Suspiria
1977
THE ONLY THING SCARIER THAN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES ARE THE FIRST 90!
American dancer Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper) enrolls in a German ballet academy, but dancing is one thing she does very little of. Overtaken by a mysterious illness, with only her friend Sara (Stefania Casini) for comfort, Suzy and Sara are drawn into the mysteries of their alma mater. Who murdered Pat, a former student? Where do the teachers go at night? And why has no one ever seen the headmistress?
Written with then-girlfriend Daria Nicolodi (who can be seen on the left side of your screen as Suzy arrives at the airport, and features in both Inferno and Tenebre), Dario Argento's Suspiria is not only the first chapter in a trilogy that wasn't finished for thirty years, it is one of the few strong horror films that is appreciated by both genre fans and "serious" film critics. Printed with the Technicolor 3-strip process, Suspiria boasts a palette of ultra-vivid colors that overwhelm the eyes, while the score by Italian prog-rockers Goblin assaults the ears, combining to create an experience like no other. Argento collaborated on the music with Goblin before production began, which let him play it at top volume while filming to scare the shit out of the actors. It totally worked: fear permeates every frame.
The little touches seem to mean everything: placing certain doorknobs at head-height to the actresses, making them seem to be little girls in a monstrous world; Claudio Simonetti hissing half-heard words on the soundtrack to punctuate important moments; Suzy protecting herself with nearby crystal-plumed bird (self-referential much, Dario?). Every shot seems hand-crafted for perfection. Though the parts are little more than a series of setpieces, the whole becomes more and more until we aren't quite sure where we are anymore. Jessica Harper, fresh from her starmaking performance in Brian DePalma's The Phantom Of The Paradise, brings the right amount of confusion and awareness to Suzy. Joan Bennett and Alida Valli supply the right amount of old-guard haughtiness and arrogance as the school's administrator and instructor. Udo Kier makes an appearance too, stealing the show during every second of his all-too-brief role (I love me some Udo Kier, he's captivating, sexy, and a top-notch actor who doesn't get enough praise).
While not a giallo film, Suspiria still has all of Argento's trademarks: a protagonist who knows too much, but doesn't understand the information; a brutal murderer of which we see only their hands; over-the-top murder setpieces; a pounding rock score; a sinister mystery only the protagonist can solve. It's classic Argento, one of his finest, and well worth watching...though if you're reading my page, I'm betting you've seen it already. Well, watch it again. I know I will.
The second chapter in The Three Mothers Trilogy, Inferno, is a Video Nasty and will be reviewed here soon. The third part, The Mother Of Tears, wasn't made until recently (2009), and will also be featured here. Cuz that's how I roll.
Until next time, my fellow rebels, I bid you farewell. Remember: Be Kind, Rewind. Watch out for falling maggots. And don't trust seeing-eye dogs. These friendly reminders will keep you safe, and I'll make sure I follow them, too. Because my name's Justin. JustinCase.
The little touches seem to mean everything: placing certain doorknobs at head-height to the actresses, making them seem to be little girls in a monstrous world; Claudio Simonetti hissing half-heard words on the soundtrack to punctuate important moments; Suzy protecting herself with nearby crystal-plumed bird (self-referential much, Dario?). Every shot seems hand-crafted for perfection. Though the parts are little more than a series of setpieces, the whole becomes more and more until we aren't quite sure where we are anymore. Jessica Harper, fresh from her starmaking performance in Brian DePalma's The Phantom Of The Paradise, brings the right amount of confusion and awareness to Suzy. Joan Bennett and Alida Valli supply the right amount of old-guard haughtiness and arrogance as the school's administrator and instructor. Udo Kier makes an appearance too, stealing the show during every second of his all-too-brief role (I love me some Udo Kier, he's captivating, sexy, and a top-notch actor who doesn't get enough praise).
While not a giallo film, Suspiria still has all of Argento's trademarks: a protagonist who knows too much, but doesn't understand the information; a brutal murderer of which we see only their hands; over-the-top murder setpieces; a pounding rock score; a sinister mystery only the protagonist can solve. It's classic Argento, one of his finest, and well worth watching...though if you're reading my page, I'm betting you've seen it already. Well, watch it again. I know I will.
The second chapter in The Three Mothers Trilogy, Inferno, is a Video Nasty and will be reviewed here soon. The third part, The Mother Of Tears, wasn't made until recently (2009), and will also be featured here. Cuz that's how I roll.
Until next time, my fellow rebels, I bid you farewell. Remember: Be Kind, Rewind. Watch out for falling maggots. And don't trust seeing-eye dogs. These friendly reminders will keep you safe, and I'll make sure I follow them, too. Because my name's Justin. JustinCase.
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