Suspiria (1977)

Tagline: WITCH!

Curiosity: It’s the most well known film from legendary horror director Dario Argento.

Plot: A coven is hunting down sexy dance students!

Thoughts: Script-wise, Suspiria is a little bit silly. The dialogue is clumsy and the murder scenes only kind of make sense. Let’s just say Argento abuses the concept of witches tricking people with magic. Suspend your disbelief, though, and focus on the cinematography. Each murder scene is beautifully paced and shot. The colors pop. Forget that the blood looks a little too bright; it matches the film’s overall color scheme too well to criticize.

Each set piece looks gorgeous. I want to live where Suspiria was shot, because each room has a vibrant, distinctive look. Horror films don’t get taken very seriously, but Argento’s taste in locations really makes an impact on the film. You remember each place. His use of shots is great too. A lot has been made about how violent his films get, but sometimes his most effective shots are the ones that show the least, like when he shows a wide shot of a guy getting attacked by a dog. It’s so much scarier to realize that no one can possibly save this guy, that he is totally alone.

That said, man this movie is hella violent. What’s weird is that it’s necessarily gory per say. Compared the torture porn of the last decade, Suspiria is tame in that regard. But it’s more effective. You don’t see buckets of blood shooting forth, but each knife wound is expertly focused on, and even turned into an artistic effort when displayed against each set. And man are the deaths elaborate. Not Saw-elaborate to the point of being stupid, but these victims really take beatings. The actors convey pain and fear masterfully, as Argento cooks up crazier and crazier methods.

Suspiria certainly has its dry patches, and admittedly it loses some steam after its first big kill – it’s the most brutal, set in the most visually appealing set – but overall the film holds up as iconic horror installment. And the music is killer.

Reflection: I think this article makes me sound like a psychopath.