Trauma

When I picked up TRAUMA at the vid-store, I wasn't really expecting much from it. I'm not a big Argento fan, but I do enjoy Italian horror/cult films. I have to say, I was totally impressed by it! It was a surprisingly great horror-suspense film with great camera work & gore as well. A lot of familiar faces in this film including James Russo, Cristopher Rydell, and Piper Laurie who you might remember from THE FACULTY. Also the lovely Asia Argento who commands the movie like she did in Michele Soavi's THE CHURCH.

Before URBAN LEGEND, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER 16, & SCREAM 3000 there was Dario Argento's TRAUMA. And if you enjoyed any of those similar movies you should love this one as well. Except this one is ten times more scarier and realistic with tons of unexpected plot twists that would put all those movies to shame. Its just too bad Argento doesn't make any more horror movies 'round these parts.

There are some good stuff here to be sure. Argento-fans tend to rate this way down on the scale and criticize it for being to "americanized". I don't agree. Sure, there is a certain sense of "half-baked Argento" here and there, but I don't find that to be a minus point. If anything, being made in the states, it has more convincing performances and the production values can not be faulted. It's look may seem aneamic if viewed beside "Suspiria" or something more of Argento's more gaudy creations, but I think that this is intentional. Cinematography it absolutely top-notch, conveying a suitably spooky atmosphere to many scenes. The story is fairly straight-forward for an Argento movie, but not standard fare, and if this had been made by a newcomer it would have been hailed as very solid suspenser indeed. The plot twists and turns even if the outcome isn't too much of a surprise. However, one thing really bothers me about "Trauma". The sfx-work by Tom Savini is truly awful. Some scenes, like the one in the elevator-shaft, start creepy enough but are ruined by the effects overall cheesiness (the falling head is only laughable instead of frightening). Shame on you, Savini! Bring on Sergio Stivalletti! Another thing that's not very good is Pino Donaggios score, which he seems to have composed in his sleep. It's not bad, it's just that it seems so routine. Compared to "Deep red" and a few others, this is not Argento at his best. But even Argento at half-speed is better and more interesting than most directors produce within a lifetime.

A young man (Christopher Rydell) finds an bulimic girl (Asia Argento) who has escaped her parents. When returned to them, a killer with a unique mechanical decapitation device strikes. Soon, the two must find out who the killer is, and what they want.

Released in 1993, "Trauma" has received some flak from Dario Argento fans, who consider it one of his weaker efforts. In a way, I can agree-the movie has several plot holes, the acting is largely hit and miss (Asia is pretty inexperienced here), and it's not as gory and stylish as his other films.

Yet, there's still plenty to recommend in this movie. The movie is Argento's more character and plot oriented films, and it's surprisingly easy to follow. There's also still plenty of Argento's wonderful stylish touches, and while not as gory as his previous movies, there's still some great kills (including a great bit involving an elevator). The score by Pino Donnaggio, while not as good as Argento's past musicians, is still up to task. Finally, the presence of several acting vets (including James Russo, Brad Dourif, Frederic Forrest, and an excellent Piper Laurie) don't hurt at all.

"Trauma" is not Argento's best movie, and certainly pales in comparison to movies like "Deep Red", "Suspiria", and "Inferno." As it stands though, it's an underrated movie, and worth a look, especially if you are an Argento fan.

Argento's American filmed giallo movie in which an unknown killer decapitates victims using a small mechanical device during rain storms. One kill is achieved by first activating a motel room fire extinguisher before execution. I liked this aspect of the movie. I noticed a few nods to Hitchcock too, some music and a shower scene. Dario's daughter Asia, 18 at the time, stars. A very attractive young woman and I am no prude but I felt her brief topless scene was not really necessary, One of the things that spoilt Trauma was for me what I can only describe as silliness, one decapitated head manages to utter a name, another yells out loud as it falls down a lift shaft. Some of the musical score would not be out of place in a comedy, so different from the Goblin soundtracks from Argento's classics. Trauma looked like nothing more than a straight to video movie, the production values were no better than a half decent TV film. When the end credit roll we suddenly get a random reggae band playing at some house. Strange. As a crime thriller/horror film Trauma is reasonable but as an Argento movie it is disappointing. Not his worst film but very poor compared to the likes of Deep Red and Suspiria.

Dario Argento's "Trauma" of 1993 is definitely one of this great director's lesser films, but it is nevertheless a more than decent Thriller and better than most 90s Horror films. The 90s were a bad decade for Horror in general, and definitely also the worst decade in Dario Argento's career, with his doubtlessly worst movie "Il Fantasma Dell' Opera" in 1998. "Two Evil Eyes" of 1990 which he made with George A. Romero, was also a good Horror film, but not nearly as great as a film by Romero and Argento could have been. "Trauma" is definitely not comparable to Argento's masterpieces from the 70s and 80s. As far as I am considered, however, Argento is one of the greatest Horror directors of all-time, and films like "Suspiria", "Profondo Rosso" or "Phenomena" range high in my personal all-time favorite list. Even Argento's weaker films are usually above average, and "Trauma" is a more than decent film that easily outshines the majority of 90s Horror efforts.

Director Argento's daughter, then 18-year-old Asia Argento stars as Aura, a teenage Romanian girl who has escaped from a mental hospital where her parents sent her, supposedly to cure her anorexia. What Aura is really fleeing from, however, is a serial killer who only operates when it rains. Journalist David (Christopher Rydell) wants to help the girl...

Generally speaking, "Trauma" has everything decent Horror films need - it is stylishly filmed, atmospheric and very suspenseful from the beginning to the end. What Trauma sadly lacks, are many of the brilliant trademark Argento elements. Most of Argento's masterpieces from the 70s and 80s had brilliant scores by Progressive Rock band Goblin. "Trauma" unfortunately hasn't, which is one of the elements that I missed most. The change of scenery from Europe to the United States doesn't compliment Argento's style of film-making either. Then again, the camera work is, as usual, great, and even though the film is not quite as ultra-violent as some other Argento films, there is quite an amount of stylish, gory bloodshed. The performances are fine too (although not breathtaking), especially young Asia Argento convinces in her first leading role. The supporting cast contains Frederic Forest, Brad Dourif and Piper Laurie.

As mentioned above, "Trauma" is certainly not one of Argento's masterpieces. But even this ingenious filmmaker's lesser films are above average, and "Trauma" is definitely a more than decent 90s Giallo that Horror fans should not miss! Recommended!