Suspiria

Bad luck is brought not by broken mirrors, but by broken minds.

Dario Argento is perhaps the greatest of the Italian horror film directors. He is a man who has a vision, but like all visionaries his ideas are not always greeted with popular approval. If you look at some of his later films, notably the Demons trilogy, you will be courting disappointment. It is in his witches films that we see his true genius, especially in Suspiria, his greatest masterpiece. Unfortunately although both Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980) are available to buy on video, Tenebre (1982) was banned by the BBFC. The amount of gore in these films probably wouldn't be considered excessive by today's standards, so I live in hope that this decision will at some point be reviewed.

Suspiria is older than I am, and to be perfectly honest it shows. Quite often the acting is hammy, though never stilted, and the dialogue could probably be improved. However, it is the direction that makes this film truly wonderful. Dario Argento's use of lighting and camera angles was revolutionary, and he pioneered several important techniques. His use of colour filters is evocative without being overdone (as in, say South Pacific). The most obvious example of his innovative camera work can be found in the scene where the blind piano player (incidentally played by Argento himself) is attacked and killed by his own guide dog. To create the effect of some evil spirit swooping down at him, a camera was mounted on a wire and allowed to roll down at speed whilst filming. The shot is perfect.

I enjoy intelligent films, and Suspiria certainly fits into that category. Even though it's a gore flick, we still find an elaborate plot and the Tanze Akademie is beautifully constructed: the maggots in the attic, the flowers painted on the wall, the corridor of drapes and incantations. The same kind of mystic exploration is found in Inferno (and presumably in Tenebre?), but there was something more in Suspiria that just clicked with me. Even the soundtrack moved me - the chanting in the pieces by Goblin stayed with me for so long after seeing the film. The music itself seems violent at times, and matches the visuals wonderfully. All in all a brilliant piece of film that I recommend to anyone mature (after all, there is a lot of violence present, and Dario Argento enjoys portraying it). Don't delay, watch it today.

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