The Stendhal Syndrome (1996)

A young policewoman slowly goes insane while tracking down an elusive serial rapist/killer through Italy when she herself becomes a victim of the brutal man's obsession.

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Graziella Magherini (novel), Dario Argento (story)

Stars:

Asia Argento, Thomas Kretschmann, Marco Leonardi

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Asia Argento	...	Det. Anna Manni
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Alfredo Grossi
Marco Leonardi	...	Marco Longhi
Luigi Diberti	...	Insp. Manetti
Paolo Bonacelli	...	Dr. Cavanna
Julien Lambroschini	...	Marie
John Quentin	...	Anna's father
Franco Diogene	...	Victim's husband
Lucia Stara	...	Shop assistant
Sonia Topazio	...	Victim in Florence
Lorenzo Crespi	...	Giulio
Vera Gemma	...	Policewoman
John Pedeferri	...	Hydraulic engineer
Veronica Lazar	...	Marie's mother
Mario Diano	...	Coroner

Storyline

Anna Manni is a policewoman trying to capture a vicious serial rapist and killer. The problem is that she suffers from "Stendhal's syndrome", a psychosomatic disease that gives her dizziness and hallucinations when she is exposed to the sight of paintings and artistic masterpieces. When the maniac lures her into a trap inside Florence's famous Uffizi museum, her troubles are just beginning...

---

Plot Keywords:

serial murderer | rape and revenge | extreme violence | killer | gruesome | 

---

Taglines:

Dario Argento's Masterpiece of Terror

---

Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The word "Stendhal" of the film's 'The Stendhal Syndrome' title has been frequently misspelled as 'Stendahl'.

---

Goofs

Though featuring prominently during the film's opening sequence set at the Uffizi in Florecne, Peter Bruegel's 'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus' is actually housed at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.

---

Quotes

Insp. Manetti: You're young. I can trust you.

---

Alternate Versions

This film premiered on video in the UK, but 11 cuts totaling 2m 47s were made by the distributor before submission to the BBFC for a video certificate. These cuts were to the rape scenes, slow motion bullet impacts and a woman's face being slashed with a razor. The 2010 Arrow reissue is the full uncut print.

---

Connections

Referenced in Spidarlings (2016)

User Reviews

Excellent Argento thriller

I don't really understand why so many Argento fans dislike this film, I think it's one of his best works. It's not always easy to watch, it has some very nasty violence, even for an Argento film, I wouldn't recommend the film to sensitive persons; but it's not for exploitational purposes. Argento does a good job of juggling real-life horrors with a dreamy, hallucinatory atmosphere, and pulls off some typically Argento-esque setpieces, such as the one in which a bullet is followed through a woman's mouth with the aid of CGI. The great Ennio Morricone delivers possibly his best score for a horror film, the haunting main theme with his trademark wordless female vocals stayed with me long after the film was over. Frequent Fellini cameraman Giuseppe Rotunno does an excellent job on the film too.

The Stendhal Syndrome isn't for everyone, but it's worth a viewing for fans of European horror and psychological thrillers in general.

Details

Official Sites:

Troma

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

26 January 1996 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Stendhal Syndrome

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$3,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Medusa Film, Cine 2000

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1