(1977) ****1/2
Suspiria is the story of Susie Bannion, a young woman who has traveled to Europe to study at an elite ballet academy. She arrives in Germany in the middle of a torrential rainstorm. As she finally arrives at the school the door opens and a woman is standing in the doorway yelling something to someone out of sight. There is so much noise from the storm that Susie cannot hear what the other student is saying. Before Susie can get to the door, the distressed young woman takes off. Since she cannot gain access to the school, Susie ends up taking her cab back to town.
We follow the upset student, who is clearly freaked out - and with good reason. She is quickly and brutally murdered.
Susie returns to the school in the morning and finds out that the girl she saw last night was killed. She has a relatively easy first day, her room is not available so they send her to stay with another student in town. Her second day, however does not go so well.
Having hemorraged in class the teachers decide to move Susie in to the dormitory against her protests and put her on a restricted diet which includes very suspicious looking red wine. Things get freakier at the school, but every evening as Susie's friend Sara tries to talk to her about the oddities, Susie falls asleep - clearly drugged. Sara keeps pushing though, which is not too smart and equals a nasty death for her.
Sara's disappearance compels Susie to find out what is going on at the school. And find out she does. Because there may be a few left who have not seen this movie I am not going to expand on the plot any more. This isn't a movie that will make you super uncomfortable with tension, or make you ill with gore (although it has gory moments) but it will keep you entertained. Clearly, one of the draws of this movie is Argento's amazing use of color and his eye for crazy angles. The vivid colors are like a character in and of themselves.
It's a surreal world, I enjoyed my visit.
10 comments:
I just keep looking at the hanging picture.
How did she get streaks of blood, above her mouth, from being hanged? If she bit her tongue, wouldn't it run down, not up? Why did the blood form a question mark on her cheek? Where the fuck is CSI when you need them?
You don't ask such questions in Argento movies Miko. There simply aren't any satisfying answers.
Actually that one can be explained
*SPOILER BUT IT'S THE FIRST 5 MINUTES SO GET OVER IT*
- as I recall she dramatically crashed through a glass ceiling on her way to the hanging.
I'm so glad you reviewed this DCD and I'm also glad you liked it!
Thanks JSP, I admitted this earlier, but shall repeat my shame here.
I have never seen an Argento film.
5 bucks says you'd hate Argento films Miko!
(And now you have to watch one...)
OK, I will, if you tell me why you think I will hate it. (I'm guessing because you think I have such crap, unrefined taste...)
Also, any votes on which one I should watch. (I have no Netflix, so nothing to obscure for Blockbuster please.)
I'd vote for Suspiria here, or Bird with Crystal Plumage.
The barbed wire pit has always freaked me out, because I keep trying to think of how I'd get out of it, and so far all my successful escape scenarios involve getting magical help from Papa Smurf.
I'm on a little Argento kick right now. I just watched two and will be viewing another soon.
Great review. I agree about the colors and angles. They are a masterpiece. Some of the best I've ever seen.
Not at all Miko! I just think you'll find his stuff pretentious and not scary. Suspiria is definitely his Sgt. Pepper's so I would recommend starting there.
great review and welcome back dcd!
I agree, Octo, that razor wire scene has always bothered me.
Love the new avatar, JSP!
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