One of the great names in Euro horror is that of DARIO ARGENTO. His contributions to horror have inspired some of the most recognizable names in the genre, JOHN CARPENTER being one of them. The spaghetti horror films of Argento have primarily resided within the "Giallo" subgenre of horror, better known to us English speaking fans as "Slasher" films. Among his most celebrated films are BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, CAT O' NINE TAILS, TENEBRAE, and DEEP RED, the latter film often being sited as his finest.
But Argento didn't always stay strickly within the giallo architecture. He did occasionally add a supernatural element here and there. One such film of his is the 1977 supernatural thriller SUSPIRIA. He doesn't stray terribly far from familiar territory though as this is a violent thriller with an undercurrent of supernatural to it. Suspiria is the first Argento film I was introduced to and it struck a chord within me that had a lasting expression. The movie is arguably his best film. It is also the first of what has been referred to as Argento's "The Three Mothers" trilogy followed by the films INFERNO (1980) and THE MOTHER OF TEARS (2007).
THE PLOT
Suzy Bannion is on her way to a prestigious dance academy in Germany to study ballet. From the instant she arrives she notices several strange things, one of them being a young woman about her age fleeing the school in the middle of a rain storm. The next morning Suzy overhears that the girl she saw fleeing the previous night was later murdered. Strange headaches creep up on her out of nowhere causing her to faint. After ten minutes she feels perfectly fine as if it had never happened. Then there are the footsteps she hears late at night that seem to go on well past the end of the hallway. And the eerie breathing coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.
Then she hears talk about witchcraft and stories about the founding mother of the academy, Helena Markos. Rumors say that nearly 100 years ago when Helena Markos founded the academy she and the head mothers were practicing occult rituals. Then Suzy's roommate mysteriously disappears followed by the piano instructor. The head mothers begin acting strangely too and Suzy gets the feeling that the rumors of witches and witchcraft just might be true. When she discovers her roommate's mangled body she realizes she's next.
THE GOOD
There aren't too many really good witchcraft movies out there, scary ones, I mean. Suspiria is a violent and disturbing film similar to the great slasher films of old. The murders are creative, visceral, and bloody as hell. This coming from a guy who has seen a lot of slasher movies. It's a great and terrifying feeling when you discover a movie that can evoke that old cringing feeling again. It's one of the finer qualities of Euro horror and spaghetti horror films that has made me a fan of them. You haven't seen gore until you've seen it from Argento or Fulci.
Then there's the music by the Italian band GOBLIN. The band scored the entire movie in collaboration with Argento himself. It's a freaky soundtrack, one of the best scores for a horror film that I've ever heard. And it's unique, utilizing strange sounds, jarring cues, and human voices. If you have seen the movie before and listen to the words spoken in the score they actually give away vital information. Whenever Suzy is in the presence of a witch the voice in the score says "witch!" And it says more than just that too. It's very interesting and Argento manages to pull it off successfully.
Then there's the witches. The witchcraft in the film is subtle. Most of the violence is perpetrated by human hands. In fact it appears as if everything is being committed by some lunatic murderer. But then you learn that it's something else. It's only at the end when you actually see something visibly supernatural. You might think that a drawback of the movie but it actually works in the movie's favor. You keep doubting whether it's actually witches or not right along with the main character.
THE BAD
If it's an intense witch centric movie you're looking for then this is it. If you're looking for something that really shows off witchcraft then this movie might not be what you want to go with. The supernatural aspect is fairly subtle here. You see a lot of human manipulation and animal manipulation and the witchcraft presence is punctuated by the score and camerawork and not so much by special effects. It's not bad at all and it enhances the tension of this movie, but it doesn't call to mind traditional witches or witchcraft. So really I have nothing to complain about this movie save that small detail.
THE VERDICT
What this movie does it does it well. This movie masterfully sets up tension and atmosphere and then delivers the shocks. The plot is fairly unique and still very interesting almost 40 years later. The graphic violence and gore too is still intense and striking. Helena Markos proves to be a powerful and frightening antagonist worthy of the horror greats. Suspiria is one of the essential horror movie classics from the 70's and a wonderful example of Dario Argento's work. From the music to the camerawork, the acting and the gore, all of it is done to such a frightening and effective level showing us all why Dario Argento is one of the greatest horror maestros in cinema.
Overall Ranking: 9 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 1 out of 10
Want more witches? Check out WGN's television series SALEM. Read my post linked below to find out why Salem is perhaps the best on screen representation of witches and witchcraft!
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