world of industrial farming, showing the grim conditions in which the chickens are kept and the inhumane treatment they receive.

Death Laid an Egg is a strange, experimental film that defies easy categorization. It blends elements of horror, sci-fi, and melodrama with surreal imagery and a nonlinear structure. At times, it feels like a fever dream, with disjointed scenes and puzzling dialogue that leaves the audience guessing what's really going on. The film's oddness is emphasized by its cinematography, with close-ups of strange, unsettling details - an egg cracking open, a machine whirring to life, or a chicken's eye staring blankly.

Despite its offbeat style, Death Laid an Egg is a deeply human story. It presents the characters, even the most devious ones, with empathy and nuance, and explores the complex emotions and desires that motivate them. Anna's insatiable hunger for love and control is rooted in her traumatic past, while Gabri's seemingly innocent demeanor masks a hidden agenda. Marco, caught in the middle, is unsure of who to trust and what to believe.

The film is also notable for its subversive commentary on consumerism and the dehumanizing effects of technology. Much like the chickens on the farm, the characters are reduced to mere cogs in a machine, performing repetitive tasks without meaning or fulfillment. The film's surreal imagery emphasizes the absurdity of the mechanized world, where life is reduced to a series of inputs and outputs.

In terms of acting, Lollobrigida steals the show with her magnetic presence and commanding performance. Her character exudes a dangerous sexuality, as she manipulates those around her with ease. Trintignant, who would go on to star in more notable films like Amour and The Conformist, brings a subdued intensity to his role as Marco, while Aulin delivers a standout performance as Gabri, with a fragile beauty that belies her hidden motivations.

Overall, Death Laid an Egg is a compelling and thought-provoking film that defies easy explanation. It's a film that lingers long after the credits roll, leaving the viewer with a sense of unease and a lot of questions. It's a bold and original work of art, even if it's not for everyone.

Death Laid an Egg is a 1968 thriller with a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9.