'Suspiria'- Film Review (1-6)

'Suspiria'- Film Review (6)

(657 Words)

One has to have a strong stomach to experience the bloodcurdling horror, that is 'Suspiria'.

An Italian film, directed and produced by Dario Argento (1977)... it's reviews remain consistently dumbfounded by it's grip on garish primary colours... the ever tense soundtrack (featuring of struggled breathing, plucking of guitar strings and the shrieking of synthesisers), and it's notoriously horrific imagery.

It's not unusual to walk out thinking you'd dived in too deep, despite your initial belief that 'as an 'adult', you're in some way mature enough to watch the full hour and 38 minutes.
'Timeout' sums it up perfectly: "...the thrills and spills are so classy and fast that the movie becomes in effect what horror movies seemed like when you were too young to get in to see them. Don't think, just panic".
And panic, indeed.
While the story offers little plot development or explanation as to why lecturers are working part-time as cult activists... or how the school has managed to avoid the wrath of German Ofsted till now... we remain glue-eyed to the horrific scenes anyway, that do nothing to explain the curse... but rather act as mere devices to build tension and appeal to common human fears (insects: maggots, the unknown: shadows, the black void beyond the window pane, and the supernatural etc.).

It's audience (at this point, captivated by the music and wellbeing of our doe-eyed protagonist, Suzy), watch as the new arrival of the ballet school is thrown into a 'whodunit' approach to paranoia.
This only lasts to a point, though. as the film continuously works with our expectations (as to who's responsible, or who visually looks suspicious), and never truly explains why things have gone as far as they had.
True we're told a witch once lived in this building, and a fire (presumably started by the locals) has taken her life... but never is this actually confirmed. Nor do we know if the teachers are in some way controlled, or are working knowingly to murder their students.

There is no pause in tension at any point during the film. If there's a lack of music, it's because we're undoubtedly waiting for it, and if things seem for even a second like Suzy might get her degree unhindered, the set's painted in a sudden red, pushing the audience out of their comfort zone... into a world that's look's like ours, but is slightly too surreal to seem quite 'right/real'.

Fig.1

Fig.2
The only scene where the set suddenly seems to have a realistic colour palette, is when Suzy has drawn back the curtain of the lies, and is moments away from finding out the truth.

[The colours were achieved during the film's development process. An old three-strip technicolour printing machine was used to give the film it's over-saturated, vibrant look common in early cinema, between the 1930's and 1940's].

Much like Sara's continuous paranoia, the sets seem to be a constant reminder of this ever present danger. The camera shots are also intended to say things that story itself, never appears to say aloud.
Close-ups are continuously off-centre, as if to subtly suggest someone else (an invisible entity perhaps, or something supernatural), is in the shot with them.

Fig.3

Fig.4

Static zooms and slow pans follow 'important' people and things, but frustratingly keep our view limited. Something that might make us feel disadvantaged, as the 'active party', and constantly defenceless.

Fig. 5

The characters are constantly shown in vulnerable places, to enforce tension. This shot is seen from an 'outsiders' p.o.v, again hinting that there's a third person present during this discussion.

The film is essentially a showcase of Argento's technical ability, and understanding of the horror genre. In fact he says himself, his preference to show woman being killed on screen is, according to him, a matter of provoking the strongest emotions from the audience.

As he states: "A woman in peril is emotionally affecting... A man simply isn't".
Alternatively he could have male chauvinist views... but he could also be appealing to cinema's tendency to show woman, as opposed to men, in weakened positions. Particularly in this genre of film.

Though the plot and act is weak in certain areas, the mise-en-scene and general cinematography of the film as a whole is something to behold. It demands to be looked at, and appreciated (even if it's painful to do so).

References

Illustrations
Fig.1 'Suspiria' (1977) [Film Still] Available at: https://filmgrimoire.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/suspiria-212.jpg [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]
Fig. 2 'Suspiria' (1977) [Film Still] Available at: https://stillsfrmfilms.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/342.jpg [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]
Fig. 3 'Suspiria' (1977) [Film Still] Available at: https://petrouis.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/suspiria18.jpg [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]
Fig. 4 'Suspiria' (1977) [Film Still] Available at: http://horror.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/fear-itself-suspiria-still-1024x429.jpg [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]
Fig. 5 'Suspiria' (1977) [Film Still] Available at: http://i61.tinypic.com/2n7qxyd.gif [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]

Websites

Gonzalez, Ed (2001) Suspiria, [Online]. Available at: http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/suspiria [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]

Guarisco, Donald A. (\) AllMusic Review, [Online]. Available at: http://www.allmusic.com/album/suspiria-original-soundtrack-mw0000341986 [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]
Scullion, Chris (2014) Suspiria (1977) Review, [Online]. Available at: https://thatwasabitmental.com/2014/03/22/suspiria-1977-review/ [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]
Smith, Adam (2015) Suspiria, [Online]. Available at: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/suspiria/review/[Accessed Date: 07/12/16]
‘TimeOut’ (-2016) Review: Time Out Says, [Online]. Available at: http://www.timeout.com/london/film/suspiria [Accessed Date: 07/12/16]