I haven't been watching a whole lot of films as of late, but one I really wanted to watch before the month of October ended was Dario Argento's Suspiria from 1977.
Having heard of it a lot, particularly as of late with the not-so-good remake, I decided to dive into it with only knowledge of the visuals, not so much the narrative. And I have to say, I wasn't hugely surprised by the film, but I can see where it receives such high praise.
Suspiria is a film that certainly wouldn't perform well in today's climate, assuming it was made in the exact same way: a combination of various nationalities coming together to act in a language that isn't native to them. The end result being a particularly awkward sound design throughout the film, with some very obvious dubbing that's not exactly terrible but certainly noticeable and often off-putting.
Suspiria's score is enough to keep you from growing agitated by the sound design, with it fitting almost every scenario within the film. Slowly building up the tension, working perfectly alongside the cinematography and eerie, strange nature of the narrative.
As for the narrative itself, it's your typical thriller story in which an innocent protagonist wanders into the unknown, into a surrounding that quickly establishes itself as out of the ordinary -- there's clearly something strange going on within the walls of the ballet school, and it takes a little time to reveal its true nature: a convent of witches that govern all within the school. Slowly killing off members and using their powers to affect their health.
Now, this isn't an amazing narrative. But the way in which it flows together with the score and incredibly aesthetic colour palette allows it to create this blend of discomfort. This notion that only dark colours and strange art are all this building knows. It creates an atmosphere that just feels off, which helps us connect to our protagonist as she begins to uncover the truth.
It may not be the perfect film for Halloween night, but it's one that must be watched during the month of October, for sure.
