Argento. Dario Argento is the master of Italian Giallo – a horror subgenre. His filmography (mostly on the strength of Suspiria) ranks him 98th and he’s definitely a style-plus auteur. That’s his case (and that’s why it may seem like I’m underrating him at #113 here). He has a single film that’s superior to anything made by Spielberg, The Coen Brothers, Cronenberg, Sirk, or Fincher. In fact, the only directors with a film rated higher on the all-time top 500 list than Suspiria- who I haven’t got to on my list of all-time directors- are Stanley Donen, Carol Reed, Victor Fleming and Robert Wiene. The case against Argento is there’s a steep drop-off after Suspiria. Suspiria is the only film that landed in the top 100 of its respective decade from Argento. There’s also not a lot of depth here. He only had four archiveable films. That’s obviously a weakness.
Best film: Suspiria
- Splendid Eastman Colour 35mm
- Argento’s 6th film- he never touched this level (or really was that close) before or after
- Horror sub-genre “Giallo” (gore, eroticism, emphasis on visuals over story/dialogue, dubbing, paranoia, beautiful women, elaborate deaths)
- We have the florescent lighting and the rock score by Argento and the band Goblin set it apart- apparently Argento played it full blast on the set of the film to petrify the actors and create atmosphere
- Luciano Tovoli is the DP- from Antonioni’s Passenger– apparently he and Argento were inspired by some of early Disney’s (Snow White in particular) color schemes
- Grand set pieces (the school, hallways straight from Murnau or Caligari)
- So many standout visuals—we have the neon lighting which colors the rain/storm set piece in the opening—shot reflected in a puddle
- Much of the film is Harper walking in the dark in horrifying suspense, with stupendous visuals, and that score pounding in background
- I think that score is superior to 1978’s Halloween and that’s saying something. I also see a bit of that bass in the wonderful score to Apocalypse Now particularly when Sheen arrives at Brando’s camp on the boat
- Stain glass windows and wild expressionistic wallpaper
- Reds, blues, greens, but also gaudy golds, too
- Elaborate deaths
- Red gymnasium is a standout set piece
- When Harper’s character is talking to Udo Kier its absolutely sort of a Hutch moment in Rosemary’s Baby with Maurice Evans with them looking up the history of these characters—the character in Rosemary is even called “Adrian Marcato” and this is Helena Markos
- It’s absolutely packed with some of the best visuals of the decade, horror, or Italian cinema history- it’s actually so loaded that you have to pause and appreciate them because there’s another one coming directly after
- A Masterpiece
total archiveable films: 4
top 100 films: 0
top 500 films: 1 (Suspiria)
top 100 films of the decade: 1 (Suspiria)
most overrated: Nothing here for Argento. He only has two films that found a spot on the consensus TSPDT top 1000 and that’s Suspiria and Deep Reed. Suspiria (see below) is underrated and Deep Red is #966 and that’s close to where I’d have it.
most underrated: I’ve got Suspiria at #110 and the consensus has it at #366 so that’s the easy and only choice here.
gem I want to spotlight: Deep Rep. It’s easy Argento’s second greatest work and I’ve already selected Suspiria here above for most underrated and best film. The visuals here speak for themselves—jaw-dropping. It’s also on the list with Carpenter’s Halloween and Powell’s Peeing Tom for films that influenced the first-person POV shot and slasher genre.
stylistic innovations/traits: Argento borrows from Bava, Hitchcock and Polanski (not to mention a whole heaping of German Expressionism) but deserves full style-plus auteur credit for making one of cinema’s most beautiful films. He’s synonymous with the horror sub-genre “Giallo” (gore, eroticism, emphasis on visuals over story/dialogue, dubbing, paranoia, beautiful women, elaborate deaths). The florescent lighting is loud, bold and stunning. He’s an expressionist and I mention the Germans before but it’s hard not to think of Murnau’s Nosferatu or Wiene’s Caligari. That’s a clear art Deco influence and Argento clearly influenced a generation after him- Lynch is probably the first that comes to mind- but how about the coloring via lighting from Peter Greenaway, Nicolas Winding Refn, Spring Breakers from Harmony Korine.
top 10
- Suspiria
- Deep Red
- Tenebre
- The Bird with Crystal Plumage
By year and grades
| 1970- The Bird With Crystal Plumage | R |
| 1975- Deep Red | HR |
| 1977- Suspiria | MP |
| 1982- Tenebre | R |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
Dario Argento filmography ranked-:
1. Tenebre (1982) – MP
2. The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) – MP
3. Suspiria (1977) – MP
4. Phenomena (1985) – MS/MP
5. Four Flies on Gray Velvet (1971) – MS/MP
6. Deep Red (1975) – MS/MP
7. The Phantom of the Opera (1998) – MS
8. The Black Cat [Two Evil Eyes] (1990) – MS
9. Inferno (1980) – MS
10. Jenifer [Masters of Horror] – MS
11. The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971) – HR/MS
12. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) – HR/MS
13. Pelts [Masters of Horror] (2006) – HR/MS
14. Sleepless (2001) – HR/MS
15. The Five Days (1973) – HR/MS
16. Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005) – R
17. The Card Player (2003) – R
18. Giallo (2009) – R
19. Mother of Tears (2007) – R
20. Dark Glasses (2022) – R
21. Opera (1987) – 4/10
22. Trauma (1993) – 2/10
23. Dracula 3D (2012) – 0/10
Favourite scene from every Dario Argento-:
* The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) – The chase scene at the vehicle park
* Four Flies on Gray Velvet (1971) – The maid murder
* The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971) – The cemetery investigation
* The Five Days (1973) – The civilian massacre
* Deep Red (1975) – The protagonist investigating the old villa
* Suspiria (1977) – The open hall scene at night
* Inferno (1980) – The underwater scene with the Irene Miracle character
* Tenebre (1982) – The lesbian house murder
* Phenomena (1985) – The protagonist travelling and visiting the killer house
* Opera (1987) – The Daria Nicolodi character murder
* The Black Cat [Two Evil Eyes] (1990) – The medieval dream sequence
* Trauma (1993) – The ‘Nicholas’ scene
* The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) – The protagonist visiting the museum
* The Phantom of the Opera (1998) – The surrealistic debauchery scene
* Sleepless (2001) – The train murder
* The Card Player (2003) – The Liam Cunningham character investigating the estate scene
* Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005) – The neighbour mum murder
* Jenifer [Masters of Horror] (2005) – The boy chasing Jenifer into the forest
* Pelts [Masters of Horror] (2006) – The climax
* Mother of Tears (2007) – The protagonist investigating the old villa
* Giallo (2009) – The Elsa Pataky character escape scene
* Dracula 3D (2012) – Nothing
* Dark Glasses (2022) – The eclipse scene
I’m a big admirer of Argento’s psychological films like Four Flies on Gray Velvet, The Black Cat, The Stendhal Syndrome, Jenifer, and Pelts. Extremely moody films. More moody than his traditional giallos like Deep Red. They deal with the psyche (often deteriorating) of the protagonist. Truly nightmarish and disturbing. All of them operate at a particular wavelength. There is no coming back from this.
It’s impressive that Argento made seven films in the 2000’s when he was in his 60’s. One more than he made in the 1970’s. Sleepless in 2001, The Card Player in 2003, Do You Like Hitchcock? and Jenifer in 2005, Pelts in 2006, Mother of Tears in 2007, and then Giallo in 2009. I mean all of them have their strong moments (and their fair share of poor moments too – haha). Dark Glasses is ok but more importantly, anyone could have made it. Giallo is really the end for Dario.
So, I said Dark Glasses is worth seeing. But tbh that is more due to some of the subject matter, acting, and some good frames. This film is completely directed on autopilot. Argento is pretty much 100% done as a great director. The camera barely ever moves in this film. Which is sad to see because Argento is known for his energetic camera movements. It’s much much better when it focuses on the main story and the relationship between the two characters rather than the serial killer plot which is rather abominable and drags on. Most of the time it feels like an apprentice trying to do a Dario Argento movie. Dracula 3D killed him a director. Even though I didn’t find The Card Player, Do You Like Hitchcock?, Mother of Tears, and Giallo great, there were always moments in those films where you get reminded of the old Dario.
Mother of Tears I thought was a very rough film for most of the time but out of nowhere really Argento could always throw in an ambitiously directed sequence. Like the tracking shot in the old villa in the last section of the film. Which feels like one of his best sequences although the film lacks the beauty and colors of the preceding two films in the trilogy. I did like the Eclipse scene in Dark Glasses. It was good. I feel like Argento always wanted to do this sequence and there were hints to it in his prior films. So, it’s nice he was finally able to do it. On the positive site, if Dark Glasses is his final film, it’s a much much better way to go out on than the disastrous Dracula 3D. Although watching the film was a rather sad experience for me and a reminder of how far Argento has fallen. Tarentino’s logic applies here to Argento. Sleepless is definitely his last great film more than 20 years ago before Dark Glasses.
Argento’s 1990’s work is truly underrated. A more mature filmmaker. Hard hitting character dramas (The Black Cat, The Stendhal Syndrome) with his style very much intact. The Cat POV camera in The Black Cat is crazy work that only he could do. It’s so playful but brilliant. There is a ton of this in Opera too with the Crow POV camera (the film felt like a miss though). I mean even before this I think he had made hard hitting and thought provoking movies like The Five Days – An All-Italian Movie. Which could be seen as aimless for most of the runtime but truly comes full circle in the last section. I think Edgar Allen Poe’s text is brilliant in The Black Cat but Argento also made slight changes that makes a big impact like the main protagonist being a normal person with a good societal life at the beginning. The story (not the setting) is actually very similar to The Shining. But I won’t have guessed Argento would be the more subtler one when it comes to acting. A very committed performance from Madeleine Potter here as well in the Shelley Duvall role. A symbol of kindness and compassion. She gets to do very cool things in a dream sequence here as well. Which I guess is the most famous moment of her acting career because it’s actually used for her IMDb Profile Photo!
Favourite scene from every Dario Argento-:
* Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) – The chase scene with the Reggie Nalder character
* Four Flies on Gray Velvet (1971) – The maid murder
* The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971) – The cemetery investigation
* The Five Days (1973) – The civilian massacre
* Deep Red (1975) – Investigating the haunted house
* Suspiria (1977) – The open hall at night with red lighting
* Inferno (1980) – Underwater scene with the Irene Miracle character
* Tenebre (1982) – The lesbian house murder
* Phenomena (1985) – Travelling and visiting the killer house
* Opera (1987) – The Daria Nicolodi character murder scene
* The Black Cat [Two Evil Eyes] (1990) – The medieval dream sequence
* Trauma (1993) – The ‘Nicholas’ scene
* The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) – Going and visiting the museum with the paintings
* The Phantom of the Opera (1998) – The worker couple murder
* Sleepless (2001) – The train murder
* The Card Player (2003) – Investigating the killer house
* Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005) – The neighbour mum murder
* Mother of Tears (2007) – Investigating the old house
* Giallo (2009) – The Elsa Pataky character escape scene
* Dracula 3D (2012) – Nothing
* Dark Glasses (2022) – The Eclipse scene
And now, I finished my study/week of watching and rewatching at least 10 of Argento’s movies, here’s my current ranking:
1. Suspiria – Magnum Opus – One of the most gorgeous horror films of all time and currently my pick of the best of 1977
2. Deep Red – Masterpiece – Might be the first true slasher before Halloween
3. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage – Must See/Masterpiece (leaning a bit towards masterpiece)
4. Tenebre – Must See/Masterpiece
5. Inferno – Must See – just as beautiful as Suspiria in terms of colors
6. Sleepless – Highly Recommend/Must See – watched it earlier today and I thought it was honestly great
7. Phenomena – Highly Recommend
8. The Stendhal Syndrome – Highly Recommend
9. The Cat o’ Nine Tails – Recommend/Highly Recommend
10. The Mother of Tears – Recommend
Best Performances (the ones that really caught my eye):
1. Hemmings in Deep Red – 5
2. Franciosa in Tenebre – 4.5
3. Valli in Suspiria – 4.5
4. Malden in The Cat o’ Nine Tails – 4.5
5. A. Argento – The Stendhal Syndrome – 4.5
6. Sydow – Sleepless – 4.5
@dom- That’s high praise for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. Four Flies on Gray Velvet is a big miss though. That maid murder scene is incredible filmmaking. One of the things I love about this film is it has a ton of novelty factor compared to the rest of his filmography. Whether it’s the location jump editing, slow-motion sequence (granted it’s basically inspired by another Italian Director’s film from the previous year), the recurring medieval dream sequence. Plus rather than basically making the same film as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage with Deep Red, Argento flips the premise here and goes to a different point of view. It’s absolutely fascinating. As a bonus this has the funniest supporting cast in an Argento picture. I was surprised to not see Jean-Pierre Marielle in your performance list before realizing you haven’t seen Four Flies on Gray Velvet.
I also love to see Alida Valli up there for Suspiria. She basically takes a background role and dominates the screen everytime she appears. Plus she is basically the archetypical model (the walk, the dressing, the devillish smile) I think of for that type of character. Also Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood came before Deep Red and is a slasher. This film has the most bonkers ending I have ever seen in a film.
@dom- I very much like David Hemmings as an actor but I’m a bit baffled by the 5 star rating for his performance in Deep Red. It’s not really that. There are some weak points in this performance as well. Like some of the interactions with the Daria Nicolodi character. They feel out of place. This is a common criticism. Granted that has more to do with the screenplay than acting. Plus having him above Anothony Franciosa in Tenebre doesn’t make much sense to me. That’s a much more character focused role. Franciosa gets some great lines here as well on top of other things.
@Malith – I think i accidentally got Hemmings and Franciosa places incorrect since i was gonna give them different ratings but I think due to how tired I was typing this, their ratings were like that.
So really it should’ve been Franciosa at 5 and Hemmings at 4.5
@dom- The fact The Stendhal Syndrome and Sleepless have gotten an OK reception while the film Argento made between them The Phantom of the Opera being considered “one of the worst films ever made” is very amusing to me. It literally has a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Argento must have lost all his talent from The Stendhal Syndrome to The Phantom of the Opera. And then regained it all back for Sleepless.
As of today, here’s my current ranking of Dario Argento’s work:
1. Suspiria – Magnum Opus
2. Tenebre – Must See/Masterpiece
3. Inferno – Must See
4. Phenomena – Recommend/Highly Recommend
@dom- Mother of Tears (2007) is worth watching for that stunning tracking shot near the end. It’s the rare oddity where one of the director’s greatest sequences comes in an inferior film.
@dom- Suspria and Inferno are the only two films of Argento I have seen twice. I think Inferno is even more atmospheric than Suspiria. Suspiria breaks the atmosphere in a few spots to support the story. Like the scene with Udo Kier and the welcoming of Suzy Bannion to the dance academy. There are 8 human deaths and 6 murder setpieces in Inferno compared to 4 human deaths and 3 murder setpieces in Suspiria. I don’t think the ending of Suspiria is worthy of a MP film. It’s serviceable at best. Inferno has a similar ending as well. The hapless protagonist defeating and surviving a powerful witch/cult is rather unsatisfying. It’s worse in Inferno because the climax resolves itself. The fluorescent lighting style in both films is from Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace. Bava was also involved heavily in the making of Inferno. Argento employs different visual styles to tell the stories in his films. You have the fluorescent lighting style (Suspiria, Inferno), the natural lighting with primary colours in the Production Design (Tenebre, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), the same but with an extremely red aesthetic in Deep Red and also something like Phenomena is a completely different animal with its rural natural landscapes and constant wind. No primary colours in the Production Design per se but a ton of shadowy blue lighting.
@Malith – I got a chance to watch Tenebre the other day and now I’m really curious why you gave it a MP rating, cause I’m trying so hard to process my rating for it (hence why I’m rewatching it as of writing) and I want to at least hear your thoughts on it
@dom- I think it’s one of the better Argento Giallo narratives. Every murder feels earned and due to the actions of the victim. Franciosa is a more complex character than many Argento protagonists. Argento’s typical brilliant camerawork, use of colour. Going back to a more natural style after the dreamlike Suspiria and Inferno. Very clean film. With tons of white in the Production Design. Which allows Argento to use it as a canvass to splash colour on top of it. See the hand cutting scene near the end. A recurring flashback sequence which gives a backstory to the killer’s psyche and mental state. This was only used in Four Flies on a Gray Velvet prior to this. The lesbian house murder is one of Argento’s greatest scenes. The score, the lengthy crane shot around the house. A great soundtrack by Goblin again. The 70’s, 80’s Argento has some of the coolest soundtracks ever. The romance subplot is minimal and not a distraction like some of his 70’s films. The dog chase scene is absolutely outrageous. Poor girl. Very effective and memorable ending. The scream echoes.
Giuliano Gemma and Daria Nicolodi are good in here too. I think if a weaker actor was in the Gemma role, it would have been a notable weakness. John Saxon plays a scoundrel and is good to watch here as well.
Dario Argento filmography ranked-:
1. Suspiria (1977) – MP
2. The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) – MP
3. Tenebre (1982) – MP
4. Phenomena (1985) – MS/MP
5. Deep Red (1975) – MS/MP
6. Four Flies on Gray Velvet (1971) – MS/MP
7. The Phantom of the Opera (1998) – MS
8. Inferno (1980) – MS
9. Two Evil Eyes (1990) – MS*
10. Sleepless (2001) – HR/MS
11. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) – HR/MS
12. The Five Days (1973) – HR/MS
13. The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971) – HR
14. Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005) – R
15. Giallo (2009) – R
16. The Card Player (2003) – R
17. Mother of Tears (2007) – R
18. Dark Glasses (2022) – R
19. Opera (1987) – NR
20. Trauma (1993) – NR
21. Dracula 3D (2012) – 0/10
I’m actually starting on a little study/watching a lot of Dario Agrento’s work and I’m definitely gonna put most of these on my watch list after I finish Suspiria (currently on the 19 minute mark)
@Malith – I am not familiar with The Stendhal Syndrome (1996). What are cinematic elements that make this MP?
@James Trapp` – It gets into the deteriorating psyche of a rape victim. Set in the art deco world. A lot of different art styles included here which reflects the main character’s psyche. A very intelligent film overall (Argento’s most thought provoking film next to The Five Days). Haunting score. The Stendhal Syndrome actually refers to the condition where exposure to art or phenomena of immense beauty triggers physical and emotional distress.
The elephant in the room regarding Dario in his later works is the involvement in significant roles of his daughter Asia. She has a controversial reputation but I think in general Dario uses her well in his films. And gives her more to do than typical sultry roles other directors offer her. I had the following notes regarding her performances in Dario’s films. They have collaborated together on six films.
Trauma – Terrible, not ready
The Stendhal Syndrome – Great role. Somewhat miscast in the first half but strong and chilling underacting in the second half
Phantom of the Opera – Good in general but bad in the Opera scenes
Mother of Tears – Very good. Strong lead. This is the role that convinced me she is a good actress
Dracula 3D – Typical sultry role. The film is a complete disaster
Dark Glasses – Smaller supporting role behind the lead Ilenia Pastorelli. Gravelly voice. Plays a sort of mentor.
So, overall I like her performance in all but Trauma. I think she got stronger and more confident as an actress over the years. I think she was at the best of her ability in Mother of Tears. Despite The Stendhal Syndrome kind of being a once in a lifetime role.
Not to mention Dario became quite the feminist post 1980’s creating strong roles for women. From Asia in The Stendhal Syndrome, Phantom of the Opera, Ilenia Pastorelli in Dark Glasses, Stefania Rocca in The Card Player, Asia in Mother of Tears. The latter 3 especially are strong independent women. Also there is more depth to his films like The Stendhal Syndrome and Phantom of the Opera than his past work.
Dario Argento filmography ranked:
1. Suspiria (1977) – MP
2. Tenebre (1982) – MP
3. Phenomena (1985) – MS/MP
4. Deep Red (1975) – MS/MP
5. Inferno (1980) – MS
6. Two Evil Eyes (1990) – MS*
7. The Stendhal Syndrome (1996)
8. Four Flies on Gray Velvet (1971)
9. The Phantom of the Opera (1998)
10. Sleepless (2001) – HR/MS
11. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) – HR/MS
12. The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971) – HR
13. The Five Days (1973)
14. Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005) – R
15. Giallo (2009) – R
16. The Card Player (2003) – R
17. Mother of Tears (2007) – R
18. Dark Glasses (2022) – R
19. Opera (1987) – NR
20. Trauma (1993) – NR
21. Dracula 3D (2012) – 0/10
Having Suspiria as a top 150 film and Inferno as a mere R doesn’t make much sense imo. Inferno isn’t as good in the set design department, score and the story front (it’s more like a loosely connected series of vignettes – but much less convulted and decently followable unlike Bava’s A Bay of Blood) but it is arguably more atmospheric than Suspiria and the kill count is doubled here. It is pure dread from start to finish. And the film and Argento’s use of florescent lighting still looks very good. I also love the candle light arrangement in the climax.
Argento’s animal POV camera movements in films like Opera, The Black Cat etc. are absolutely wild. To show the motion of the crows, the cat among others. Opera has a lot of style but is utterly nonsensical.
Dario Argento ranked:
Films:
1. Suspiria (1977) – MP
2. Tenebre (1982) – MP
3. Phenomena (1985) – MS/MP
4. Deep Red (1975) – MS/MP
5. Inferno (1980) – MS
6. The Stendhal Syndrome (1996)
7. Four Flies on Gray Velvet (1971)
8. The Phantom of the Opera (1998)
9. The Black Cat [Two Evil Eyes] (1990)
10. Sleepless (2001) – HR/MS
11. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) – HR/MS
12. The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971) – HR
13. The Five Days (1973)
14. Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005) – R
15. Giallo (2009) – R
16. The Card Player (2003) – R
17. Mother of Tears (2007) – R
18. Dark Glasses (2022) – R
19. Opera (1987) – WFE
20. Trauma (1993) – WFE
Performances:
1. Harvey Keitel – The Black Cat
2. Asia Argento – The Stendhal Syndrome
3. Ilenia Pastorelli – Dark Glasses
4. Julian Sands – The Phantom of the Opera
5. Andrea Di Stefano – The Phantom of the Opera
6. Adrienne Barbeau – The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar*
7. Madeleine Potter – The Black Cat
8. Anthony Franciosa – Tenebre
9. Karl Malden – The Cat o’ Nine Tails
10. Jean-Pierre Marielle – Four Flies on Gray Velvet
11. Giuliano Gemma – Tenebre
12. Thomas Kretschmann – The Stendhal Syndrome
13. Donald Pleasence – Phenomena
14. Max von Sydow – Sleepless
15. David Hemmings – Deep Red
16. Asia Argento – Mother of Tears
17. Jennifer Connelly – Phenomena
18. Paolo Bonacelli – The Stendhal Syndrome
19. Sacha Pitoëff – Inferno
20. Stefania Rocca – The Card Player
I think The Five Days is a much more intelligent take on Communism and riots in Italy than Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900. As much as I admire Bertolucci and Pasolini as well they aren’t particularly intelligent filmmakers. Their ideology is upper class people – bad, lower class people – good. There is nothing in-between. Unfortunately this is super silly and one dimensional. I wanted more intellect on why the maid was chosen to be enlightened in Teorema. Just because she is lower class? As far as I’m concerned she was the worst one and did not even confess after doing all the worst things the others did. Although Bertolucci goes about these things in a much more humorous way than Pasolini.
Anyway coming back into The Five Days, I think it’s a film that takes the whole runtime to appreciate. Very cool production as well and you are 100% transferred into this time period which is set in 1848 during the Milanese riots. I wish Argento made more films like this but reverting back to Horror/Suspense films proved to be successful for him. Although less intellectually stimulating.