Suspiria (1977/2018)

SUSPIRIA (18)

D: Dario Argento

Seda Spettacoli (Claudio Argento)

Italy 1976 (released 1977)

97 mins

Horror

W: Dario Argento & Daria Nicolodi

DP: Luciano Tovoli

Ed: Franco Fraticelli

Mus: Goblin

Jessica Harper (Suzy Bannion), Alida Valli (Miss Tanner), Joan Bennett (Madame Blanc), Stefania Casini (Sara), Udo Kier (Dr. Frank Mandel)

Psycho meets The Exorcist in this European horror classic from Dario Argento.

An American girl joins an Italian ballet academy and soon discovers that the school is a front for something far more macabre and sinister as a series of deaths happen around her.

A genuine no holds barred frightfest, full of colourfully violent imagery, grisly murders and a screeching soundtrack which will leave the hairs on the back of your neck on end throughout.

Visually splendid, the only negative points come from the film's screenplay, full of underwritten characters and unconvincing dialogue, though this is due to a change immediately prior to filming, when the location was switched from a boarding school to ballet academy, but the script was not amended to accommodate this change.

Still, it's better than the majority of modern horror flicks mass-produced on an assembly line, so it's quite ironic that an American remake would be released in 2018.

7/10

SUSPIRIA (18)

D: Luca Guadagnino

Amazon/Frenesy/Videa/Mythology/First Sun/Memo/Vega Baby/K Period (Marco Morabito, Brad Fischer, Luca Guadagnino, David Kajganich, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Francesco Melzi d'Eril, William Sherak & Gabrielle Morati)

US/Italy 2018

152 mins

Horror

W: David Kajganich [based on the original screenplay by Dario Argento & Daria Nicoladi]

DP: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom

Ed: Walter Fasano

Mus: Thom Yorke

Dakota Johnson (Susie Bannion), Tilda Swinton (Madame Blanc / Helena Markos), Lutz Ebersdorf [Tilda Swinton] (Dr. Josef Klemperer), Mia Goth (Sara Simms), Chloë Moretz (Patricia Hingle)

Dario Argento's original 1970's version of Suspiria is considered by many to be a classic of the horror genre, and thematically I certainly wouldn't disagree. There are issues with the screenplay, documented in its production which was switched from a boarding school to a dance academy late in the day and the script failed to accommodate the change. In all fairness, it's not a huge surprise that it would be subject to a remake.

Taking the directorial reins for this 2018 version is Luca Guadagnino, who has an arthouse approach to the material and also adds a bit more to the existing plot.

Set in a 1977 Berlin, still suffering from the aftermath of WWII and partitioned by the wall, an American dancer enlists at a prestigious ballet company, where it soon emerges that it is managed by a coven of witches and is plagued by a series of occult happenings. There's also a separate story thread concerning a German psychiatrist, who investigates the academy following the arrest of one of his patients, once a dance student, but since arrested as a political prisoner.

Like the original movie, the focus is very much on the style, utilising clever cinematography, snappy editing and a haunting score to build tension, rather than resorting to manipulative jump scares which have plagued the horror genre for far too long. Unfortunately, it's layered with so many subplots and backstory that it does collapse a little under the weight of its attempt at importance.

It's a shame, because there's a good 90-100 minute horror movie in here, but it's bogged down with an additional hour of scenes which seem too superfluous, leading to a bloodbath ending which is incredibly well done, but is also a little too puzzling for those who might have momentarily switched off during the quite tedious build up.

Tilda Swinton, taking on a few roles, including the psychiatrist, is very good in her various parts, but Dakota Johnson is miscast and her character is incredibly dull.

There's a thin line between arty and pretentious, and this film dallies a little too much on both sides. Recommended if you liked the original film, but if your horror tastes lie more towards slasher movies and the Saw series of films, this would be best avoided.

5/10