The idea of a Suspiria remake initially didn't appeal to me at all. Dario Argento's original 1977 film is such a unique piece of horror cinema, with its vibrant colours, pounding score, and psychedelic atmosphere. It's the type of film that, in theory, could never be re-told again to such a fantastical extent. Regardless of my doubts however I put my faith in director Luca Guadagnino, and thankfully he did not disappoint. Guadagnino's Suspiria may not deliver the same kind of magic that Argento's did over forty years ago, but instead it casts a new spell all of its own, paying respectful homage while paving its own twisted path.
Set in divided Berlin in 1977, the film follows aspiring American dancer Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) as she begins her education at the prestigious Markos Dance Academy under the guidance of veteran dancer Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). All is not as it seems at the Academy however, and when a student mysteriously vanishes, elderly psychoanalyst Dr. Klemperer (also Swinton) also finds himself getting tangled in its dark web of secrets.
The original Suspiria is a hard act to follow, but instead of attempting to imitate Argento's distinct style, Guadagnino opts to do the exact opposite. The candy-coloured visuals are stripped away, the pounding score is replaced with ethereal melodies (courtesy of Thom Yorke), and the terror is much more scattered and sporadic. It's a remake in name only, sharing a premise and certain plot beats, but the tone and the style are worlds apart from those of the original. Guadagnino and screenwriter David Kajganich are more concerned with telling their own story of socio-political tensions in cold-war Berlin than imitating the source material by Argento and Daria Nicolodi, a wise move that makes this a fresh experience for both newcomers and hardcore Argento fans. Still, it does pay its respect to the original by delving into the 'Three Mothers' mythology, and by naming some of the characters after minor roles from the original.
The film also diverges from the original in terms of scares as well, making them much more sporadic and infrequent than the original. They become so scattered at times that you almost forget you're watching a horror film, until we reach the next ghoulish set piece and Guadagnino reminds us what this really is. It may not be as visceral as the original film, but there are some truly jaw-dropping moments throughout that really leave an impact once they're over with. The most memorable of these is the much-talked-about scene in which a dancer is flung around like a rag-doll in time to another dancers routine, my jaw was well and truly on the floor. It may take its to get around to each horrific set piece, but by the time it reaches its explosive climax it definitely doesn't disappoint.
Guadagnino's Suspiria is also very concerned with contextualising events, constantly cutting to news footage of the Lufthansa hijacking and talk of the Red Army Faction. It's a very politically overt film that sometimes overshadows the primary plot, but regardless of this, Guadagnino and his crew do a wonderful job of transporting us back to divided Berlin. From the grim bauhaus buidlings, to Guadagnino's own directoral style, it feels much more akin to Andrej Zulawski's Possession than Argento's Suspiria, but in the best way possible. It really captures that sense of cold-war paranoia that festers in the world around our characters.
Speaking of the characters, Dakota Johnson steps into the dancing shoes of our main protagonist Susie, who has a much more reserved role this time around. Johnson manages to capture the many different sides to this character as the plot unfolds, despite seeming somewhat held back near the beginning. Mia Goth takes a much more central role as Susies new companion Sara, who soon begins to investigate the strange goings on at the Markos Academy. For a character with little backstory, Goth brings a lot of natural pathos to the role. But it's Tilda Swinton who really stands out, taking on three seperate roles, that of Madam Blanc, as well as male psychoanalyst Klemperer and the mysterious witch Helena Markos. I was worried that Swinton's casting as the only integral male role would have been a bit distracting at times, but honestly there were times when I forgot that it was even her. She even shares a scene with the star of the original film, Jessica Harper, who has a brief but integral cameo.
For the most part I think Guadagnino's Suspiria really succeeds in reimagining the original film while simultaneously telling a new story, but it does have its flaws. My main issue was at times the film loses its sense of focus a bit, often allowing for Dr. Klemperer's subplot to overshadow the main story. It makes it a little confusing at times as to who our protagonist is, naturally we are led to believe that it's Susie, but there are times when her arc almost becomes underplayed in favour of this secondary plot. As well as that, the film has an epilogue that feels fairly glued-on and a little unnecessary. To some extents it works on an emotional level, but from a narrative standpoint it just makes things feel sort of uneven. Thankfully these flaws don't hold the film back too much however, and ultimately Suspiria manages to overcome them.
Considering how wary I was about a Suspiria remake, I was more than happy with what Luca Guadagnino has given us. You can tell he has such respect and admiration for the original, it's evident throughout, but instead of crafting a pale imitation of that film, he uses it as a basis to tell his own version of it. A chilling period piece that captures both the cold-war tensions of 70's Berlin and the spellbinding atmosphere of its source material, Suspiria is a film that may not strike a chord with some initially, but give it time and Guadagnino's reimagining will definitely cast its spell on you.
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