Review of Suspiria (1977) by Stuart K — 01 Mar 2010
From Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, comes what is to many people, his masterpiece. A very creepy but atmospheric horror film which was allegedly based on something that had happened to co-writer Daria Nicolodi's grandmother.
Argento saw instant potential for a film with this tale, and this is the result, a simple plot, but it's colours and shots are so vivid. It begins when American ballet student, Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper), comes to Munich, Germany to study at a renowned dance academy in Freiburg.
When she arrives, she is introduced to Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli), who run the academy. The meeting is tinged with tragedy, as one of the students Pat Hingle (Eva Axén), was murdered the night before, and Suzy saw her running from the academy.
But, the murders don't stop there, they continue, and Suzy learns from psychologist Dr. Mandel (Udo Kier) that the Academy was founded by a Greek witch, it's up to Suzy to put a stop to this. It's a very atmospheric and creepy film, very well shot, and Argento can't resist but show us blood and gore, gratuitous but always filmed beautifully.
The colour is rich and stands out beautifully, almost like a main character, and the sets are beautiful.
This review of Suspiria (1977) was written by Stuart K on 01 Mar 2010.
Suspiria has generally received very positive reviews.
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