aka
aka
Dario Argento's Suspiria
Suspiria - In den Krallen des Bösen
Directed by Dario Argento. Screenplay by Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi. Starring Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Joan Bennett, Alida Valli, Udo Kier.
98 minutes.
Ooh, Suspiria. This one is a goodie. I'd recommend smoking a couple of fat joints before watching this one, and maybe passing a couple more around during the movie.
If you can, get the Anchor Bay DVD. Some folks have complained about the sound being remixed on this DVD. They can blow me. It sounds better. Choose DTS if it is available. Then crank that sucker up. You want Suspiria playing LOUD. Imagine you're about to watch The Wall or a Jimi Hendrix concert and turn it up about that loud.
In case you hadn't realised, I really dig this movie.
The story of Suspiria concerns a young woman who has travelled from America to Germany to study ballet, only to find that very strange things are going on at the school, most disturbingly the disappearance of some of the students. Perhaps unwisely, she decides to investigate, but things just get stranger and stranger...
Suspiria maintains a fairy tale feeling throughout. This is emphasised by the stunning colour scheme, achieved through much technical voodoo by cinematographer Luciano Tovoli using old three-strip Technicolor film. I have never seen another movie which can match the vivid, hallucinatory colours of Suspiria. This is one of the primary reasons why you simply must see this movie stoned.
Another reason is the soundtrack by Italian prog rock band Goblin. I should point out that I am not a fan of prog rock in general, but this soundtrack kicks ass. Where most spooky supernatural-themed movies build suspense with quiet ominousness then build to a crescendo, Suspiria gives us a constant crescendo. The music overwhelms you; it is consistently peaking, jarring your nerves with weird, sharp sounds. Pulsing underneath much of it is a hypnotic repeating melody based around playing "Jesus loves Me" backwards.
The combination of colour and music alone would be enough to push Suspiria into my favourites list. Add to that the gruesome, imaginative set-piece murder scenes, and I'm in horror movie heaven. If I had to find a quibble, it's that the movie peaks early, never quite topping its opening scenes.
The acting is largely pedestrian, as you'd expect in an Italian movie, with the actors all speaking their own languages at each other and dubbing everything later. Several performers stand out anyway.
First and foremost is Jessica Harper as Suzy, the protagonist and audience identification figure. Harper is an extremely talented actor who hasn't been put to nearly enough use over the years. She underplays her role beautifully, maintaining a calm demeanour while her restless eyes show the constant thought processes. Harper barely moves her lips when she speaks, and she comes across perfectly as a fairy tale heroine, shy and feminine but quick thinking and ultimately tough enough to be up to the task. Harper got to dub her own lines for English-language prints, and her strong, deep voice shows the steel in her character that her slight figure camouflages. Oh, did I mention she's also gorgeous?
Joan Bennett and Alida Valli are also excellent as the two main authority figures at the school: head mistress Madame Blanc and instructor Miss Tanner, respectively. Bennett, a veteran of '40s Hollywood, was still every inch the old-style movie star, and convincingly lords it over all the other characters. Bennett also dubs her own voice in English prints, and her haughty accent complements her powdered face.
Valli plays Miss Tanner as charismatic but strict, with a sadistic edge. I don't know if she dubbed her own voice or not, but whoever it is gets it just right. The clipped, sarcastic tones mesh with her severe appearance without making her seem less sympathetic. Valli actually makes Miss Tanner likeable - quite a feat given then she's a mean schoolteacher.
Udo Kier also appears, playing a character who is easily the most normal in the movie. Sadly someone else dubs his voice in the English version. I reckon Udo Kier has one of the best voices in movies, it's a shame we didn't get to hear it here.
I've tried not to give too much away. You should see Suspiria. You should see it stoned. You should see it tonight. Are you honestly doing anything better?
An unashamed ten out of ten. One of my top ten drug movies.
© 2002 Joey Narcotic.