Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977): Italy

Reviewed by Byron Potau. Viewed on DVD.

Director Dario Argento’s most famous work, Suspiria, does not impress with deeply drawn characters, nuanced performances, or detailed story. It is mostly a visual and aural experience where the eyes and ears are so richly filled that most of what is lacking in the film’s other aspects is easily forgiven.

American ballet student, Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper), arrives in Germany during the night of a tumultuous storm to attend a ballet school but is denied entrance. She witnesses another student running from the school in a panic who ends up being mysteriously murdered that night. Suzy arrives at the school the next day and moves in, having no trouble this time. During one of her lessons she becomes light headed and faints. The doctor says she will be alright, but prescribes a daily meal, prepared by the school cook, for her until she is well. Suzy becomes friends with another dancer, Sara (Stefania Casini), who lives in the room next door to her and was also a friend of the dancer who fled the school and was murdered. Together they begin to wonder about some of the strange things going on in the school and the odd behavior of the instructors.

The film’s sets and décor is a triumph of surreal design, entangling the viewer in a mysterious web of a world where the unknown lurks around every corner, up every staircase, and behind every door, and you are often unsure where you are. Director Argento uses an array of surreally bright colors dominated by obscene reds which, along with the sets make for a mad carnival atmosphere.

Another high point is the film’s unforgettably creepy, child nightmare inducing score, by Goblin, full of barely audible whispers, and the over the top soundtrack full of strange noises, screams, and loud orchestral punctuations.

From the film’s brief narrated prologue of our main character as the opening credits roll (an interesting touch), Argento seems to be playful in his direction of the film, delighting in his attempts to scare us and enhance the scene with inventive lighting effects. He fools us by misdirecting our attention into expecting something when there is nothing there, or springing something totally unexpected on us. It is frightening at times, but also a bit funny in its macabre excessiveness that it is hard not to have a good time with this film.