You know
you have to smile sometimes when critics bang on about how we are desensitized,
how technology means that we expect more and bigger thrills and more stimulus,
it is easy to dismiss films made earlier in the 20th century as
“easy watching”. Especially when it comes to genres like horror where we have
come to depend so much on special effects. I am thinking, for example, of the
upcoming horror film Crimson peak by master director Guillermo Del Toro – the
fantastic and eerie world we see (so far only from the trailers) could not have
been created if it were not for the magic of technology.
That said,
in the right hands, the technology of the ‘70s can become a dangerous and
terrifying tool. Dario Argento is, without shadow of a doubt, one of these
directors. The atmosphere he creates, the world we are plunged into is so
chilling that our imaginations are more than enough – we do not need the
monsters of technology…
Deep Red
begins with a psychic, a psychic who inadvertently sees into the mind of a
murderer. And who promptly gets murdered herself. A passing pianist gets pulled
into the story. There is a plucky journalist and a cynical police officer. In
the midst of this setting the psychic’s prediction seems to be quite on the
mark. But the problem is, whenever anyone gets even remotely close to
uncovering a clue, there is another grizzly murder. Our pianist, an eye witness
to the whole affair, is in especial danger as he has come closer to the
murderer than he might have liked. Yet, his time seems to be rapidly running
out and the police seem helpless as his allies fall around him like flies and
the murderer’s net slowly and inexorably closes…
At the
opening of the film, you may well be forgiven for thinking that this is going
to be a film overly relying on slightly dodgy acting, ‘70s visual effects and
magical powers. Well, you would be wrong. What Dario Argento succeeds in doing
rather brilliantly is taking the makings of quite an ordinary thriller and
cranks it up to a level of a bona fide bone-chilling horror film. Yes the
psychic is real, but there the magic ends. We never have any doubt that the
killer is a human being. It is simply a rather able human being – but human
none the less. Which is quite befitting really, after all in this world, there
are no monsters as scary as human beings. Argento uses and magnifies the tricks
our minds play on us when we’re at home alone. You know the feeling, that
creek, was that movement – that sound, did it come from the street… For most of us it’s our minds playing tricks
on us. For the heroes and heroines of Deep Red, this is not always the case.
Let’s just say that I felt very glad indeed that I live in a house with three
flatmates and two cats - I’m rarely alone enough to hear little creaks and
squeaks around the house.
I also have
to remark on the camerawork, the images created by Argento are always deeply
striking in some way, Deep red is characterized by striking close-ups at key
points that makes ones hair stand on end. The colours of the film are also
striking, dark shadows mixing with glowing red blood…
But the
thing I always seem to love about Argento’s films is the soundtrack. I mean, I
still hum the signature tune from Suspiria when I am distracted – and I watched
the film quite a few months ago – and this is no exception. Deep Red is no
exception to this rule. Then again, that might be because they were both composed
and performed by the same band, Goblin, an Italian progressive rock band known
for their soundtrack work. This time around, Deep Red uses – brilliantly and
quite effectively – the trick of using something normally innocent and everyday
and transposing it into a horror setting to make it even more unsettling. This
time around, it’s a children’s song (as you may or may not have been able to
guess). The only thing I will say is that precious little is given in the way
of explanations as to why this song is present in the film (because it is present
in the actual film as well).
In fact,
the only weakness of the film is that, when you settle your shivers and look at
it closely, actual in depth explanations are exceedingly thin on the ground.
However, the film does its job of creeping us out and scaring us so well that
it can be forgiven – well, sort of - especially since it does such a good job
of providing plot twists and surprises. Still, I don’t know, another couple of minutes spent explaining properly
WHY any of this happened may well have been all together a bad thing… I do advise you don’t get too hung up on that
though… You’ll miss out on an atmosphere well worth experiencing and being
terrified in…
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