As the Criterion Collection copy of Le Samouraï I ordered a few weeks ago didn’t make it to me in time, it is lucky I had a back-up for this week’s column. The aim is to make my way through the S section of the Guardian’s 1000 Films To See Before You Die (in a no particular order, except by interest and access) and Halloween brought with it an opportunity to watch a film I’ve long been curious and slightly nervous to watch. With my local video shop offering $1 horror film rentals, I thought why not check out Italian director Dario Argento‘s most famous film 1977′s Suspiria.
It wasn’t until I had the DVD in my hands that I realised I actually had no idea what Suspiria was about. The film’s imagery is so familiar, yet I didn’t know that the plot dealt with a witches’ coven in a German ballet school. With the tagline on the front of the box reading ‘The Only Thing More Terrifying Than The Last 12 Minutes Of This Film Are The First 92′, I put the film on with some trepidation. What followed was one of the most surreal and over-the-top horror films I’ve ever seen, but far from the scariest. Argento’s more-is-more approach to filmmaking resulted in a film drenched with colour and blood. A feast for the eyes, with its sumptious set design, Suspiria plays out like a traditional fairytale (before the gothic and macabre can be taken out by Disney).
Suzy (Jessica Harper) doesn't get a very warm reception upon her arrival in Germany
Co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi the film begins with the naive protagonist, American ballet student Suzy (Jessica Harper) arriving at Munich Airport on a dark and stormy night. As she drives to the ballet school in Freiburg the film’s exuberant score from The Goblins kicks in, with sporadic accusatory wails of ‘witch’ thrown in (indicating early on the film’s lack of subtlety). As Suzy arrives at the school, a seemingly terrified student runs off into the wood, and Suzy is barred from entering the building. This chaotic introduction to the ballet school is a sign of things to come, as the dead bodies of people connected to the school start piling up and the behaviour of the teachers, headed by Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett), becomes increasing alarming. However even with all the evil floating around the school, the witches are almost overshadowed in the malevolence stakes by the bitchiness of the school’s ballerinas.
As melodramatic as you can get, Argento heightens every aspect of this film so that is it miles away from any sense of realism. With his use of bright, bright primary colours and green and red lighting the film is quite simply exquisite to look at. The blood is the brightest red I’ve ever seen committed to film, it is practically neon!
Suspiria is the first film in a trilogy of supernatural films from Argento. Often referred to as The Three Mothers, also included are 1980′s Inferno and 2007′s The Mother of Tears, each film concerns a different ancient witch located in a modern city. Usually ranked highly on best horror films of all times lists, Suspiria holds a special place in the hearts of horror fans. The gore and bloodstained nature of the film doesn’t really provide the shocks and terror it probably once did, especially with audience now so desensitised to violence. So as an exercise it horror the film’s tagline was a bit of a letdown (I’m lying it was a relief not to be terrified out of my wits), however the the film as a whole was far from disappointing. A carnival of colour and sounds Suspiria was far more enjoyable to watch than I had expected.
Joan Bennett (centre) as the sinister Madame Blanc
There is evidently a remake in the works for Suspiria, with a 2012 release date being bandied around and David Gordon Green‘s (Pineapple Express, Your Highness) on board to direct. The recent success of Black Swan seems likely to have made studios keen for more disturbing ballet movies.
Despite some weak acting, IMHO it is Argento’s finest work, and the one most representative of his overall style as a filmmaker.