The Visual Aesthetic of Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’

Audiences have gone absolutely nuts with their reactions to the first footage of Luca Guadagnino‘s adaptation of “Suspiria” in the last few days. Amazon Studios debuted clips of the reboot for CinemaCon attendees in Las Vegas, and they went over like a house on fire. Guadagnino and Dakota Johnson were on hand to present the first clip, where Johnson is seen dancing, and her movements bring nothing but pain to a young dancer trapped in a room of mirrors. It was pretty gruesome stuff. Our own Gregory Ellwood can attest to that.

READ MORE: Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Suspiria’ Reboot Teases It’s Not For the Faint Of Heart

The aspect of the footage we found interesting was Guadagnino’s integration of beauty and horror. The original 1977 “Suspiria” directed by Dario Argento had such a specific look. Argento’s filmography has a very precise aesthetic, much of that look is derived from the film’s vivid color pallets. The same can also be said for Guadagnino’s approach. The “Call Me By Your Name” director has a habit of creating dreamlike spaces; warm, soft hues are often what make up the frame of his screen. Argento, on the other hand, deals with neons and bold colors for his nightmarish hellscapes.

In a video essay from Fandor, the visual aesthetic of Argento’s “Suspiria” is broken down nicely. Quite literally, each scene that we get a chance to revisit shows blocks of color represented in the space. Guadagnino is more than a capable director. He’s used his aesthetic power to send audiences to some sensual places. But it seems that 2018 Guadagnino’s nightmarish reinterpretation of “Suspiria” to the screen will be a major gear shift for the filmmaker. I’m not really much for horror, personally. In fact, I’ll likely use the time before the film’s release to calm my nerves. With such wildly positive reactions from CinemaCon, Guadagnino’s film is set to be a treat. Here’s hoping I, along with other audiences, can stomach it.