Have you ever watched a movie so disgusting and disturbing that you're compelled to wonder if the filmmaker themselves are as disgusting and disturbed as their work? Or similarly have you ever read a book which makes you wonder about the writer's own sanity? Going even further, have you ever come out of a film or finished a book where you yourself felt changed or affected? How much is too much before you yourself become a part of the narrative, no longer a spectator? And where does the writer or filmmaker end and the book or film begin?
These are the kinds of questions posed in Dario Argento's giallo classic TENEBRE. The follow-up film to INFERNO (part II of the THREE MOTHERS trilogy), Tenebre stars Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon (ENTER THE DRAGON, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET), Italian horror queen Daria Nicolodi (DEEP RED, Inferno, PHENOMENA, SHOCK, OPERA), and Spaghetti Western star Giuliano Gemma (DAY OF ANGER, A PISTOL FOR RINGO).
Tenebre is at once an homage piece of fiction to the psychological thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock and Freddie Francis and the classic murder mystery novels of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And at the same time Tenebre is a piece of metafiction, a classic giallo film, self-referential, and a self-examination by the director and all those who create works of horror. The lead character could be a stand in for Stephen King even. Tenebre functions on many levels and amounts to one of the director's most intriguing films.
THE PLOT
Horror writer Peter Neal has arrived in Rome where his latest novel, Tenebre, has become a popular phenomenon. Fans and critics alike rush to greet him as he arrives from America. Not long after his arrival the police discover the brutal murder of a woman, murdered identically to a scene out of Neal's novel. The writer is logically considered a suspect, but as the police are interrogating him, the killer leaves the writer a cryptic note. More victims surface mirroring Neal's novels and more notes surface leading the novelist on a real mystery leaving him to ponder where fiction ends and reality begins...
WHAT I LIKED
Reinventing the Giallo. Mario Bava is the godfather of giallo films. But some say Dario Argento was the man who perfected the giallo film. As with anything popular, a slew of imitators and copycats arose in Argento's wake. He stepped away from gialli with SUSPIRIA but after a sour Hollywood experience making Inferno he returned to the genre he helped make great. Tenebre begins like a standard murder mystery film, but with Argento's patented style (which is always worth it). The film goes on a familiar track until about halfway through. That's when Argento turns the film on its head and he begins injecting Hitchcockian influences into the film. By the end of the movie you see a beautiful melding of the giallo and the psychological thriller.
Metafiction. Anyone who likes horror movies is familiar with the experience of revealing your passion for scary movies and then being immediately judged, as if the other person is silently asking, "What is wrong with you?" That experience is replicated tenfold on those who writer horror or make horror movies. Tenebre is Argento's response to those judgemental people who have no understanding, albeit a fictional answer. Argento is working through these frustrations, from both a fan's and creator's point of view. And then he takes this idea and stretches it one step further asking the question when does a love of horror go too far?
Classical Filmmaking. Argento's direction and Luciano Tovoli's (the director of photography) camerawork are interesting and loaded with symbolism. There are so many elements to be on the look out for in this film that once you start to picking up on them the whole film blows wide open for you. Be on the look out for duplicates as there are strong themes of duality coursing through the film (and there's a shot near the end that punctuates this that I just love!). Pay attention to the usage of water in the film. References to Argento's previous works abound as well. It's like a film student's dream analysis project.
And there's a spot of wonderful blood and gore effects too! And the soundtrack by Goblin is amazing as always!
NITPICKS
The dubbing doesn't do the film justice, either the English or Italian. Now, I did watch the original DVD release from Anchor Bay so maybe the dubbing issues have been corrected on the blu-ray editions. The first half seems fairly formulaic and generic (if you're used to gialli films, that is) but I believe this was intentional. Some characters are written rather strangely, such as the female journalist at the beginning. And then Daria Nicolodi seemed a bit under utilized given how talented she is in Argento's other films. At the end of the day though these aren't really problems or anything I couldn't get past. Tenebre is one well done film.
THE VERDICT
The master of Italian horror, Dario Argento, unleashes one of his finest giallo films ever in Tenebre. An all-star cast of both Italian and American actors serve up healthy doses of thrills, mystery, meta-fiction, and blood and dismemberment. Argento takes you to someplace familiar and then turns the entire narrative on its head, leaving you wondering where you are. There's a great soundtrack by the members of Goblin and enough details to keep even the most observant of film students busy for 100 minutes. A true classic from Dario Argento.
Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
Nude-O-Meter: 4 out of 10
For more films from Dario Argento and more Spaghetti Horror check out these other films below
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