Profondo rosso (1975)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (written by)
Bernardino Zapponi (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The maker of "SUSPIRIA" now takes you on a journey through the macabre, the bizarre. . . the unnatural.

Plot:

A musician witnesses the murder of a famous psychic, and then teams up with a fiesty reporter to find the killer while evading attempts on their lives by the unseen killer bent on keeping a dark secret buried.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Dark | Cut | Suspicion | Hit By Car

Awards:

1 win

Cast

David Hemmings	...	Marcus Daly
Daria Nicolodi	...	Gianna Brezzi
Gabriele Lavia	...	Carlo
Macha Méril	...	Helga Ulmann
Eros Pagni	...	Supt. Calcabrini
Giuliana Calandra	...	Amanda Righetti
Piero Mazzinghi	...	Bardi
Glauco Mauri	...	Prof. Giordani
Clara Calamai	...	Marta
Aldo Bonamano	...	Carlo's father
Liana Del Balzo	...	Elvira
Vittorio Fanfoni	...	Cop taking notes
Dante Fioretti	...	Police photographer
Geraldine Hooper	...	Massimo Ricci
Jacopo Mariani	...	Young Carlo (as Iacopo Mariani)
Furio Meniconi	...	Rodi
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Agent Mingozzi
Lorenzo Piani	...	Fingerprint cop
Salvatore Puntillo	...	Police agent
Piero Vida	...	Fat cop
Nicoletta Elmi	...	Olga
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dario Argento	...	Murderer's Hands (uncredited)
Salvatore Baccaro	...	Fruit vendor (uncredited)
Bruno Di Luia	...	Concerned man in restroom (uncredited)
Attilio Dottesio	...	Florist (uncredited)
Tom Felleghy	...	Surgeon (uncredited)
Glauco Onorato	...	(uncredited)
Franco Vaccaro	...	Pietro Valgoi (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dario Argento		written by
Bernardino Zapponi		screenplay

Produced by
Claudio Argento	....	executive producer
Salvatore Argento	....	producer

Original Music by
Giorgio Gaslini
Goblin
Walter Martino		(as Goblin)
Fabio Pignatelli		(as Goblin)
Claudio Simonetti		(as Goblin)

Cinematography by
Luigi Kuveiller

Film Editing by
Franco Fraticelli

Production Design by
Giuseppe Bassan

Set Decoration by
Armando Mannini

Costume Design by
Elena Mannini

Makeup Department
Giuliano Laurenti	....	makeup supervisor
Giovanni Morosi	....	makeup artist (as Gianni Morosi)
Nicla Palombi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Carlo Cucchi	....	assistant production manager
Angelo Jacono	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stefano Rolla	....	assistant director

Art Department
Maurizio Garrone	....	assistant to art director
Aldo Taloni	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Nick Alexander	....	sound editor
Mario Faraoni	....	sound recordist
Eugenio Fiori	....	boom operator (as Eugenio Fiore)

Special Effects by
Germano Natali	....	special effects
Carlo Rambaldi	....	special effects

Stunts
Giorgio Ricci	....	cinematic stunt team

Camera and Electrical Department
Antonio Annunziata	....	assistant camera
Francesco Bellomo	....	still photographer: action stills (as Franco Bellomo)
Sergio Coletta	....	gaffer
Sergio Emidi	....	chief grip
Ubaldo Terzano	....	camera operator
Antonio Tonti	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Angela Viglino	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Piero Bozza	....	assistant film editor
Rick Greenhead	....	telecine colorist
Pietro Sozza	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Agostino Marangolo	....	musician: drums (as Goblin)
Antonio Marangolo	....	musician: piano (as Goblin)
Walter Martino	....	musician: drums
Massimo Morante	....	musician: guitar
Fabio Pignatelli	....	musician: bass guitar
Claudio Simonetti	....	musician: keyboards

Other crew
Luciano Anzellotti	....	studio effects
Carlo Du Bois	....	production accountant
Cesare Jacolucci	....	production coordinator
Ernesto Triunveri	....	cutting room assistant
Vivalda Vigorelli	....	continuity
Corrado Gaipa	....	voice dubbing: Furio Meniconi (uncredited)
Luigi La Monica	....	voice dubbing: David Hammings (uncredited)
Emanuela Rossi	....	voice dubbing: Nicoletta Elmi (uncredited)
Wanda Tettoni	....	voice dubbing: Liana Del Balzo (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rizzoli Film
• Seda Spettacoli

Distributors

• CFM Filmverhuur (1976) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Howard Mahler Films (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1977) (Canada) (theatrical) (edited US version) (dubbed)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Blue Underground (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Catcom Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• EastWest Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (video)
• Medusa Home Entertainment (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Platinum Media Distribution (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Quality Video Inc. (video)
• Redemption Films (1993) (UK) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (video)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Seven Keys Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Videocast (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Works Editora (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• YLE Teema (2002) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Germano Natali

Also Known As:

Deep Red (International: English title)
Dripping Deep Red (USA) (pre-release title)
La tigre dai denti a sciabola (Italy) (working title)
The Deep Red Hatchet Murders (USA) (DVD box title)
The Hatchet Murders (USA) (censored version)

Runtime:

126 min | USA:98 min (R-rated version) | Japan:106 min (theatrical version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:16 (re-rating) (2006) (uncut) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) (1982) (cut) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | Italy:VM18 (director's cut) | Chile:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (Original rating) | France:X (Original rating) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:18 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-18

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Rizzoli Film

Trivia:

Not all cuts were waived by the BBFC when the film was re-submitted in 2005, following the 11 seconds of cuts made in 1993. On a Dario Argento collection where versions could be chosen (English or Italian) the English version showed a very sloppy cut before the unfortunate lizard was seen on-screen with a pin through its head. The Italian had no such cuts.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Helga Ulmann is introduced during the séance, she is said to be Lithuanian. When her murder is announced on the TV later in the film she is said to be German.

Quotes:

Gianna: I think that a woman's gotta be independent so she can...
Marc: Oh, don't start with me about all that woman's stuff. It is a fundamental fact... men are different from women. Women are... weaker; well, they're gentler.
Gianna: They're what? Weaker? Gentler?
[howls in laughter]
Gianna: [Gianna stops laughing, stands and moves to the table, pushing things off of it]
Marc: What on earth are you doing?
[Sitting again and holding her arm up]
Gianna: Come on, Tarzan. Why don't you try me?
Marc: What's that?
Gianna: Indian wrestling.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Scanners (1981)

Soundtrack:

Mad Puppet

Brilliant Shocker!

It is a very difficult job for me to pick between this and Suspiria as Argento's best work. Both are masterpieces in their own right. Deep Red is about a man that sees a murder committed and then tries to unravel the mystery of finding the killer. David Hemmings does a fine job in the lead as he walks the streets of an Italian city in search of this homicidal killer. As with most of Argento's work, the viewer should not try to make too much sense out of the plot, but rather enjoy the rich subtext and visual tapestry with which Argento paints the screen. The killings, most notably done with a hatchet, are inventive and decidedly gruesome. More than one time I found myself jump and wince(I suppose those are good things!) The acting, even though most dubbed, is very good. The set locations are very atmospheric as well. Argento's camera, however, is the principal character as it shows us all kinds of images related to plot and otherwise and reached into our subconscience for real meaning. This is first and foremost a visual film, and it certainly shows Argento's homage to his mentor's work, the films of Mario Bava.