Suspiria

What has Luca Guadagnino done to SUSPIRIA, the beloved giallo from Dario Argento? Fans scratched their heads and perhaps rightfully screamed bloody murder.  The tight 1977 horror flick was one of the most atmospheric experiences ever, and now we have this bloated opus that certainly bites off more than it can chew.  But in some ways, I have to admire Guadagnino and screenwriter David Kajganich for their reach in their 2018 remake, their efforts to, among other things, bring political relevance to this story of a prestigious dance academy in Berlin that is lorded over by witches.  Remakes should do something different.   But admiration for effort can only go so far.

This is a lengthy movie, and it needn't have been.  Even with its incorporation of 1970s revolutionaries hijacking airlines and Holocaust guilt, the filmmakers could've easily trimmed a half hour.  Before I saw the movie, I imagined that Guadagnino fell in love with numerous repetitious images of dancers and dancers' nightmares.  Turns out to be somewhat true.  But those are the moments that work.  The subplot involving a psychologist named Josef Klemperer and his efforts to unravel the mystery of the academy is mostly tiresome and unnecessary.  He is a man of science who doesn't believe in "delusions".  When he is approached by two star pupils at different times, he is forced to eventually confront his skepticism.  His tortured memories of his deceased wife will somehow dovetail with the witches' coven.

SUSPIRIA delivers the expected surreality and eerieness.  There are some surprisingly brutal sequences, particularly in the first hour as one dancer's moves cause another great injury.   It is admittedly quite impressive.  As with the original movie, there are elements of sexuality but no displays of intercourse.  The business with the elders is initially intriguing but there are too many scenes of meetings and whispers about What to Do.  Who will assume leadership.  What new student will become the next victim of ritual?  Will it be Susie (Dakota Johnson) fresh off the plane from the States, the seemingly timid one who nonetheless can perform like a lifelong professional? What is Susie's true connection with Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton, in one of three roles), one of the head witches?

We find out during an overwrought, distressingly B-movie finale that pays homage to many low budget cheapies of yore by employing a red filter and elaborate make-up effects.  Unfortunately, it's poorly rendered and goes on far too long.  Not scary at all.  Neither is any of SUSPIRIA, I'm, um, afraid.  I did sorta like the movie and found its themes (motherhood, sisterhood, nationalism, fear of female empowerment) to be potent enough to keep watching. The dance routines? Eh..  This film is like rough assembledge.  A workprint badly in need of editing.  Thom Yorke's music is fine, but I was longing to hear Goblin again.