Suspiria (1977)

A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders.

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi

Stars:

Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jessica Harper	...	Suzy Bannion
Stefania Casini	...	Sara
Flavio Bucci	...	Daniel
Miguel Bosé	...	Mark (as Miguel Bosè)
Barbara Magnolfi	...	Olga
Susanna Javicoli	...	Sonia
Eva Axén	...	Pat Hingle
Rudolf Schündler	...	Prof. Milius
Udo Kier	...	Dr. Frank Mandel
Alida Valli	...	Miss Tanner
Joan Bennett	...	Madame Blanc
Margherita Horowitz	...	Teacher
Jacopo Mariani	...	Albert
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Taxi Driver
Franca Scagnetti	...	Cook

Storyline

In a stormy night, the American dancer Suzy Bannion arrives in Freiburg coming from New York to join a famous and expensive ballet school for a three years training. On the next morning, she is informed by the direction of the school that a student she met leaving the place on the previous night was violently murdered and the police is investigating the crime. She becomes friend of another student, Sara, and she realizes that the house is indeed a coven of evil witches.

---

Plot Keywords:

gothic | ballet | american | sinister | night | 

---

Taglines:

The only thing more terrifying than the last five minutes of this film are the first 90!

---

Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

---

Certificate:

X

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian Russian English German Latin

Release Date:

12 August 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dario Argento's Suspiria

Filming Locations:

Studio Mafera, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seda Spettacoli

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (prints) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first part (with Horror Infernal (1980) and Mother of Tears (2007)) of a trilogy of films about the "Three Mothers".

---

Goofs

We see that when Pat's host leaves the room, there is a pink bag sitting on the side of the table, to the right of the window. Later, when Pat walks over to the window, the bag is now gone.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Suzy Banyon decided to perfect her ballet studies in the most famous school of dance in Europe. She chose the celebrated academy of Freiburg. One day, at nine in the morning, she left Kennedy airport, New York, and arrived in Germany at 10:40 p.m. local time.

---

Crazy Credits

You have been watching "SUSPIRIA"

---

Connections

Referenced in Scream (1996)

---

Soundtracks

Markos
Adapted from "Music in Similar Motion" by Philip Glass
Arranged by Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Pignatelli, Agostino Marangolo and Massimo Morante
Performed by Goblin

User Reviews

A masterpiece of the horror genre

I've seen hundreds of horror films (including all of Argento's work), and *Suspiria* is my unequivocal favorite. It is not a perfect film, but it comes closer than any other film in the genre. Everything until the last few minutes is masterfully orchestrated, combining skillful direction with chilling cinematography, not to mention a score that ties my stomach into knots every time I hear so much as a snip of its odd techno-funk beat. Unfortunately, the voice of the witch at the end turns masterful horror into overriding cheese, making the tagline ring all too true: there is *nothing* more terrifying on film than the first ninety minutes, but the last few fall somewhat short of genius.

That fact notwithstanding, *Suspiria* is a fine example of how horror movies should be made, and I sincerely hope that any director or screenwriter contemplating a horror film first sits down to watch this one so they can be reminded that the horror genre properly contains a good deal more than the simple-minded slasher flick that has become all-too-typical in American theaters. After all, no less a filmmaker than Wes Craven seems to have followed this advice, and it allowed him to move from such pitiful efforts as *A Nightmare on Elm Street* to *Scream*, the first (and thus far only) classic horror film of the 90's.