Splatter never sounded so good (Suspiria,1977 and Berberian Sound Studio, 2012)

Argento you glad I finally embraced Italian horror? 

Confession: I have only just watched 'Suspiria' for the first time a few days ago. Although my childhood-self did have a terrifying relationship with the VHS cover at the video shop horror section. I’m sure this is a common experience with most horror fans as where else did you get the taste for the macabre if not Civic Video.

'Suspiria' (1977, directed by Dario Argento) was a hard movie for me to form an opinion on. When I started writing about it I found myself complaining for whole paragraphs about the English dubbing. I won’t go into it but I will say it ultimately ruined the immersion for me.

The plot of Suspiria as it is fairly well known by everyone who is a fan genre films; Susy starts at an international dance academy and discovers that beneath the prestigious image the school is harbouring some serious black magic. It’s a classic story but if I could say anything about the way the plot is delivered is that all the action and narrative seemed to be rushed through in the last half hour. Personally, I would have liked to see Susy’s suspicions and discoveries play out sooner and more evenly throughout the film, it would have been a great chance for some gaslighting and psychological torture of your main character.

There are good things about the movie. Its use of architecture for example is up there with Kubrick’s The Shining. The schools many rooms and hallways were actually breathtaking and It was as if the setting itself was an ominous and sinister character within the film. The use of colour in Suspiria- specifically red- is simply pure genius.As a companion piece I watched ‘Berberian Sound Studio’ (2012, directed by Peter Strickland) which, although it turned out not to be so much horror as a tight rope-tense drama, it certainly fits within our Giallo theme. 

Sound Engineer, Gilderoy is hired by an Italian horror director. His expertise in using various fruits and vegetables to create lifelike sound effects for violence and gore is needed in the film which is obviously meant to parallel ‘Suspiria’.

Also on the team are the voice actors dubbing their script over the film, which was a method used for many Italian horror classics. During his work he clashes with producers and the language barrier proves too isolating as Gilderoy discovers the horrors of what humans will do to each other in the name of their art. 

Toby Jones is fantastic in the lead role, he is an actor who never fails to give a genuine and impressive performance. All the supporting actors are also superb (with some especially strong female characters) and pulled off the gripping dynamic of isolation and manipulation.

The film takes on a surreal quality as it progresses and becomes brilliant in a way I can only compare to a David Lynch masterpiece. If you like your films to be less linear more experimental then it is for you. 'Berberian Sound Studio' is unique in the way that it’s plot and themes are directly reflected in the way it is filmed and more specifically how sound is used.

I really stress that you need to watch this film with full subtitles as it is in English and Italian and you need to understand what is being said without the other characters knowing. It becomes a complete mind-fuck as you are watching a film about creating sound effects while taking notice of the other sound effects in the narrative of the film. If you are wanting a lesson on becoming aware of the use of sound in film then this is the film to watch. Also, anything that pokes fun at the camp of 70s Giallo horror and the practice of dubbing is just icing on the cake.

In the end, while Suspiria is a much-loved classic I’m going to stick to my opinion that while some things are done right, overall the film is a bit of a mess. I’m perfectly happy for you to disagree vehemently with me as I give ‘Suspiria’ a 5/10.

‘Berberian Sound Studio’ is an exercise in expanding your understanding of film. I loved it and am giving it an 8/10.