Suspiria (1977) Review
3
StevenPayne Unit3Environment Suspiria (1977) Dir.DarioArgento Suspiria isahorrormovieineverysenseofthe word,butthestylisticchoicesemployedinorderto providethefilmwithitsgraphic,visualintensitymake Suspiria totallyunique. “Itisnot atangledwebofps ychologicalf risson norisit adiabolicalode towitchcraft, butitisa flawless representationofa cinematicnightmare: relyingsolel y onvisualand audiomasteryrathe rthanplotor pacing” (Breese,2005) Thefilmisdoesexceptionallywellatviolatingthe sensesoftheaudience.Withasickening,highcontrast colouraestheticandadisturbing,yetmesmerizing soundtrackthatperfectlyreflectstheoff-colournatureof theprestigiousballetacademy.Theplotisprettytypicalof 70’shorror,butthefilmsstrikingvisualsseparate Suspiria fromotherfilmsofthetime. Ar gento’s mani pula ti on o f the audi ence resides in hisvibrant,hyperrealandratherbeautifulrepresentation ofcarnage,destructionandultimately,death.Thevivid colourpaletteispresentthroughoutthefilm,butthe comfortinwhichthesecolourssitisentirelydependentonthesituationonscreen.A notableexampleistheuseofthecolourred. “Theproduction designandcinematography emphasizeviv idprimarycolors, particularly red,creating adeliberatelyunr ealistic,nightmarish setting.” (Gore,2008) Typically,redisassociatedwithdangerandfear,in Suspiria,itiseverpresent.From themomentSuzystepsoffoftheplane,sheis surroundedbythered. Boththeinteriorandtheexterioroftheacademyare vividredandinalmosteveryshot,thecolourredis presentthroughlightingchoices.Thismakesthe audienceawarethatdangerispresentateveryturn; it’sjustamatterofwaitingforthedangertoreveal itself. Thisis when b lu eis th rown int othe mix. Whilsttypicallyconsideredacalmingcolour,in Suspiria,blueupstheante,indicatingtherisein tensionwithinthesceneandnotifyingtheaudienceofimpendingdeath. Fig.1SuspiriaFilmPoster Fig.2SuzySurroundedbyRedasSheLeaves theAirport
Transcript of Suspiria (1977) Review
8/3/2019 Suspiria (1977) Review
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StevenPayne Unit3EnvironmentSuspiria(1977)
Dir.DarioArgento Suspiriaisahorrormovieineverysenseofthe
word,butthestylisticchoicesemployedinorderto
providethefilmwithitsgraphic,visualintensitymake
Suspiriatotallyunique.“Itisnotatangledwebofpsychologicalfrisson
norisitadiabolicalodetowitchcraft,butitisaflawless
representationofacinematicnightmare:relyingsolely
onvisualandaudiomasteryratherthanplotorpacing”
(Breese,2005)
Thefilmisdoesexceptionallywellatviolatingthe
sensesoftheaudience.Withasickening,highcontrast
colouraestheticandadisturbing,yetmesmerizing
soundtrackthatperfectlyreflectstheoff-colournatureof
theprestigiousballetacademy.Theplotisprettytypicalof
70’shorror,butthefilmsstrikingvisualsseparate Suspiriafromotherfilmsofthetime.
Argento’smanipulationoftheaudienceresidesin
hisvibrant,hyperrealandratherbeautifulrepresentation
ofcarnage,destructionandultimately,death.Thevivid
colourpaletteispresentthroughoutthefilm,butthe
comfortinwhichthesecolourssitisentirelydependentonthesituationonscreen.A
notableexampleistheuseofthecolourred.
“Theproductiondesignandcinematographyemphasizevividprimarycolors,
particularlyred,creatingadeliberatelyunrealistic,nightmarishsetting.”
(Gore,2008)
Typically,redisassociatedwithdangerandfear,in Suspiria,itiseverpresent.From
themomentSuzystepsoffoftheplane,sheis
surroundedbythered.
Boththeinteriorandtheexterioroftheacademyare
vividredandinalmosteveryshot,thecolourredis
presentthroughlightingchoices.Thismakesthe
audienceawarethatdangerispresentateveryturn;
it’sjustamatterofwaitingforthedangertoreveal
itself.
Thisiswhenblueisthrownintothemix.
Whilsttypicallyconsideredacalmingcolour,in
Suspiria,blueupstheante,indicatingtheriseintensionwithinthesceneandnotifyingtheaudienceofimpendingdeath.
Fig.1SuspiriaFilmPoster
Fig.2SuzySurroundedbyRedasSheLeaves
theAirport
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StevenPayne Unit3Environment Thevividcolourchoices
andcinematicallypleasingset
designallowArgentotoeffectively
glamourizethefearandbrutality,
butnottothepointwherethese
aspectsaretotallylost.Hesimplyglorifiesthebeautywithinthese
elementsthatwouldn’t
necessarilybeseenpasttheinitialhorror.AssaidbyIanBerrimanof SFXMagazine,
“Argentohastheabilitytocombinesavage,brutalsadismwithoverwhelming
sensualbeauty”(Berriman,2010)
This‘beautythroughhorror’makesSuspiriaunique,inthesensethatittakes
cinematicelementstypicallyconsideredhorrifying,andcompletelyturnsthemontheir
head.Thistotallyreinventstheirpurposeandasaresult,changestheopinionofthe
audience.Thisrecognitionofbeautywithinthehorrorfurtherinstillsdiscomfortinthe
audience,astheiropinionshiftsfromsheerdisgusttoutteradmiration.Theaudience
becomesawareoftheinexplicablejoytheyarereceivingthroughtheobservationtheon
screenbrutality,andconsequently,begintodoubttheirownmorality.Thisaddsanentirely
differentdegreeofhorrortothefilm,makingthehorrorthatbitmoreimmersiveand
effective.
“Argentoaestheticizesatrocitysosuccessfullythat,watchingSuspiria,youstartto
wonder,isthiswhatit’sliketobeakiller?Tosavourtheunspeakable?Tofeelthis
intoxicatingexhilaration?”(Berriman,2010)
Suspiriaisunlikeanythingelseinhorrorcinema.Ittakeseveryopportunityto
immersetheaudienceintheterror,bothvisuallyandaudibly,andthismakesthefilmallthe
moreenjoyableoverotherfilms,botholdandnew.
Bibliography
Quotes
Breese,K.(2005)Suspiria.In: filmcritic.com15.8.05[online]
http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/1977/suspiria/(Accessedon9/1/12)
Gore,L.(2008)Suspiria.In:esplatter.com19.6.08[online]
http://www.esplatter.com/reviews.php?id=117(Accessedon9/1/12)
Berriman,I.(2010)FREAKSHOWSuspiria.In:sfx.co.uk7.6.10[online]
http://www.sfx.co.uk/2010/06/07/freakshow-suspiria/(Accessedon9/1/12)
ListofIllustrationsFig.1.SuspiriaFilmPoster From:SuspiriaDirectedby:DarioArgento.[filmposter]Italy:Seda
Spettacoli
Fig.2.SuzySurroundedbyRedasSheLeavestheAirport.(1977)From:SuspiriaDirectedby:Dario
Argento.[filmstill]Italy:SedaSpettacoli.
Fig.3.TheTransitionfromRedtoBlue,BadtoWorse.(1977)From:SuspiriaDirectedby:Dario
Argento.[filmstill]Italy:SedaSpettacoli.
Fig.3TheTransitionfromRedtoBlue,BadtoWorse
