Suspiria
Encyclopedia
Suspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film
directed by Dario Argento
and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi
. The film follows an American ballet
student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany
, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven
of witches. The film's score was performed by Goblin
. It stars Jessica Harper
and Stefania Casini. It was also one of the final feature films to be processed in the Italian processing plant of Technicolor
before it was closed. Suspiria is the first of the trilogy
Argento refers to as "The Three Mothers", followed by Inferno
and The Mother of Tears.
The film has become one of Argento's most successful feature films, receiving critical acclaim for its visual and stylistic performance, outstanding colors, and soundtrack. It has been nominated for two Saturn Awards: Best Supporting Actress for Joan Bennett
in 1978 and Best DVD Classic Film Release in 2002. The film has since become a cult classic
.
ballet
student, Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper
), arrives from her flight in Munich
, Germany
on a stormy night to enroll in a prestigious dance academy in Freiburg. After Suzy is unable to gain access into the academy, she decides to spend the night around town.
Meanwhile, Pat Hingle (Eva Axén) (a former student who is expelled from the academy and seen leaving the academy in a somewhat frightened mood by Suzy) finds refuge at a friend's house in town. After Pat locks herself inside of the house's bathroom, a mysterious arm smothers Pat against the glass and repeatedly stabs her with a large knife and then graphically disembowels her. Her friend overhears her screaming and tries to scream for help, although nobody replies. Pat is then bound with a cord before she is hanged in mid-air after crashing through a large stained-glass ceiling. Her friend is killed directly below by the falling glass and metal.
Upon Suzy's arrival at the academy the next morning, she is introduced to Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett
) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli
). Suzy overhears an ongoing conversation about Pat's murder between a group of people, and recalls that she witnessed Pat leaving the academy the previous night. Suzy is then escorted to the ballet
student's locker room, where she meets Sarah (Stefania Casini
) and Olga (Barbara Magnolfi), with whom she lives off-campus. The following morning, Blanc offers Suzy a dormitory room, but she denies Blanc's offer. After a strange encounter with the academy's cook (Franca Scagnetti
), Suzy seemingly struggles before fainting during a lesson. Later that night, Suzy awakens to discover that she has been moved into a dormitory room against her wishes. The doctors then tell Suzy that she is to be "medicated" with a glass of wine daily. Suzy befriends Sarah after the two are roomed together. As Suzy and the rest of the students prepare for dinner, hundreds of maggots appear to fall from the ceiling due to spoiled food boxed in the attic. The girls are then ordered to sleep in the practice hall overnight. During the night, Sarah identifies a distinctive whistling snore as that of the school's director, who is not due to return to the academy for several weeks.
The next morning, Tanner orders the blind pianist, Daniel (Flavio Bucci
), to leave the academy immediately after his guide dog bites her nephew's arm. Later that night, Sarah overhears the teacher's footsteps and begins to count them whilst Suzy becomes irresistibly drowsy and falls asleep. Meanwhile, while Daniel and his guide dog cross a plaza within the city, Daniel sense a strange presence. Suddenly, his seemingly calm dog lunges at Daniel and tears his throat out, killing him. The next day, Suzy recalls the words "iris
" and "secret" from Pat's mumbling before leaving the academy. Later that night, Suzy and Sarah go for a swim while Sarah reveals to Suzy that she and Pat were close friends, and recalls that Pat had been "talking strangely for some time". As the two girls search for Pat's notes in Sarah's room, they appear to be stolen. Suzy suddenly becomes drowsy and falls asleep before Sarah flees to the attic after hearing approaching footsteps. Sarah goes on a lengthy chase away from an unseen pursuer and, thinking she will be able to escape through a window into another room, falls into a huge pile of barbed wire. After she she struggles entangled and in anguish, Sarah's attacker appears and slits her throat.
The following morning, Blanc and Tanner inform Suzy that Sarah is nowhere to be found and that her room is entirely empty. Suzy then meets one of Sarah's acquaintance, a psychologist named Dr. Mandel (Udo Kier
), who explains that the academy was founded by Helena Markos, a cruel Greek
émigré who was widely believed to be a witch. Dr. Mandel's colleague, Professor Millus, then tells Suzy that a coven
can only survive with their queen. Upon Suzy's return to the academy that night, she discovers that all of the students have gone to the theater. After becoming suspicious of her prescribed glass of wine, she pours it down the sink. She then overhears the footsteps Sarah identified before, and follows them to Blanc's office. She suddenly recalls Pat's mumbling after discovering irises painted all over the walls of Blanc's office. After entering a hidden passage, she discovers Blanc, Tanner and the staff forming a ritual where they plot Suzy's death. Unseen, Suzy then turns to find Sarah's body nailed to a coffin.
Frightened, Suzy then sneaks into another room, where she accidentally awakens a shadowy figure who reveals herself as Helena Markos. An ancient, hideous witch, Helena begins to taunt Suzy, revealing that Madame Blanc, Miss Tanner, some students and the rest of the staff as members of her coven and they have happily participated or used their witchcraft in the brutal murders. Helena then orders Sarah's nearby corpse to rise from the dead to murder Suzy. Suzy then stabs Helena with one of the room's decorative knives, which appears to kill her (she fades from view screaming) and Sarah's reanimated corpse. Helena's demise seems to cause a sudden fire. As the academy is slowly destroyed with the coven inside, Suzy manages to escape before the entire building catches on fire. The screaming of the coven of witches as they die is heard over the pulsating soundtrack.
emphasize vivid primary color
s, particularly red
, creating a deliberately unrealistic, nightmarish setting, emphasized by the use of imbibition
Technicolor
prints. The imbibition process, used for The Wizard of Oz
and Gone with the Wind
, is much more vivid in its color rendition than emulsion-based release prints, therefore enhancing the nightmarish quality of the film.
The title and general concept of "The Three Mothers" came from Suspiria de Profundis
. There is a section in Suspiria De Profundis entitled "Levana
and Our Ladies of Sorrow". The piece asserts that just as there are three Fates
and three Graces
, there are three Sorrows: "Mater Lacrymarum, Our Lady of Tears," "Mater Suspiriorum, Our Lady of Sighs," and "Mater Tenebrarum, Our Lady of Darkness."
composed most of the film's musical score
. Goblin also composed music for several other films by Dario Argento. In the film's opening credits, they are incorrectly referred to as "The Goblins". Like Ennio Morricone's compositions for Sergio Leone, Goblin's score for Suspiria was created before the film was shot. It has been reused in multiple Hong Kong
films, including Yuen Woo-ping
's martial arts film Dance of the Drunk Mantis
(1979) and Tsui Hark
's horror-comedy We Are Going to Eat You (1980).
Goblin frontman Claudio Simonetti
later formed a heavy metal
band, Daemonia. The 2001 Anchor Bay DVD release contains a video of the band playing a reworking of the Suspiria theme song. The DVD edition also contains the entire original soundtrack as a bonus CD, which is currently out of print in North America
.
The main title theme was named as one of the best songs released between 1977 and 1979 in The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present. It has been sampled on the Raekwon
and Ghostface Killah
song, "Legal Coke" from the R.A.G.U. mix tape. Also sampled by RJD2
for the song, "Weather People off Cage's Album Weather Proof" and by Army of the Pharaohs
' song "Swords Drawn". The soundtrack from the film has also been sampled in the cult television series Invader Zim
.
, the film receives a 94% "fresh" rating based on 31 reviews with the consensus "The blood pours freely in Argento's classic Suspiria, a giallo horror as grandiose and glossy as it is gory". Rotten Tomatoes also ranked it #41 on their Best Horror Movies 2010 list. Whilst some critics praise the film's visual performance, outstanding use of color, and soundtrack, others have criticized it for its lack of sense and puzzling storyline.
Janet Maslin
of The New York Times
wrote a mixed review, saying the film had "slender charms, though they will most assuredly be lost on viewers who are squeamish." Dave Kehr of Chicago Reader gave a positive review, claiming that "Argento works so hard for his effects — throwing around shock cuts, colored lights, and peculiar camera angles — that it would be impolite not to be a little frightened". Although J. Hoberman of Village Voice gave a positive review as well, he calls it "a movie that makes sense only to the eye". Village Voice ranked Suspiria #100 on their list of the 100 Greatest Films Made During the 20th Century.
Adam Smith of Empire Magazine awarded the film a perfect score of 5 out of 5, calling it a "perfect antipasto". Empire Magazine ranked Suspiria #312 on their list of the 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time, as well as #45 on their list of The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema TV Guide
awarded the film 4 stars out of 5, concluding that "Throughout this nerve-wracking journey, Argento's sly gift is to strike when you least expect it, often when the soundtrack grows silent, and always after you've expected the knife blade to plunge in earlier". Keith Breese of FilmCritic.com also awarded the film a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a wild feast of imagery that has never since been duplicated".
Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews awarded the film a C+, claiming that it "only catches fire when it has run out of imagination to end it in any other way but through a pyrotechnic display". The only negative review was given by David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews, introducing the review by calling it "is a so-called "classic" horror movie that even critics who ordinarily shun the genre (Leonard Maltin, for one) respect and admire. But one can't help but wonder what all the hoopla is about, as the movie is generally a dull and badly dated affair" whilst saying that "all the visual artistry in the world can't compensate for a lousy script".
Entertainment Weekly
ranked Suspiria #18 on their list of the 25 Scariest Films Of All Time. A poll of critics of Total Film
ranked it #3 on their list of The 50 Greatest Horror Films Of All Time. One of the film's sequences were ranked at #24 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments. IGN
ranked it #20 on their list of the Top 25 Horror Movies of All Time.
thrash metal
band and a pioneering mid-1990s U.K. gothic rock
band, have named themselves after the film. Several albums have also used the title, including Suspiria by Darkwell
, Suspiria
by Miranda Sex Garden
, and Suspiria de Profundis by Die Form
which can also be regarded as inspired by Thomas De Quincey's work of the same title.
The Smashing Pumpkins
used the theme from the film as introductory music on their 2007 tour. The Houston-based Two Star Symphony Orchestra, on their 2004 CD Danse Macabre: Constant Companion, included a track titled "Goblin Attack" that features a strings rendition of the Suspiria theme. The track's title appears to be a reference to the Italian rock band Goblin
. The 69 Eyes
wrote a song 'Suspiria Snow White' on the album Back in Blood
.
In books by Simon R. Green, mentions are often made of a "Black Forest Dance Academy" in Germany. It is a place where witches and Satanists gather, and one of the many places that the witch Molly Metcalf ment to get her powers
The film's music has been imitated by various artists, including Ministry
's "Psalm 69" from their album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs
, Cage Kennylz
's "Weather People", and Atmosphere's "Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know".
In the 2007 film, Juno
, the title character mentions Suspiria during a discussion of horror films with character Mark Loring after she finds a SomethingWeird Video copy of The Wizard of Gore
.
In the 2011 episode of The Office, "The Seminar", Gabe Lewis mentions the film as one he wants to watch with Erin Hannon
.
In Scream 4
, Charlie (Rory Culkin
) mentions Suspiria while looking through Kirby's (Hayden Panettiere
) DVD collection.
in 2008 that a remake of Suspiria is in production and will be directed by David Gordon Green
, who directed films such as Undertow and Pineapple Express
. The film will be produced by Italian production company First Sun. During August 2008, the Bloody Disgusting
website reported that Natalie Portman
's and Annette Savitch's Handsome Charlie Films set to produce the remake and that Portman will play the lead role. In 2009, it was reported that the movie will star Portman and will be directed by David Gordon Green
. The First Sun project will produce by Marco Morabito and Luca Guadagnino. Green has now admitted he is again trying to remake the film.
During June 2006, Japanese studio GONZO reportedly announced the production of an anime
remake of Suspiria (サスペリア) is in development, but it has not yet announced a release date for TV broadcast. The anime adaptation will be directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike (Solty Rei).
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi
Daria Nicolodi is an Italian actress and screenwriter.- Early life and career :Daria Nicolodi was born in Florence on June 19, 1950. Her father was a Florentine lawyer and her mother, Fulvia, was a scholar of ancient languages. Her maternal grandfather was composer Alfredo Casella...
. The film follows an American ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven
Coven
A coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....
of witches. The film's score was performed by Goblin
Goblin (band)
Goblin are an Italian progressive rock band known for their soundtracks for Dario Argento films ....
. It stars Jessica Harper
Jessica Harper
Jessica Harper is an American actress and producer, as well as a singer and author of children's music and books.-Early life:...
and Stefania Casini. It was also one of the final feature films to be processed in the Italian processing plant of Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
before it was closed. Suspiria is the first of the trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
Argento refers to as "The Three Mothers", followed by Inferno
Inferno (1980 film)
Inferno is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, and Alida Valli. The cinematography was by Romano Albani, and Keith Emerson composed the film's thunderous musical score...
and The Mother of Tears.
The film has become one of Argento's most successful feature films, receiving critical acclaim for its visual and stylistic performance, outstanding colors, and soundtrack. It has been nominated for two Saturn Awards: Best Supporting Actress for Joan Bennett
Joan Bennett
Joan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
in 1978 and Best DVD Classic Film Release in 2002. The film has since become a cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
.
Plot
An AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
student, Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper
Jessica Harper
Jessica Harper is an American actress and producer, as well as a singer and author of children's music and books.-Early life:...
), arrives from her flight in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on a stormy night to enroll in a prestigious dance academy in Freiburg. After Suzy is unable to gain access into the academy, she decides to spend the night around town.
Meanwhile, Pat Hingle (Eva Axén) (a former student who is expelled from the academy and seen leaving the academy in a somewhat frightened mood by Suzy) finds refuge at a friend's house in town. After Pat locks herself inside of the house's bathroom, a mysterious arm smothers Pat against the glass and repeatedly stabs her with a large knife and then graphically disembowels her. Her friend overhears her screaming and tries to scream for help, although nobody replies. Pat is then bound with a cord before she is hanged in mid-air after crashing through a large stained-glass ceiling. Her friend is killed directly below by the falling glass and metal.
Upon Suzy's arrival at the academy the next morning, she is introduced to Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett
Joan Bennett
Joan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli
Alida Valli
Alida Valli , sometimes simply credited as Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films, including Mario Soldati's Piccolo mondo antico, Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case, Carol Reed's The Third Man, Michelangelo Antonioni's Il Grido, Luchino Visconti's Senso, Bernardo...
). Suzy overhears an ongoing conversation about Pat's murder between a group of people, and recalls that she witnessed Pat leaving the academy the previous night. Suzy is then escorted to the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
student's locker room, where she meets Sarah (Stefania Casini
Stefania Casini
Stefania Casini is an Italian actress and film director.-Selected filmography:- External links :*...
) and Olga (Barbara Magnolfi), with whom she lives off-campus. The following morning, Blanc offers Suzy a dormitory room, but she denies Blanc's offer. After a strange encounter with the academy's cook (Franca Scagnetti
Franca Scagnetti
Franca Scagnetti was an Italian film actress. She appeared in over 80 films between 1969 and 1999.She was born and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:* The Balloon Vendor...
), Suzy seemingly struggles before fainting during a lesson. Later that night, Suzy awakens to discover that she has been moved into a dormitory room against her wishes. The doctors then tell Suzy that she is to be "medicated" with a glass of wine daily. Suzy befriends Sarah after the two are roomed together. As Suzy and the rest of the students prepare for dinner, hundreds of maggots appear to fall from the ceiling due to spoiled food boxed in the attic. The girls are then ordered to sleep in the practice hall overnight. During the night, Sarah identifies a distinctive whistling snore as that of the school's director, who is not due to return to the academy for several weeks.
The next morning, Tanner orders the blind pianist, Daniel (Flavio Bucci
Flavio Bucci
Flavio Bucci is an Italian actor. He has appeared in 76 films and television shows since 1971. He is best known for playing Daniel, the blind pianist, in Dario Argento's Suspiria.-Selected filmography:...
), to leave the academy immediately after his guide dog bites her nephew's arm. Later that night, Sarah overhears the teacher's footsteps and begins to count them whilst Suzy becomes irresistibly drowsy and falls asleep. Meanwhile, while Daniel and his guide dog cross a plaza within the city, Daniel sense a strange presence. Suddenly, his seemingly calm dog lunges at Daniel and tears his throat out, killing him. The next day, Suzy recalls the words "iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
" and "secret" from Pat's mumbling before leaving the academy. Later that night, Suzy and Sarah go for a swim while Sarah reveals to Suzy that she and Pat were close friends, and recalls that Pat had been "talking strangely for some time". As the two girls search for Pat's notes in Sarah's room, they appear to be stolen. Suzy suddenly becomes drowsy and falls asleep before Sarah flees to the attic after hearing approaching footsteps. Sarah goes on a lengthy chase away from an unseen pursuer and, thinking she will be able to escape through a window into another room, falls into a huge pile of barbed wire. After she she struggles entangled and in anguish, Sarah's attacker appears and slits her throat.
The following morning, Blanc and Tanner inform Suzy that Sarah is nowhere to be found and that her room is entirely empty. Suzy then meets one of Sarah's acquaintance, a psychologist named Dr. Mandel (Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
), who explains that the academy was founded by Helena Markos, a cruel Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
émigré who was widely believed to be a witch. Dr. Mandel's colleague, Professor Millus, then tells Suzy that a coven
Coven
A coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....
can only survive with their queen. Upon Suzy's return to the academy that night, she discovers that all of the students have gone to the theater. After becoming suspicious of her prescribed glass of wine, she pours it down the sink. She then overhears the footsteps Sarah identified before, and follows them to Blanc's office. She suddenly recalls Pat's mumbling after discovering irises painted all over the walls of Blanc's office. After entering a hidden passage, she discovers Blanc, Tanner and the staff forming a ritual where they plot Suzy's death. Unseen, Suzy then turns to find Sarah's body nailed to a coffin.
Frightened, Suzy then sneaks into another room, where she accidentally awakens a shadowy figure who reveals herself as Helena Markos. An ancient, hideous witch, Helena begins to taunt Suzy, revealing that Madame Blanc, Miss Tanner, some students and the rest of the staff as members of her coven and they have happily participated or used their witchcraft in the brutal murders. Helena then orders Sarah's nearby corpse to rise from the dead to murder Suzy. Suzy then stabs Helena with one of the room's decorative knives, which appears to kill her (she fades from view screaming) and Sarah's reanimated corpse. Helena's demise seems to cause a sudden fire. As the academy is slowly destroyed with the coven inside, Suzy manages to escape before the entire building catches on fire. The screaming of the coven of witches as they die is heard over the pulsating soundtrack.
Cast
- Jessica HarperJessica HarperJessica Harper is an American actress and producer, as well as a singer and author of children's music and books.-Early life:...
as Suzy Banyon - Stefania CasiniStefania CasiniStefania Casini is an Italian actress and film director.-Selected filmography:- External links :*...
as Sarah - Flavio BucciFlavio BucciFlavio Bucci is an Italian actor. He has appeared in 76 films and television shows since 1971. He is best known for playing Daniel, the blind pianist, in Dario Argento's Suspiria.-Selected filmography:...
as Daniel - Miguel BoséMiguel BoséMiguel Dominguín Bosé is a Latin Grammy-winning Spanish/Italian musician and actor.-Early life:Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of the famous Italian actress Lucia Bosé and the legendary bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguín. He is also a cousin of Carmen...
as Mark - Joan BennettJoan BennettJoan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
as Madame Blanc - Alida ValliAlida ValliAlida Valli , sometimes simply credited as Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films, including Mario Soldati's Piccolo mondo antico, Alfred Hitchcock's The Paradine Case, Carol Reed's The Third Man, Michelangelo Antonioni's Il Grido, Luchino Visconti's Senso, Bernardo...
as Miss. Tanner - Barbara Magnolfi as Olga
- Susanna Javicoli as Sonia
- Eva Axén as Pat
- Rudolf Schundler as Prof. Milius
- Udo KierUdo KierUdo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
as Dr. Frank Mandel - Margherita Horowitz as Teacher
- Jacopo Mariani as AlbertAlbert (suspiria)Albert is a fictional character from Dario Argento's 1977 film Suspiria played by actor Jacopo Marian.He is the young nephew of the ballet school director Madame Blanc....
- Fulvio Mingozzi as Taxi Driver
- Franca ScagnettiFranca ScagnettiFranca Scagnetti was an Italian film actress. She appeared in over 80 films between 1969 and 1999.She was born and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:* The Balloon Vendor...
as Cook
Production
Suspiria is noteworthy for several stylistic flourishes that have become Argento trademarks. The film was made with anamorphic lenses. The production design and cinematographyCinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
emphasize vivid primary color
Primary color
Primary colors are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors. For human applications, three primary colors are usually used, since human color vision is trichromatic....
s, particularly red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
, creating a deliberately unrealistic, nightmarish setting, emphasized by the use of imbibition
Imbibition
'Imbibition' is defined as the displacement of one fluid by another immiscible fluid. This process is controlled and affected by a variety of factors...
Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
prints. The imbibition process, used for The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
and Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
, is much more vivid in its color rendition than emulsion-based release prints, therefore enhancing the nightmarish quality of the film.
The title and general concept of "The Three Mothers" came from Suspiria de Profundis
Suspiria de Profundis
Suspiria de Profundis is one of the best-known and most distinctive literary works of the English essayist Thomas De Quincey.__FORCETOC__-Genre:...
. There is a section in Suspiria De Profundis entitled "Levana
Levana
In ancient Roman religion, Levana was the goddess of newborn babies. Her name comes from the practice of the father lifting the child off the ground where it was placed by the child's mother to show that he officially accepts the child as his own.Thomas de Quincey's prose poem Levana and Our...
and Our Ladies of Sorrow". The piece asserts that just as there are three Fates
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
and three Graces
Charites
In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites , goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea , Euphrosyne , and Thalia . In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces"...
, there are three Sorrows: "Mater Lacrymarum, Our Lady of Tears," "Mater Suspiriorum, Our Lady of Sighs," and "Mater Tenebrarum, Our Lady of Darkness."
Soundtrack
The Italian rock band GoblinGoblin (band)
Goblin are an Italian progressive rock band known for their soundtracks for Dario Argento films ....
composed most of the film's musical score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
. Goblin also composed music for several other films by Dario Argento. In the film's opening credits, they are incorrectly referred to as "The Goblins". Like Ennio Morricone's compositions for Sergio Leone, Goblin's score for Suspiria was created before the film was shot. It has been reused in multiple Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
films, including Yuen Woo-ping
Yuen Woo-ping
Yuen Woo-ping is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and film director, renowned as one of the most successful and influential figures in the world of Hong Kong action cinema. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong...
's martial arts film Dance of the Drunk Mantis
Dance of the Drunk Mantis
Dance of the Drunk Mantis is a 1979 Hong Kong kung fu comedy film directed by Yuen Siu Tien’s real life son Yuen Woo-ping, starring Yuen Siu Tien, Hwang Jang Lee, Linda Lin, Yuen Shun Yee, Charlie Shek and Yuen Kwai...
(1979) and Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
's horror-comedy We Are Going to Eat You (1980).
Goblin frontman Claudio Simonetti
Claudio Simonetti
Claudio Simonetti is an Italian composer who has specialized in the scores for Italian and American horror films since the 1970s.- Biography :...
later formed a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band, Daemonia. The 2001 Anchor Bay DVD release contains a video of the band playing a reworking of the Suspiria theme song. The DVD edition also contains the entire original soundtrack as a bonus CD, which is currently out of print in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The main title theme was named as one of the best songs released between 1977 and 1979 in The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present. It has been sampled on the Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
and Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
song, "Legal Coke" from the R.A.G.U. mix tape. Also sampled by RJD2
RJD2
RJD2 is an American music producer, singer and musician. RJD2 was born in Eugene, Oregon, and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was signed to the Definitive Jux label where he released two largely instrumental hip hop albums and has produced tracks...
for the song, "Weather People off Cage's Album Weather Proof" and by Army of the Pharaohs
Army of the Pharaohs
Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:...
' song "Swords Drawn". The soundtrack from the film has also been sampled in the cult television series Invader Zim
Invader Zim
Invader Zim is an American animated television series created by Jhonen Vasquez. It was produced by and subsequently aired on Nickelodeon. The series revolves around an extraterrestrial named Zim from the planet Irk, and his ongoing mission to conquer and destroy Earth...
.
Critical reception
The film has received critical acclaim from contemporary critics. According to review aggregator site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film receives a 94% "fresh" rating based on 31 reviews with the consensus "The blood pours freely in Argento's classic Suspiria, a giallo horror as grandiose and glossy as it is gory". Rotten Tomatoes also ranked it #41 on their Best Horror Movies 2010 list. Whilst some critics praise the film's visual performance, outstanding use of color, and soundtrack, others have criticized it for its lack of sense and puzzling storyline.
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote a mixed review, saying the film had "slender charms, though they will most assuredly be lost on viewers who are squeamish." Dave Kehr of Chicago Reader gave a positive review, claiming that "Argento works so hard for his effects — throwing around shock cuts, colored lights, and peculiar camera angles — that it would be impolite not to be a little frightened". Although J. Hoberman of Village Voice gave a positive review as well, he calls it "a movie that makes sense only to the eye". Village Voice ranked Suspiria #100 on their list of the 100 Greatest Films Made During the 20th Century.
Adam Smith of Empire Magazine awarded the film a perfect score of 5 out of 5, calling it a "perfect antipasto". Empire Magazine ranked Suspiria #312 on their list of the 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time, as well as #45 on their list of The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
awarded the film 4 stars out of 5, concluding that "Throughout this nerve-wracking journey, Argento's sly gift is to strike when you least expect it, often when the soundtrack grows silent, and always after you've expected the knife blade to plunge in earlier". Keith Breese of FilmCritic.com also awarded the film a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a wild feast of imagery that has never since been duplicated".
Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews awarded the film a C+, claiming that it "only catches fire when it has run out of imagination to end it in any other way but through a pyrotechnic display". The only negative review was given by David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews, introducing the review by calling it "is a so-called "classic" horror movie that even critics who ordinarily shun the genre (Leonard Maltin, for one) respect and admire. But one can't help but wonder what all the hoopla is about, as the movie is generally a dull and badly dated affair" whilst saying that "all the visual artistry in the world can't compensate for a lousy script".
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
ranked Suspiria #18 on their list of the 25 Scariest Films Of All Time. A poll of critics of Total Film
Total Film
Total Film is a British film magazine published 13 times a year by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers film, DVD and Blu-ray news, reviews and features...
ranked it #3 on their list of The 50 Greatest Horror Films Of All Time. One of the film's sequences were ranked at #24 on Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked it #20 on their list of the Top 25 Horror Movies of All Time.
In pop culture
Two bands, a NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band and a pioneering mid-1990s U.K. gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band, have named themselves after the film. Several albums have also used the title, including Suspiria by Darkwell
Darkwell
Darkwell is a gothic metal band from Innsbruck, Austria. Formed in 1999 by bassist Roland Wurzer and guitarist Roman Wiencke. Soon after formation, they signed with Napalm Records and released their first album, Suspiria, in 2000. Before the release of Conflict of Interest in 2002 they toured...
, Suspiria
Suspiria (Miranda Sex Garden album)
Suspiria is Miranda Sex Garden's third release, and second album. It saw them moving further into the sounds of darkwave and gothic rock.-Track listing:#"Ardera Sempre" – 4:52#"Open Eyes" – 6:30#"Sunshine" – 5:28#"Distance" – 3:22#"Play" – 4:16...
by Miranda Sex Garden
Miranda Sex Garden
Miranda Sex Garden were a music group from London, England. Formed in 1990, they were originally a trio of madrigal singers. Their first album, Madra , was entirely a cappella, with the songs all based on traditional English verse...
, and Suspiria de Profundis by Die Form
Die Form
Die Form is a French post-industrial and electronic band formed in 1977-78. The name 'Die Form' means ' form/shape' in German, like the Bauhaus diary and is a play on the English homonym 'deformed' and on the French homonym 'difforme' ....
which can also be regarded as inspired by Thomas De Quincey's work of the same title.
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
used the theme from the film as introductory music on their 2007 tour. The Houston-based Two Star Symphony Orchestra, on their 2004 CD Danse Macabre: Constant Companion, included a track titled "Goblin Attack" that features a strings rendition of the Suspiria theme. The track's title appears to be a reference to the Italian rock band Goblin
Goblin (band)
Goblin are an Italian progressive rock band known for their soundtracks for Dario Argento films ....
. The 69 Eyes
The 69 Eyes
The 69 Eyes are a multi-platinum selling Finnish gothic rock band. They are currently signed to EMI Finland. The band's albums are now distributed worldwide. The End Records acts as the band's official North American distributor, as Nuclear Blast Records provides distribution in Mainland Europe,...
wrote a song 'Suspiria Snow White' on the album Back in Blood
Back in Blood (The 69 Eyes album)
Back in Blood is the tenth studio album from Finnish goth rock band The 69 Eyes and their first to be released via Nuclear Blast in Europe and The End Records in North America. The album was recorded in both Helsinki and Los Angeles and produced by Matt Hyde. The cover art was designed by Estevan...
.
In books by Simon R. Green, mentions are often made of a "Black Forest Dance Academy" in Germany. It is a place where witches and Satanists gather, and one of the many places that the witch Molly Metcalf ment to get her powers
The film's music has been imitated by various artists, including Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
's "Psalm 69" from their album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs
Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs
-Samples:Samples.N.W.O.*"All right! It's all right!" - Apocalypse Now*"What we are looking at is good and evil, right and wrong." "A new world order!" "We're not about to make that same mistake twice." "God bless America! [crowd cheering]" "Wait...watch and learn." "I believe in freedom." -...
, Cage Kennylz
Cage Kennylz
Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage, is an American rapper from New York City. He has released three studio albums and two extended plays. Cage is also the founder of the underground hip-hop supergroup called the Weathermen.-Early life:...
's "Weather People", and Atmosphere's "Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know".
In the 2007 film, Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
, the title character mentions Suspiria during a discussion of horror films with character Mark Loring after she finds a SomethingWeird Video copy of The Wizard of Gore
The Wizard of Gore
The Wizard of Gore is a 1970 film directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis. It stars Ray Sager and Judy Cler. According to crew member Daniel Krogh in his book The Amazing Herschell Gordon Lewis , the film was shot in Chicago, Illinois and a number of surrounding suburbs during the early summer of...
.
In the 2011 episode of The Office, "The Seminar", Gabe Lewis mentions the film as one he wants to watch with Erin Hannon
Erin Hannon
Kelly Erin Hannon is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper...
.
In Scream 4
Scream 4
Scream 4 is a 2011 American slasher horror film and the fourth installment in the Scream film series. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream and Scream 2, the film stars an ensemble cast which includes David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts,...
, Charlie (Rory Culkin
Rory Culkin
Rory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:...
) mentions Suspiria while looking through Kirby's (Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
) DVD collection.
Remakes
It was announced through MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in 2008 that a remake of Suspiria is in production and will be directed by David Gordon Green
David Gordon Green
David Gordon Green is an American filmmaker. He has directed dramas such as George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Snow Angels, as well as the thriller Undertow, all of which he wrote or co-wrote...
, who directed films such as Undertow and Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express (film)
Pineapple Express is a 2008 American stoner action comedy directed by David Gordon Green, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and starring Rogen and James Franco. Producer Judd Apatow, who previously worked with Rogen and Goldberg on Knocked Up and Superbad, assisted in developing the story,...
. The film will be produced by Italian production company First Sun. During August 2008, the Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is a website that covers horror movies with reviews, interviews and news. It is currently run by Brad Miska, and Tom Owen. According to one source, the site has 1.5 million unique visitors and 20 million page views each month. It is widely considered to be the "world's most...
website reported that Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
's and Annette Savitch's Handsome Charlie Films set to produce the remake and that Portman will play the lead role. In 2009, it was reported that the movie will star Portman and will be directed by David Gordon Green
David Gordon Green
David Gordon Green is an American filmmaker. He has directed dramas such as George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Snow Angels, as well as the thriller Undertow, all of which he wrote or co-wrote...
. The First Sun project will produce by Marco Morabito and Luca Guadagnino. Green has now admitted he is again trying to remake the film.
During June 2006, Japanese studio GONZO reportedly announced the production of an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
remake of Suspiria (サスペリア) is in development, but it has not yet announced a release date for TV broadcast. The anime adaptation will be directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike (Solty Rei).
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA- 1978 Nominated Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress – Joan Bennett
- 2002 Nominated Saturn AwardSaturn AwardThe Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
for Best DVD Classic Film Release
- Ranked #45 in EmpireEmpire (magazine)Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
magazines "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.