Fin's Review: Deep Red

I had planned on picking a different film for this week's horror club but Ally's choice of Suspiria last week reminded me how good Giallo horror and in particular Dario Argento is and it really put me in the mood for more. I also was anxious to ensure that Clarky, having not warmed to Suspiria, didn't go away with a dislike for Argento and I wanted him to see another angle from the Italian master. I therefore picked Deep Red - a film that many see as Argento's best work- for horror club this week. I personally think that Suspiria is a better film, but Deep Red is still a masterful example of Argento's unique talent.

For many people this is an Argento masterpiece and a film that he never surpassed. As mentioned above, I believe that Suspiria is a better film, but Deep Red is nevertheless an excellent film and is a good entry point into Giallo and Argento's vision. Deep Red is grounded in more authentic Giallo traditions which grew out of traditional Italian mystery stories. Unlike the supernatural setting of Suspiria, Deep Red takes place within the framework of more recognisable murder mystery stories.

The film follows the adventures of an English musician who witnesses the murder of a famous psychic and sets out to find the identity of the killer. As it is an Argento film the keyword is style. Almost every scene is incredibly shot and some of the camera work is simply stunning. There are no wasted shots in the film and there are very few directors past or present who can match Argento in full flow. There are too many examples to mention to do full justice to the Italian maestro, but the way the camera tracks round the corners of walls and doors in front of the main character in scary moments is a tour de force in creating dread and tension. This dread is masterfully crafted and as a result the viewer thinks something hideous is around every corner.

The murders themselves are - as would be expected in Italian horror - hideous, but are shot with such skill and style that they reach the heights of art. It is in Deep Red we begin to see some of the hallmarks that would be seen in all of Argento's classic work: extreme close-ups of characters and strange, out-of-place items, which draw the viewer into the bizarre and unnerving world being created on screen; the constant presence of running water; the dominance of the colour red; and some of the most unique, strange and downright disturbing imagery ever seen in horror cinema. Deep Red also has a surprisingly coherent story arch, providing what in some ways is a more satisfying viewing experience than some of Argento's more abstract films.

Despite the greatness of this film is is not without its faults and there is a reason that it does not have the impact that Suspiria has. In a way one of the strengths of this film - that it has a more understandable and 'normal' storyline - means that the shocking and unsettleing nature of some of his more abstract inchorent films is less for the viewer. It also has to be said that the Goblin soundtrack for this film is at times a really odd match for the action on screen. Whereas in Suspiria Goblin get things just right and play a major part in the succes of that picture, their funky 70s jazz often seems completely out of place, particularly in scenes that would be scarier with more suitable music. However, these are all very minor complaints and, once again, Argento shows how you make a truly classic horror film.

Clarky's Review: Deep Red

I was looking forward to Horror Club this week after unfortunately having a week off last week when I was on holiday. I don't like to cause HC to miss a week, especially when I felt that things have really, finally, started to get interesting this season and we had hit our stride.

Fortunately my week off only seemed to increase everyones hunger for their weekly horror fix and also allowed Fin to source a niche horror DVD.

When he showed me the box I was struck by two things. One, how gorgeous the box was and I was intrigued to see the film and how balls out the cover was. Apparently you can get posters of this, what kind of a weirdo would have this up in their house!

The second was that it was another Argento film. I think this is the first time in horror club history that we have had two films from the same director back to back, and given my review of Suspiria this unfortunately did not fill me with confidence.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate Suspiria, but I didn't love it either. I did find it intriguing and there were some parts that I was genuinely in awe of, but I found it so weird and incoherent that I struggled with the film as a whole. Fin informed me that this had a more coherent story line and so I went in with an open mind but also some niggling fears.

Thankfully my fears were totally unfounded. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and strangely enough part of this was due to the fact that we had just watched Suspiria. This film sets the template for Argento and Suspiria and you get a real feel for his directorial sensibilities that he would go on to further in his later film, taking everything up a notch to the nth degree. There are plenty of motifs that are represented within both films including : running water, the colour red and reflections at key moments in the film. There is even a scene involving a high overview shot of a courtyard, as in Suspiria. And there are obviously some hideously graphic death scenes and (yet another) women getting her head smashed through a window! Watching these films back to back was an inspired choice by Fin and really made these similarities even more prominent in my mind.

This film was also Argento's first collaboration with Goblin (who provided the incredible soundtrack to Suspiria as well). Whilst there were some elements of the sound track that seemed strange, this was more due to a problem with what was on screen. At certain times I felt like this was a comedy - particularly the scenes in the car and some of the scenes with the female reporter.

Thankfully, these scenes are few and far between, and the remaining scenes are so creepy and unsettling that they are quickly forgotten, and actually provide some much needed respite from the tension.

Almost every shot is framed in such away that you feel like something is going to jump out the corner of the shot. It is unbearable at times. Argento plays hi jinks with a lot of horror conventions and fills every scene with a sense of dread and unease. There are also a number of shots from the killers point of view, a relatively new technique at the time, implicating the viewer in the actions of the murderer and drawing them further into the film. This is probably most effective in the drowning scene in the bath which is a deeply disturbing watch.

This film also includes some of the creepiest dolls in the history of film ever. They make Chucky and that thing from Saw look like Care Bears. I haven't been this unsettled after watching a film for a while (for some reason this makes it a good film in my eyes!).

As hinted at earlier, Deep Red is a more coherent film than Suspiria, but the plot is still fairly flimsy. This didn't seem to bother me as much this time for some reason, and even though its a "murder mystery" I didn't actually spend much time thinking about who the killer was, and wasn't too distracted by the (in hindsight) shocking red herrings, I was just enjoying the film.

I really enjoyed this film, so much so that I think I will have to give Suspiria another chance. For any horror affecionado out there who has not seen Argento and is looking for something new. I would strongly recommend Deep Red as an entry level Argento film before moving onto some of his stronger stuff. Not only will you find an incredible looking film with some really tense, scary moments, but you will also witness the most offensive toast in movie history and the biggest flamer at Horror Club (since seeing the one MacReady used in The Thing).

Ally's Review: Deep Red

I was surprised when Fin brought Deep Red to the table. It is very rare that we double up on either a film series or director, so it was quite unexpected to follow Suspiria with Deep Red. It was a very good decision though. I think watching the two films in succession gave me a greater understanding of the truly original nature of Dario Argento.

So what about Deep Red? Well, it is very different from Suspiria. There is certainly a more coherent narrative in this film and the characters are more developed. That’s not to say that the film is marked by a clear narrative or interesting characters... just by way of comparison to Suspiria. It’s really a murder mystery and I must admit that I was kept guessing right until the end about the identity of the killer. I enjoyed the plot and there were prolonged moments of tension and a couple of genuine scares.

Watching the two films in succession really did give me a deeper appreciation for Argento’s craft. There are some absolutely gorgeous shots and ingenious camera angles: he is truly an auteur of the horror genre. However, one drawback of watching the films together is that comparison is unavoidable. In this regard, it is clear to me that I wasn’t as fully involved in Deep Red as I was in Suspiria. It’s quite difficult to explain – the plot and the characters were stronger, yet it just didn’t feel the same. Suspiria was a visceral experience, something that few horror films really achieve (although the term is often overused)...

Deep Red was a strong film with some gorgeous touches, and some obvious flaws. In my Suspiria review, I noted that the (many) flaws of the film did not detract from my experience, but I can’t say the same is true with Deep Red. The music (once again sound tracked by Goblin) was just bizarre. I didn’t really get the use of the strange funky bass. During moments where the tension should have been increasing, this weird music takes the viewer out of the experience. It was kind of comical in moments, but that didn’t appear to be the intention. The dubbing also bothered me more in this film than the last, but I’m not sure why. This film is possibly less flawed than Suspiria and yet there is something that could not match up to last week’s experience. It’s a slightly more conventional movie, I suppose.

Having said all that, Deep Red is a strong addition to our roster of films. The film is very good – it is tense, creepy and there are some real jumps. Argento clearly knows how to make his viewers feel uneasy. It certainly didn’t capture me in quite the same way that Suspiria did, but it is very rare that any horror film does.

It was a pleasure to get to know Argento a little better and I would be surprised if that is the last we see of him this season.