The director of the original Suspiria from 1977, Dario Argento, was apparently not happy with Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 version. Argento told Interview Magazine that the movie didn’t feel “like a well-realized project. It lacks fear, music, tension, and scenic creativity.” He then cited movies like Get Out and Hereditary as examples of striking visuals and production, implying the new Suspiria is lacking on those fronts.
I think Mr. Argento is a little too wrapped up in appreciation for his own original movie. Either that, or he mistakenly watched something other than Guadagnino’s remake. The 2018 Suspiria is chock-full of beautiful camera work, haunting music, and moments of horrible unease (and nausea). Argento also fails to mention how long the movie is, which is a much more obvious flaw than anything involving its style.
Guadagnino makes gorgeous use of mirrors throughout Suspiria, and not just as background set decorations. He actively uses them in his camera work, whether starting a scene within a mirror’s image and pulling out or whipping to the reflection of the scene after it starts. His camera work often invokes a 70s vibe, with fast and shaky zoom-ins to faces or whirling whip pans as a character looks around a room frantically. I loved how the camera moved in this movie; the images it showed were interesting.
Now, some of those images are also incredibly hard to look at. I don’t know how Dario Argento could feel anything but horrified disgust as what is arguably the most memorable scene in the movie begins. Not to spoil too much, but a body is viscerally bent and mangled beyond recognition, most of which happens onscreen. I can’t say much more without completely ruining it, but trust me, my mouth fell open as I watched. Obviously, that kind of horror isn’t everyone’s cup of tea; I actually avoid that kind of body horror myself, usually. But it’s an undeniably well-crafted scene.
But nothing remotely on that level of horror happens again for another hour and a half. And I can see some people having a problem with that. I’m sort of with them, really; I think this movie is too long, plain and simple. Worse, it comes from dwelling on ideas that Guadagnino just didn’t develop enough. The outside perspective of Dr. Josef Klemperer and the historical events happening parallel aren’t totally irrelevant, but they’re just not worth all the extra time spent they get.
But even though Guadagnino could have trimmed down some of the plot, he does create a deep sense of unease the entire time. Anytime a certain mirrored room appeared, I felt myself tense up, terrified of what else might happen there. Dream sequences full of disconnected images of blood and abuse and general unpleasantness keep you disoriented, and there’s an audio motif of heavy, rhythmic breathing that’s so intense at times.
The film ends with a graphic, bloody climax, which will delight gore-hounds. (But just a heads up: there’s a moment when the screen pulses with red lights, which may cause an issue for epileptic or light-sensitive viewers). This is the kind of moment where the movie shines, but these moments are very intense. Because of that, it’s definitely not going to be enjoyable for everyone. Suspiria is an almost classic case of “you either love it or you hate it.” Now, I say almost because “love” might be too strong a word.
Some of its themes on the power of women and the relationship between the dance academy and the politics of 70s Germany aren’t as clearly defined as they should be. And it spends too much time on some of those ideas without clarifying the statement it’s trying to make. But despite Argento’s views, I thought the overall production of Suspiria was stunning, including the music by Thom Yorke. There’s also the incredible makeup job on Tilda Swinton in her dual role as Josef Klemperer and Madame Blanc.
In short, I thought it was a good movie overall – not great, but almost. It’s also a movie I never want to watch again due to its intensity. That should be a sign that, despite the beauty I found in its production, it’s not exactly enjoyable for everyone. That’s always hard to reconcile when you’re rating a movie. Still, if you can stomach a few truly upsetting, gory scenes and can sit through an extra 30 minutes or so that isn’t needed, the overall look and feel of 2018’s Suspiria is worth watching – but maybe just once.
