Suspiria ★★★½

ITALIAN director Dario Argento is an extremely important figure in the history of horror cinema.

Along with Alfred Hitchcock, Argento transformed the genre from the Hammer style to inspire a new generation of modern film-makers.

It’s no exaggeration to suggest without these men we wouldn’t have got the likes of Halloween or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

While Hitchcock is best known for the creation of suspense through technique, Argento was more interested in imaginative visuals and the introduction of gore.

The Italian’s garish colour palette, sometimes overpowering use of music score and specific acting direction, along with the gore of course, meant he was a niche film-maker for many years outside his native country and Europe.

But slowly his films have become cult classics, including the ‘Three Mothers’ trilogy spanning three decades – Suspiria (1977), Inferno (1980) and The Mother of Tears (2007).

Suspiria is probably one of Argento’s most accessible films, although it still showcases all the director’s familiar trademarks and idiosyncrasies.

Jessica Harper plays lead character Suzy Bannion, an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious German dance academy.

It’s pouring with rain when she arrives at the academy by taxi. Suzy is refused entry and forced to stay in town overnight,  but before leaving she witnesses a young woman fleeing the building in terror.

The other student goes to a friend’s apartment and tells her something sinister is happening at the academy. She is subsequently murdered by an unknown assailant who also kills the friend she confided in.

Against this background Suzy starts training at the academy and meets an array of strange staff including head instructor Miss Tanner, deputy headmistress Madame Blanc, servant Pavlos and blind pianist Daniel.

She eventually moves in as a boarder and experiences a series of bizarre occurrences, including a plague of maggots and Madama Blanc’s frightening sleeping habits, before more murders lead her to the realisation that there are supernatural occurrences afoot.

All this is presented in a hyper-stylised visual manner and dominated by unique set design and a clever but very obtrusive music score by a rock band called Goblin.

All the cast enjoy hamming it up immensely, including Udo Kier in an early uncredited role.

Argento isn’t for everyone, but every horror fan should see his best films.

You could also pair the original Suspiria with Luca Guadagnino’s interesting 2018 remake.

Watched on Shudder.