Editor's note: Ten-Year Itch is a weekly column that takes a peek back at an album or film that is at least 10 years old and deserves a second look.
The golden decade of horror films - the 1970s - is known for producing films that are gritty, low budget and dimly lit.
Dario Argento's 1977 horror film "Suspiria" is completely devoid of these stereotypical horror film aspects. This flick is the most amazing visual horror film of all time and is as beautiful as any film from any genre.
"Suspiria" follows a young American girl named Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper), who is studying ballet at a prestigious academy overseas. She arrives in Europe during a terrible rainstorm and is unable to enter the ballet studio for mysterious reasons. That same night, a girl is brutally murdered and questions begin to arise about Suzy's background and presence at the school.
This particular murder scene is a classic in horror cinema. It is more than two minutes long and is incredibly graphic and terrifying, considering it was produced in the 1970s. Even today, the scene strikes fear in audiences.
Suzy and her only friend, Sara, begin to realize there is something terribly wrong with the teachers and the academy, but when Suzy asks questions about the teachers or the buildings, she is rarely rewarded more than a snide remark as a response. As Sara investigates further into the odd happenings, she is murdered. Suzy finally puts the pieces together and realizes who the teachers truly are.
This plot is standard in terms of horror films, but the true power of "Suspiria" comes from its suspense-inducing musical score, the way in which it is shot and the gruesome death scenes.
The music in "Suspiria" was preformed by Italian progressive rock band Goblin, which is an odd choice, but Argento used the band's abilities so superbly you can forget, at least for a few hours, about all the bad things progressive rock has produced over the years.
Italians make art, even through film, and Argento's work is a painting that exudes the importance of bright primary colors. "Suspiria" used a dead art in terms of filmmaking, the use of Technicolor. The same process that makes Wizard of Oz seem bright and happy is used to enhance the dream-like eeriness of "Suspiria." The use of red throughout the film emphasizes its brutality. Although there are fewer than five deaths in the hour-and-a-half-long film, the brilliant use of vibrant color keeps the viewer sufficiently disturbed.
The film emphasizes the importance of sound and vision in a horror film. These elements are seamlessly blended into a cohesive scream fest. "Suspiria" distanced itself from other horror films of the time and stands out as one of the all-time greats.
If you've seen enough of the "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" series this Halloween season, be sure to check out "Suspiria."
The craft of Dario Argento will simply amaze you.
