Suspiria (1977)

fig 1.

The movie begins by way of our main character, on her way to her new German ballet school, having flown all the way from America for the learning experience. It is also our first introduction to the memorable motif soundtrack. Upon her arrival odd events are already underway; a panicking girl rushes from the imposing building babbling something non specific, but nevertheless mysterious that our main character remains suspect. It is enough to spark an curiousity in us as well as to the establishments nature. Throughout the course of events the film drops enigmatic hints as to the true objectives of the school and its employees including the stark presence of the directress. It is a intriguing system that is reminiscent of some girl teen movies and has that Buffy the vampire slayer nostalgia attachment to it by the way it is shot. Almost alternatively though it also a sort of aspect of gore in its creation, bringing it towards a more cool movie status. Dario Argento, the director, has mentioned multiple times that characters are going to die in a horror movie anyway, so they may as well be beautiful woman so there is something pretty to look at.

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Because of the use of soundtrack hand in hand with the cinematography, the music in question has this very puzzling naive quality to it that summons up feelings of anxiety. Particularly it is used in portions that do not have the situational material to create suspense on their own, so it is not to do with filling in empty space in the audio, but rather as a sort of interlude to set the scene.'All that pounding, howling, thumbing, and wheezing is enough to send chills down your spine even without the movie images (it is the perfect imaginary soundtrack), but not all of it could be called a pleasant listening experience (unless your idea of pleasant is having your nerves set on edge).'(Biodrowski)  Even now it is used as per the original purpose in modern television. It was written by a band known as Goblin, and was serialised in a variety of retail audio including vinyl, and was one of their most successful releases. 'their auditory excess was the perfect counterpoint to Argento’s extravagant visuals, transforming a series of horrific set pieces into beautiful arias of violence.' (Biodrowski) The conjoining of video and audio, especially music is a massive benefit to any film, and it is something Suspiria is known for.

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Gothic themes are almost a staple for the horror genre, many films are testament to this, and Suspiria is no exception. It is an easy thing to pick up that the ballet school is in Germany, there are telltale signs of this everywhere. Germanic versions of tales have a tendency to have this very macabre touch to them. In knowledge of that style of storytelling, with everything as realistic as can be told, it holds a very defined position in screenwriting. 'Nothing in Suspiria is there by chance; it’s all been meticulously, and gorgeously, designed. '(Dobbs) By way of design Suspiria has achieved beyond its lackluster plot, underlining the importance of aesthetic above all else.

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There are no hidden meanings to this film, and there doesn't need to be. A good film can either leave you wanting more, or provide the content that leaves you completely satisfied. In this way, it can leave ideas in your head, ideas that either live long or quickly dissipate, depending on quality. Entertainment value can lie in this effect, largely effected by the target audience. Making something meaningful requires a lot of effort and may not even work, so a fun movie negates that problem. This movie has work behind its design foremost, and aims to impress, rather than to express. To that end Susperia has achieved more than would be expected, and delivered a specific kind of quality to cinema.

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In closing it would be a suitable point to make about this film about how everything fits together just right. Cinema is like baking, when you measure out the ingredients just right in a recipe, you get something that looks a lot like what you intended to make. When this is done right, all that's needed is decoration, something Susperia has in droves,a proper psychological horror complete with blood. 'Suspiria plays like a nightmare – logic plays second fiddle to a world where bad things happen to good people for reasons that are intentionally vague and maddening. You can’t argue with the visions of an uneasy sleep.' (Hall) It almost becomes a pure horror for the whole witchcraft coven thing going on, but keeps this discovery behind doors for the most part. Basically Suspiria is a good concoction of cinematic skill and is a recognised film for those reasons.

Bibliography
Biodrowski, Steve. "Suspiria By Goblin – Soundtrack Review". Cinefantastiqueonline.com. N.p., 2008. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.
Dobbs, Sarah. "Looking Back At Dario Argento’s Suspiria". Den of Geek. N.p., 2012. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.
Hall, Jacob. "Suspiria Review: A Bad Dream Made Real". Slashfilm. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

Figures
fig 1. Argento, D. (1977). Suspiria. [film poster] 
fig 2. Argento, D. (1977). Suspiria. [film still]
fig 3. Argento, D. (1977). Suspiria. [film still]
fig 4. Goblin. (1977). Suspiria [vinyl cover]
fig 5. Argento, D. (1977). Suspiria. [film still]