SUSPIRIA: Dario Argento's gothic fairytale

June 19, 11:35 PMHorror Movies ExaminerBen Smith

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Throughout filmmaker Dario Argento’s pantheon of work, we have seen the master tackle every taboo subject matter from murderous sexual psychopaths to deformed children and even to the hunter’s face-planting-raccoon-traps in the recent Masters of Horror Argento penned episode, Pelts (2006).  With more attention to elusive detail than the typical horror genre fare, fans have adored this constant breath of horrific fresh air.  With his constant expanding body of work, recently topping out his profile with the highly anticipated film, Giallo (2009), Argento is a cinematic master that never disappoints.  For many of the Argento-philes out there, many still note that his greatest cinematic achievement has been that of 1977’s Suspiria, which has been one of the most unique film going experiences of the past 30 years; thus waving in the furious invasion and appeal of European horror stateside.

Filmed at De Polis INCIR Studios in Rome, this was yet another homegrown film venture for the European director, who was born in Rome in 1940.  After penning his famous “Animal Trilogy”, consisting of L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage – 1970), Il gatto a nove code (Cat O' Nine Tails – 1971), and the beautifully haunting 4 mosche di velluto grigio (Four Flies on Grey Velvet - 1971), the 1970’s allowed Argento to grow accustomed to the typical “Giallo” genre fare. Gialli simply meant “yellow” in Italian, which was a series of murdery mystery novels involving horror and eroticism, which pressed Argento into the corners of his mind with the terrifying brilliance of 1975’s Profondo Rosso (Deep Red) and finally surpassing onto the fantastique of his “Three Mothers Trilogy”.  With this new Argento trilogy, the first entry would be that of 1977’s Suspiria, tackling the mythos of the first witch, Mater Suspiriorum.

The film begins with the arrival of New York ballet student, Suzy Banyon, played by Jessica Harper (Phantom of the Paradise, Tales from the Darkside) to Tans Akademie in Freiberg, Germany.  Here Suzy immediately feels the pressures and isolation of the dance school, which delivers several of the most brilliant film shots that have occurred in any horror film period.  With cart, dolly and crane shots, Argento conceives a choreographed manner in which he presents us the story line material via film.  In a very dreamlike state, the viewers are thrusted into a universe, dripping with more bursting colors than you could imagine.  Filmed with one of the last obsolete TECHNICOLOR camera rigs, the process of color bleeding the characters with the rich hues of reds, purples and blues, was conceived by placing heavier gels over the powerful stage lights. Director of photography, Luciano Tovoli (Single White Female), found that this would be a way to drench the lurid colors over the actors safely at close range, yet still achieve the desired fairytale state.  With this groundbreaking innovation, Suspiria has been noted as a modern take and twisted version of Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which Argento has stated is the main color scheme influence.  With all this effects done on camera, easily many have become more attached to Suspiria in recent years as Hollywood has boycotted this early filmmaking ingenuity, with the obsession of CGI.

With the influence of German Expressionism, Argento takes us to great heights with towering shots of courtyards, art deco ceilings and even the prowess of a maggots’ intrepid detail.  Co-written by Daria Nicolodi (long time partner of Argento and mother of actress Asia Argento), it has been stated that the film is inspired by true events of the “magic” that surround the triangular cities of France, Switzerland and Germany. This triangular object is also very apparent in the film, through the framing of windows, randomly placed objects and even the elevator signal that carries one of the victims to their fate. 

With one of horror cinema’s best film scores, the boasting film offers music from European rock group, GOBLIN.  Under the collaboration of Argento, the film features a theme that is reminiscent of The Exorcist (1973) theme, Tubular Bells, all the while we hear front man, Claudio Simonetti, screaming and whispering “WITCH!” at the most intimately suspenseful sections of the film.  With the music’s hills and valleys, pops and jabs this is also no surprise to the film’s success as GOBLIN has gone on to pen the music to Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Argento’s Tenebre (1981).

The only difficulty that this film suffers from is that much of the story line could be told in a short manner, but is rather drug along with overshadowing beautiful filmmaking.   Finally revealed in a short scene by horror legend Udo Kier (Mark of the Devil), the psychiatrist states, “Bad luck isn’t brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds.”, thus finally sealing the fate of the film.  Which immediately lets us understand that young Suzy is under the spell of a coven of witches, who has been controlling the students with their evil powers. Even though this premise seems to transpire very ridiculously, one can simultaneously feel the ingenious filmmaking that begins to overpower the skimpy plot, making for a fun and suspenseful, rollercoaster-of-a-ride ending.  With several b-movie traits (ala the bat on a string trick), many of the special effects come out very poorly throughout the film, thus only cheapening some of Argento's most extensive cinematic work.

With recent filmmakers, such as Quentin Taratino’s Kill Bill (2003) dolly foot shots, one can immediately see the power this film has made over the past 30 years.  With cues from early European horror legend, Mario Bava, viewers can also see where Argento has taken on several filmmaking techniques with the influence of Bava’s Sei donne per l'assassino (Blood and Blacklace - 1964), infusing them into Suspiria. 

With the “Three Mother’s Trilogy” finally finished in 2007, we have seen Argento-philes battle against the Mater Tenebrarum in 1980’s Inferno and the conclusion of the trilogy 27 years later withLa terza madre (Mother of Tears - 2007) with Mater Lachrymarum. 

And Argento-philes keep on the lookout because with all of Hollywood’s recent horror remake cash-ins, there is in fact a redux currently in production as noted by many horror blogs and of course the inglorious, IMDB.com that is slated for a 2010 release!