Suspiria (1977)

Redundant and unnecessary.

Absolutely Brilliant!

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Some of the worst acting on film! Maybe if you were tripping on acid, you would say this is a great film. The background is gorgeous. The storyline is awful and the "blood" in the movie is orange-red. The Line-up keeps recommending this movie, so I thought it must be worth watching. I was very wrong.

Writer-Director Dario Argento's 'Suspiria' is an experience in pure fear & colorful bedazzlement. 'Suspiria' is widely known to be as Argento's Masterpiece, that has gripped its viewers ever since its release 41 years ago, way back in 1977. And to no surprise, this supernatural horror film is a work of a true visionary. I was, in equal measure, compelled & horrified.'Suspiria' Synopsis: An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders.What makes 'Suspiria' one of the greatest horror films of all-time, is how it creates fear in its colors. The German ballet academy here is painted red for the most of it, with some other colors such as blue & black having their shine. And Argento uses the colors as a metaphor for this mostly disturbing tale, that is rich in violence & grisly gore. The violence depicted in 'Suspiria' is brutal & the nerve-wracking murders will leave you a little distressed.Keeping in mind that even the great tales of horror demand relief, Argento provides nicely in the narrative. And he intelligently gives this tale a twist in its characters, with particular standouts in the form of Daniel, a blind piano teacher played delightfully well by Flavio Bucci & a help in the academy, who is given spooky make-up (intentionally) & a peculiar voice, to give this horror tale a campy feel for relief. These two characters are Argento's vision of making us realize that even the tales of haunting eccentricity, demand a sense of relief & abstractness.The Performances in 'Suspiria' are decidedly over-the-top. Argento opts for deliciously hammy portrayals from his actors, shooting them in dread, with close-ups, extreme zoom-ins & zoom-outs & in pure blood. Jessica Harper is perfectly cast as the protagonist out to know the ghastly truth within the ballet academy, delivering a worthy turn, that comes across as a strong feminist part. Stefania Casini is also credible in her part. The Late/Great Joan Bennett & The Late/Great Alida Valli command the screen & adapt to Argento's bizarre vision of horror to perfection. The remaining cast are in sync with the film's mood & sportingly add to the required campiness.Luciano Tovoli's Cinematography is another masterstroke for Argento's vision. The lensman opts for wide frames, offering vastness & grandeur, while also creating fear & dread with, as mentioned earlier, extreme close-ups & some zoom-ins & zoom-outs. Tovoli's work also captures the colors on display to astonishing results. The Late/Great Franco Fraticelli's Editing is razor-crisp & doesn't keep it down on the violent bits. The violence here hits you & the Editor knows exactly how to cut & shape them for frightening effect. The Art & Costume Design are a work of mastery, while the Make-Up is easily of textbook material for b-horror movie makers & buffs.Goblin's Score is magnificent. The haunting tunes are as much a character here, giving the film the eerie feel, it strongly demands. The Score is a mix of dread & punk, that turns into a chartbuster of sorts. I have a feeling that its main theme plays every Halloween at the gothic parties? But the real star is Argento, from start to end. The Cult Filmmaker's relentless approach to execute a spooky tale on sadistic witches, is truly a work of vision & guts. He paints the film with colors (red in particular) & throws its characters in a land of unpredictable brutality & frightfulness. The results are gratifying.On the whole, 'Suspiria' is as fascinating as its frightening. This Cult-Classic has earned its status on the strength of its storytelling, style & colors.P.S. I can't wait to see how Director Luca Guadagnino will tell Argento's story with his own distinctive vision later this year. After all, the influence has been unparalleled over the years.

Suzy Banyon is a young American ballet dancer who has just enrolled in a prestigious ballet school in Germany. It doesn't begin well; she arrives on a rainy night and is turned away just as an expelled student is departing; later that night that student is murdered. The next day Suzy returns and is welcomed although things soon start going badly again as she collapses, bleeding from her nose and mouth. More strange things happen; the school's sleeping quarters suffers a maggot infestation, the blind pianist is savaged by his guide dog after being fired and Suzy's roommate vanishes soon after they discuss investigating some of the strange goings on. Suzy starts to consider the possibility of supernatural causes as she learns more about the school and its history. The danger increases as she gets closer to the truth.This film from director Dario Argento certainly stands the test of time; over forty years on and it still has the power to shock. The only thing that might be considered slightly dated is the vivid colour of the spilt blood although it can be argued that this fits in with the films distinctive colour palette. The use of colour is dominant throughout as vivid colours are present all the time; most notably deep reds and blues but also similarly intense greens and yellows at times; these colours add to the sense of unease as well as creating a strange fairy tale feel. The music, by 'Goblin' also does an impressive job adding to the atmosphere. There aren't a huge number of deaths but those that do occur are pretty shocking and quite grisly. Jessica Harper does a really good job as Suzy and is ably supported by the rest of the cast. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to horror fans; it is certainly more disturbing than most horror films that I've seen.

Another viewing of this marvellous, thrilling and beautiful film, this time a 4K restoration print at The Barbican, London and in the presence of the man himself - Dario Argento. A wonderful occasion with a packed audience of devoted fans who gave the man a welcome that seemed to catch him by surprise. It looks great, of course, and there were sections that I did not remember seeing or seeing so clearly. The maggots in the attic for instance and the shadows behind the temporary bed screens. The Goblins soundtrack was well to the fore and it was clear that in one or two instances it was the music itself that was creating the horror, with little actually happening visually. Dario spoke afterwards and was surprisingly perky, making little jokes and trying to provide more insight into the origins of the film. I had not heard before that Disney's, Snow White with its strong primary colours was a major influence and although I did know the story of his buying up the last stocks of the particular Technicolor film he wished to use, it was good to hear that this did not restrict the number of takes (lest he run out) because he did not use lots of takes. For me the most interesting revelation was that he had originally intended the girls be between the ages of eleven and fourteen, but that the backers wouldn't hear of it. It would have been even more effective with younger girls and does explain why some of the dialogue seems childlike.