Review: “Susperia”

So is the Italian giallo classic as great as its reputation?  Well, certain parts of it are.

The opening sequence of Dario Argento’s 1977 film, Susperia, is a masterpiece.  Everything you’ve heard about the film is evident in that first fifteen minutes:  Brilliant use of color; Dreamlike atmosphere; Gruesome violence.  I didn’t understand what the hell was going on, but that just added to the nightmarish intensity.  It is at the same time horrifying and beautiful, truly visionary stuff.  The remainder of the film, barring the final ten minutes or so, is unfortunately neither so captivating nor creative.

The story is centered around an Italian dance academy where a terrible murder has just occurred, and a fresh American student has arrived to study. The pacing is agonizingly slow, and the fact that the plot involves a coven of witches is undercut by the fact that the word “witch” isn’t even uttered until less than 30 minutes remain in the film.  Anyone tuning in for the middle stretch will be battered with some poor acting, confounded even more by the constant use of ADR.  There is a decent sequence where one of the dancers is chased into a pit of razor wire, but most of the film is pretty scare-free.  The worst attempts at horror involve stuffed animal attacks (dog and bat, respectively), that wouldn’t seem out of place in a micro-budget indie movie from a few decades ago.  As I mentioned, it picks back up for a solid final scene, but I was really hoping for some more sustained brilliance, especially since Argento shows off what he is capable of so early.

The only element that saves the middle hour of the film is the score by prog-rock weirdos, Goblin.  It sounds like Ministry mashed up with one of those “Spooky Sounds” cassettes you used to be able to get for $3.99 from the drug store around Halloween time.  In other words, it’s great.  Unfortunately, that is hardly enough to recommend the movie overall.  I will say, you need to see the opening stretch.  I’ve embedded the scene below, so do yourself a favor and watch it with the lights off.  Just be forewarned that the promise of that transcendent few minutes is not fulfilled in the film that follows.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWWb5cvAIJQ%5B/embedyt%5D

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