Dario Argento’s Suspiria

Suspiria is an Italian horror movie released in 1977 about Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper,) an American ballet dancer who enrolls at a famous ballet school in Europe only to discover it is run by a coven of witches. It is classified as being Dario Argento´s finest work, and if memory serves me right, the very first horror movie I ever saw on the big screen. I was 8 years old.

The film opens with Suzy arriving at the school via cab on a very stormy night. As she approaches the front door, she is greeted by a terrified girl who mutters something about a flower, before fleeing into the miserable night. Unable to get anyone to let her into the school, Suzy retires to a nearby hotel, while the fleeing girl runs to a friend's apartment building, in hopes to seek shelter from whatever it is she fears has been following her since her departure from the ballet school.

Ok - so my first question was why did this fleeing girl not get into the cab and have him drive her off somewhere? Why run into a freakin' pitch black thunderstorm? These are questions not meant to be asked in movies such as this, so I cast them aside and continued to wait for what was to come....

This opening segment effectively raises the suspense factor in an almost Hitchcock-type manner, but ends with a dramatic and gory double murder that Hitchcock would never have displayed. Granted the blood was primarily koolaid but considering the age of the movie, I did not judge based on this fact. The murder sequence was very intense, and promised of supernatural things to come. This movie did nothing less than scare the shit out of me when I was 8, and now at ...... 29 and holding...... still sent chills down my spine.

Scene break to Suzy´s first day, where we are introduced to most of the key players. The school is run by Madam Blanc (Joan Bennett) and her sidekick Miss Tanner (Alida Valli), both of which appear mysterious and well, creepy. It is about this time that Suzy suffers a dizzy spell, resulting in her not having an off site apartment as planned, but rather moved into the academy against her wishes. It's for her "best interest" she is assured, at least until she is "better."

Some of the girls are catty, some of the boys are gay, but one of the girls befriends Suzy and tells her stories about strange and unusual happenings within the walls of the school. They begin to investigate nightly, but Suzy, made to eat specially prepared meals to combat her "illness" usually passed out before any real investigations could occur. This meant her friend was off and snooping by herself.

Side Note: One of the first rules of surviving a B movie is never, under any circumstance, wander off alone. Unless you have a death wish, then have at it. I'm guessing Suzy's friend had a death wish. I'm also guessing those nightly special "meals" were a bit drugged.....

The story's suspense builds steadily, providing several scares along the way. The climatic ending is unexpected, and though not gruesome like some of Argento's other creations, definitely leaves you relieved it was merely a movie, and not some insight into a sinister evil lurking in your neighbors backyard.

Suspiria has somewhat of a Gothic air about it, tinged with a hint of LSD, appearing hallucinogenic with dramatic lighting effects and unusual camera angles. I also get the impression Argento was aiming for a type of dark, romantic feel, albeit a twisted one, and delivered just that.

Suspiria is toted as being one of the scariest horror movies of all time, as well as being "beautiful and dream-like." When you take into account the era of which it was came from, I would have to agree. Granted by today's standards this movie may pale in comparison, but it can still scare the hell out of you and leave you with an impression you won't soon forget.

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