Suspiria: The Cowardly OGR Review

suspiria-posterLong time hear-about-er. First time Suspiria viewer. Now what’sĀ all that fuss about?

Susie crosses the seas to train at a renowned Italian dance school. She is pretty. She is young. She is unaware of what the real world is like. She will soon learn. On her first evening in the institution she cannot use her dorm due to a horrible murder. And it doesn’t get much better for Susie thereafter.

suspiria-318As the days in this perpetually red environment continue, Susie encounters various oddballs including weird staff, bitchy students, a blind pianist and overbearing instructors. She soldiers on, wondering only why she feels more and more lethargic with each school supplied meal.

suspiria-117Suspiria unspools in a vaguely satisfying way but I cannot feel that I caught it way too late. As someone who has seen thousands of horror films – and no doubt many influenced by this film – I felt this was more an exercise in production, music and mood. The sets are almost exclusively calming blue or lurid red. The music often screechy and percussive. The effect of these techniques is undeniably offputting, however the impact was diluted (for me) by the plot being one used countless times – and again I’m not denying that Suspiria might have been the first to come up with it. Just it wasn’t where I first saw it.

Final Rating – Rating Refused: Like catching Psy’s Gangnam Style a decade after it was momentarily globally famous, I watch Suspiria wondering just what everyone else was so caught up in – even ironically.

So rather than have an opinion, I’ll take the cowardly route and sit this one out.

Happy New Year all.

OGR

About OGR

While I try to throw a joke or two into proceedings when I can all of the opinions presented in my reviews are genuine. I don't expect that all will agree with my thoughts at all times nor would it be any fun if you did, so don't be shy in telling me where you think I went wrong... and hopefully if you think I got it right for once. Don't be shy, half the fun is in the conversation after the movie.
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