I ended up watching Suspiria and another film by Argento called Trauma. Suspiria is about a dancer who goes to a dancing school and finds that evil deeds are afoot. It wasn't the brilliant movie that the hype had prepared me for. It's unique, yes, with some stunning visuals and gross-out scenes, but I didn't find it scary. There was one scene (in picture) where a girl was caught in a pit of barbed wire that was chilling. I couldn't really relate to the characters. I know some people excuse that fault in this film by saying that Argento doesn't care about such things as character development because he's so focused on making pure horror, but come on, the characters in this film are like cardboard cutouts who generate absolutely no sympathy. Maybe you have to be drunk to really love this movie. I'll try that next time.
Trauma, on the other hand, I enjoyed. Probably because the characters were developed and the acting was better. It absolutely scared me. The whole atmosphere of the film is creepy. Piper Laurie plays the mother of the main character, Aura, played by Asia Argento (Dario's daughter). Aura is a troubled anorexic teenager with lots of parent issues. She has just escaped from a mental clinic and is suicidal when she meets a reporter who falls into her terrifying world in which a killer is terrorizing a town with serial beheadings.
There are lots of interesting moments in the film. My favorite is the curious little boy who lives next door to the killer and the weird sequence about anorexia The end had me on the edge of my seat. Things were sufficiently explained, unlike in Suspiria, where I was left wondering why the murders had occurred. This film is definitely worth the reputation Dario Argento has obtained for scary, ultra-cool horror films.
Trauma left me with a desire to see more from Argento. And there are plenty more. Look for part two of this review after I see some of his other films.
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