Suspiria (1977)

An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders.

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (screenplay), Daria Nicolodi (screenplay)

Stars:

Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci

3 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

Suzy Bannion travels to Germany to perfect her ballet skills. She arrives at the Tanz dance academy in the pouring rain and is refused admission after another woman is seen fleeing the school. She returns the next morning and this time is let in. She learns that the young woman she saw fleeing the previous evening, Pat Hingle, has been found dead. Strange things soon begin to occur. Suzy becomes ill and is put on a special diet; the school becomes infested with maggots; odd sounds abound; and Daniel, the pianist, is killed by his own dog. A bit of research indicates that the ballet school was once a witches' coven - and as Suzy learns, still is.

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Plot Keywords:

guide dog | stabbed in the heart | murder by knife | paranormal phenomena | glass shard | 

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Taglines:

Do you know anything about witches?

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Tubi

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) Quadrophonic (Circum-Sound) (Japan theatrical release)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (prints) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Udo Kier's appearance was so rushed for him that he had little time to completely read the script when it was given to him. Since the movie was filmed without sound and was later dubbed, a crew person lying on the ground (behind the stone bench where he was sitting in his scene with Jessica Harper) was telling him his lines as he gave them to her.

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Goofs

During the opening cab ride to the school, Suzy asks the cab driver "has it been raining this hard for long?" As the driver turns back towards her just before responds you can see just outside the driver's window (on the left side of the shot) a pillar-like rotating piece of lighting equipment that is clearly the source of the red and yellow strobe lighting during the entire scene.

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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...

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Crazy Credits

You have been watching "SUSPIRIA"

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Alternate Versions

The U.S. home video version released by Quality Video, Inc., lists a running time of 92 minutes (the running time of the R-rated U.S. theatre version) on the box and videocassette label. The tape itself contains the more complete 98 minute version.

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Connections

Featured in Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss (2012)

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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

One of the best horror films of all time! ***** out of 5

This is the 'Once Upon A Time in the West' of horror movies. It's beautiful, breathtaking, haunting, and even delivers the gory goods.

You don't really get films like this nowadays. It's all about trying to make people jump and the majority of the horror films these days feature an unrealistic looking cast and overly CGI death sequences. Blah to that I say.

Suspiria still stands out as how horror films truly should be done. Dario Argento's visual style is absolutely unprecedented. Everything is lit with the most bizarre and bright colors you've ever seen. The blood is much brighter than real life and this just adds to the surrealism which most Italian horror films thrive off of.

Sure things often don't make much sense, but it's supposed to be that way. When things are too coherent or too literal it isn't quite as nightmarish. This is widely known for being a horror classic but I have noticed that younger people who have seen it for the first time just don't seem to 'get it'. Unfortunately they might feel a horror film is supposed to follow a certain step by step linear form that has become staple in horror films today.

I suggest if you are viewing this for the first time that you get a feel of what Italian horror films are all about. Mood, atmosphere, music, sound, surrealism. All of these elements for films like these are often more important than logic.

After just watching it I am surprised to say that there is only one minor problem I have with the film and that's towards the beginning when the two girls get in a fuss with one another. It's the 'names that begin with an 'S'' scene and the two get in each others faces. It seems kind of out of place in the film but it does induce something of a chuckle.

Aside from that everything is perfect in mine eyes.

The music by Goblin is disturbing. The themes throughout the film will forever stick in your mind. The camera work here is superb. It's one of the best looking films you'll ever see. The actors and actresses that played the school teachers are truly creepy. Down to the little boy in a suit and knee socks.

Quite possibly the best Italian horror flick ever made and definitely a top 10 horror film for me.

"WITCH!"