Despite the dearth of plot, the original "Suspiria" is in my top 5 list of horror films simply for the extravaganza of color, sound, and visuals that make it so unique. But far from considering a remake some sort of sacrilege, I was more than ready to accept a modern take on the tale, knowing full well no remake ever "ruins" an original (and to suggest such is a silly concept). I feel stating this is important because my view of the remake was not tainted by some type of devotion to the original. If the remake was better than the original, I was prepared to concede that point.
"Suspiria" 2018 is an odd bird. Seemingly cognizant of the fact the original film had a shoestring plot strung together by various set pieces, the writer(s) confoundingly expand on new themes only to stubbornly refuse to make them dramatically satisfying or relevant. When a film begins with a title card announcing an odyssey of "Six acts and an epilogue set in divided Berlin", one would expect something in the way of heavy lifting to uphold the act structure. Indeed, there was plenty of material to mine--an aging psychiatrist's search for his missing wife, Susie's rapid rise in the company and her strange relationship with Madame Blanc, fellow student Sara and her growing suspicions--but, by film's end, none of it has much consequence. Oh, there are plot progressions, but "Suspiria" straddles the line between character-driven horror and having too much "fat" in the plot, with the end result proving lackluster on both fronts.
In terms of production technicalities, for all the original's beautiful colors and careful framing, "Suspiria" 2018 makes some tradeoffs in exchange for improved acting and better effects, but as to which film has the better cinematography and editing, it's more than a toss up. While succumbing to hokeyness at times, the original is certainly not a poorly-made production. One can hardly claim Guadagnino's direction here is in any way superior to what was already a directorial tour de force of a film to begin with. Instead, Guadagnino focuses on a decidedly more muted tone, both in color palette and mood, which tampers down the more psychedelic aspects of the original and brings more attention to the subtleties of acting and the minutiae of directorial mood-enhancers via seemingly constant rain only to be replaced by snow. The result is a very bleak film that does put one in a rather subdued state throughout. This is miles from a shock-a-minute film, and, indeed, the thrill of constant stimulation may be what most find so lacking in the film, for in the first 120 minutes of its nearly three-hour runtime we are treated to one (albeit gruesome) death. A slasher film it is not. One has to sit quietly and mine "Suspiria" for its supposed depths and revel in its atmosphere, even if it is often lacking in any real sense of foreboding that one would expect from what is, after all, a horror film. I found myself thinking that the film would be decidedly more suitable to watch on a cold, rainy day...or perhaps after a few tranquilizers to set the tone.
Guadagnino's effort is commendable for his use of restraint, however; so at odds with Argento's instincts in the original that I wonder how he even got the job (and that's not a complaint). For every bombastic moment in the '77 film, there's a quietly subdued scene of dialogue in the '18 version to match. And it's precisely this reason why, I imagine, most mainstream horror fans, used to a barrage of jump scares and carnage, won't enjoy it.
"Suspiria" languidly ambles along until the finale, which is so gonzo that I couldn't quite grasp how to feel about it. Revelations are made, blood is spilled, and we get treated to some delightful lighting and dancing, but the lack of coherent exposition can leave one scratching their heads as to what, exactly, is going on. That's not to say there aren't answers, but whether intentionally or not, the narrative feels obfuscated. In quite the treat, however, we do get some lovely blood-red filters that come the closest in the entire film to being an homage to the original.
Should you see it? Definitely. It's reluctance to conform to the standards of other mainstream horror films earns it points alone. Whether a success or a failure, I feel originality should always be commended. We need more films like "Suspiria." Let's just pray they have a better script.
"Suspiria" 2018 is an odd bird. Seemingly cognizant of the fact the original film had a shoestring plot strung together by various set pieces, the writer(s) confoundingly expand on new themes only to stubbornly refuse to make them dramatically satisfying or relevant. When a film begins with a title card announcing an odyssey of "Six acts and an epilogue set in divided Berlin", one would expect something in the way of heavy lifting to uphold the act structure. Indeed, there was plenty of material to mine--an aging psychiatrist's search for his missing wife, Susie's rapid rise in the company and her strange relationship with Madame Blanc, fellow student Sara and her growing suspicions--but, by film's end, none of it has much consequence. Oh, there are plot progressions, but "Suspiria" straddles the line between character-driven horror and having too much "fat" in the plot, with the end result proving lackluster on both fronts.
In terms of production technicalities, for all the original's beautiful colors and careful framing, "Suspiria" 2018 makes some tradeoffs in exchange for improved acting and better effects, but as to which film has the better cinematography and editing, it's more than a toss up. While succumbing to hokeyness at times, the original is certainly not a poorly-made production. One can hardly claim Guadagnino's direction here is in any way superior to what was already a directorial tour de force of a film to begin with. Instead, Guadagnino focuses on a decidedly more muted tone, both in color palette and mood, which tampers down the more psychedelic aspects of the original and brings more attention to the subtleties of acting and the minutiae of directorial mood-enhancers via seemingly constant rain only to be replaced by snow. The result is a very bleak film that does put one in a rather subdued state throughout. This is miles from a shock-a-minute film, and, indeed, the thrill of constant stimulation may be what most find so lacking in the film, for in the first 120 minutes of its nearly three-hour runtime we are treated to one (albeit gruesome) death. A slasher film it is not. One has to sit quietly and mine "Suspiria" for its supposed depths and revel in its atmosphere, even if it is often lacking in any real sense of foreboding that one would expect from what is, after all, a horror film. I found myself thinking that the film would be decidedly more suitable to watch on a cold, rainy day...or perhaps after a few tranquilizers to set the tone.
Guadagnino's effort is commendable for his use of restraint, however; so at odds with Argento's instincts in the original that I wonder how he even got the job (and that's not a complaint). For every bombastic moment in the '77 film, there's a quietly subdued scene of dialogue in the '18 version to match. And it's precisely this reason why, I imagine, most mainstream horror fans, used to a barrage of jump scares and carnage, won't enjoy it.
"Suspiria" languidly ambles along until the finale, which is so gonzo that I couldn't quite grasp how to feel about it. Revelations are made, blood is spilled, and we get treated to some delightful lighting and dancing, but the lack of coherent exposition can leave one scratching their heads as to what, exactly, is going on. That's not to say there aren't answers, but whether intentionally or not, the narrative feels obfuscated. In quite the treat, however, we do get some lovely blood-red filters that come the closest in the entire film to being an homage to the original.
Should you see it? Definitely. It's reluctance to conform to the standards of other mainstream horror films earns it points alone. Whether a success or a failure, I feel originality should always be commended. We need more films like "Suspiria." Let's just pray they have a better script.