"A feast of intensely expressive images and sound."
Famed for breaking the mold of supernatural gothic horror films that had pervaded the industry since the 1930's, Dario Argento created his own style of horror through a kaleidoscopic lens drenched in color and blood. Taking a cue from crime and mystery themes, Argento added the element of horror and suddenly a new genre appeared. His trademark use of saturated primary colors, shockingly-violent scenes and bold camera angles would become the benchmark for giallo and horror films for decades to come.
This article from the February, 2010 issue of AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER provides a behind-the-scenes look at SUSPIRIA (1977), one of Argento's most well-known films, by his cameraman, Luciano Tovoli. Argento returned with a story surrounded by gothic stylings, but in a way that was wholly inventive. Inspired by Disney's SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, he sought to incorporate a fairy tale subtext to his adventurous film.
Tovoli initially wasn't interested in lensing a horror film, but Argento knew who he wanted and convinced him to join the crew. He discusses the color theory that Argento wanted to use during pre-production: "I decided to intensely utilize primary colors -- blue, green and red -- to identify the normal flow of life, and then apply a complementary color, mainly yellow, to contaminate them". Read on for a fascinating look behind the making of SUSPIRIA ("Mother of Tears").
My recommended Dario Argento films (in no particular order):
- Suspiria
- Phenomenon
- The Bird With the Crystal Plumage
- Deep Red
- The Cat o' Nine Tails
Argento is a director I've not paid much attention to. The Giallo movies are a bit bloody for my personal tastes though I understand the artistry. That said I do feel the need to see Suspiria sometime just to find out what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteFor me, Argento is an acquired taste. His films are far afield from the gothic and supernatural horror films that I prefer, but he is more than a worthy director to add to your viewing list.
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