Suspiria

Disclaimer: Similar to another user review, I have to confess that I am EXACTLY the audience for this movie. I love Tilda Swinton, genre films, dance, anti-fascism, and Gothic horror. So take what I say with a grain of salt, I suppose.

"We need guilt, Doctor, and shame."

The scariest thing in the world (to me) is a person with no sense of shame. It's remarkably easy for some people to decide, 'I'm not responsible, I don't care if I hurt people or if people are hurt in my name, as long as I'm comfortable. As long as I don't see it. As long as I can justify in my head why those people deserved it. As long as I get to sit here, sip my tea, and not think about the bodies.'

Such is the poison that consumes the Helena Markos Dance Academy, where the matrons who run the school prey upon their students. They put on a protective, motherly front to manipulate and destroy the young women who come through their doors. The youth believe the celebrated academy will help perfect their dancing capabilities. This lie masks a secret, nefarious plot - one the coven will gladly kill to protect.

Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria has a lot on its mind - the German Autumn, modern dance, motherhood, witchcraft, psychotherapy - but everything comes back to a struggle with shame, especially as it applies to those with power. The witches at the academy were victims of the Third Reich, and have since devolved into their own form of fascistic groupthink. Fear of discovery drives the coven to commit atrocities. We are shown in grueling, bone-crunching detail the cruelty they are willing to inflict on dissenters, and then we see how shockingly happy and contented they are with what they've done. Evil is banal, and it does not occur to (most of) the matrons that they should feel even the slightest semblance of guilt.

The only other authority figure in the film is Dr. Klemperer (played by the endearing "Lutz Ebersdorf"), a psychologist who survived the Holocaust. While his intentions are more noble than those of the witches, he still fails to take action when it counts and pathetically denies the blood on his hands. The message may not be subtle, but that doesn't make it any less palpable: We are all culpable when we allow unjust regimes to flourish. Shame can help save humanity.

Guadagnino is more concerned with character psychology than Dario Argento was in his 1977 original. Every character actively pursues an agenda, and their individual journeys interlock in interesting ways. It's difficult to say there is only one main protagonist; we closely follow the progress of so many people. Guadagnino also shows way more compassion for his characters than Argento did. The sisterhood that develops between Susie (Dakota Johnson) and Sara (Mia Goth) is genuinely touching. So is the intense, symbiotic bond between Susie and her instructor, Madam Blanc (the incomparable Tilda Swinton). And of course, there's Klemperer on a mission to find and rescue his missing patient, a dancer tormented by the academy (Chloe Grace Moretz). Because there is sincere, deeply felt love for each of these characters, the terror visited upon them is all the more distressing.

Many of the film's stylistic choices can be quite jarring, particularly in the VFX and editing departments. It's also 2.5 hours long and slow paced in sections. It's not for everyone, but then again, neither is the 1977 original. Guadagnino pays tribute to the free, punk rock spirit of Argento in his own unique way. Thom Yorke's music is also very surprising; singing on a horror movie soundtrack is a bold move. Yet nothing here feels out of place. The world of this film follows a well-defined, if unorthodox and challenging, aesthetic logic - in that regard, it matches the success of the original, which critics described as "A movie that makes sense only to the eye."

The new Suspiria makes sense on a deeper level. For all its intellectual obsessions, the movie is first and foremost an emotional experience. We watch, helpless, as characters we care for are neglected, lied to, and murdered by their elders. With age and trauma, the adults have lost touch with their humanity, and now they commit selfish crimes whilst hiding behind a wall.

People who say this movie "doesn't know what it wants to be" couldn't be more wrong.

I've seen the original and can tell that this remake goes one step further. While the old 'Suspiria' from 1977 has strong atmospheric suspense, his one has less of it, but becomes real bloody at the end. What drives me mad is the run time. 2 hours 31 minutes for a story that could be easily told in 1 hour 45 minutes. So I lost a lot of time for a mediocre story. I would have given even a worse rating, if it wouldn't get so gory shocking scenes at the end. That's the only point it can really score with - as a horror movie. The story is too long winded.

Gone is the exaggerated colour palette, the elaborate set pieces, the nightmarish soundtrack & the no-nonsense premise of the original. In fact, Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria departs from everything that made Dario Argento's horror classic unique, and is a dull, dismal & divisive remake that's exhausting, frustrating & one hell of a slog.

Unlike the 1977 original, this one employs muted colours, shrivelled set design, slow-burn approach, hypnotic score & an unnecessarily drawn out narrative that piles one needless segment on top of another, resulting in an overlong flick that exceeds the original's length by a considerable margin, and will test the patience of most viewers.

Aiming for more than a straightforward supernatural horror, Guadagnino retains the themes of the original but is more interested in exploring the political unrest of the depicted timeline, not because the plot calls for it but because he wants to. While some will admire his choice to not rehash the same story, others will argue that his reach far exceeds his grasp here.

On the plus side, the eerie mood & foreboding aura never leaves the room, some kills are downright terrifying, the earthy tones do fit its depressing tone, that Volk dance sequence is truly a highlight, Make-up is top-notch, and Thom Yorke's score just fits. As for the performances, Tilda Swinton steals the show by taking the role of not one, not two but three different characters, and she excels at all of them.

Overall, Suspiria does retain the original's title but everything about it is different. More a homage than a full-fledged remake, it is an abstract re-imagination that attempts to tackle themes & elements that it could've done without, and comes stuffed with an unwarranted subplot that's detrimental to the viewing experience. In short, Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria is too long, too slow & too far up its own ass.

Large groups of people seem to either be awed by this film or utterly revile it. I, however, am willing to go against the grain and take the middle ground. This is neither a masterpiece, nor is it a disaster.

It's a highly ambitious remake that attempts to weave political and artistic themes together into one cornucopia of fantasy-horror-historical expression, and unfortunately it only succeeds some of the time. Does this film bite off more than it can chew? One could argue that, but sometimes I'd rather a film try to do too much and partially fail than play it safe and thereby come out less memorable.

What tends to give this film more bite is its ferocious dance sequences. I can only imagine how much work went into that aspect of the filmmaking. There is also a wonderful recreation of the sterile bleakness of late 1970s Berlin back when the city was still divided during the Cold War. As far as performances go, there isn't a false note. Dakota Johnson gives a nuanced turn as an aspiring American dancer who comes to Berlin in 1977 to join a world-renowned dance company, which just might be dominated by a host of witches. Tilda Swinton gives an equally disquieting turn as one of the dance instructors. Chloe Moretz Grace turns out to be under-utilized.

Although some scenes don't feel as artistic as they could have been, this is still an arresting cinematic experience overall. Putting its inconsistency in execution aside as well as a seemingly winding conclusion, I recommend this film for those looking for something ambitious and off-the-wall.

WTF just happened?? I still can't figure out if I hated this movie or loved it. It is strange as hell. I guess it is a remake, never saw the original, so I don't have any incite there. I liked the premise, but hated a lot about it, but freaking loved the ending... but it took 2.5 hours to get there! Way to freaking long, I can say that for sure. Also, NOT a fan of contemporary dance.