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When the German horror film "Suspiria" by Dario Argento was released in 1977, Berlin was comfortable. Protesters angry with the West German government and against what was perceived as the depredations of capitalism invaded the streets. The faction of the Red Army, a guerrilla of the extreme left, terrorized the city in what would become the German autumn, causing several deaths. It was also a key period for the affirmation of feminist power and the liberation of women. The Red Army had women among its leaders and one of the first feminist magazines in Germany, Emma, published her first issue that year.
Jump four decades later and another "Suspiria" lands on theaters at a different time of social upheaval and female fury.
The original Argento has been reinvented by another Italian director, Luca Guadagnino ("Call Me by Your Name"). The same story is at the base: an American dancer travels to Germany to join a dance troupe and discovers that it is a front for a group of witches possessed by the need to perform untold deeds. In the company, a battle for control takes place between the artistic director, Madame Blanc (played by Tilda Swinton), and other seasoned members. The young American (Dakota Johnson) is caught in the middle and can only become the vector of violence: she dances their sadistic spells.
The film reveals horrific and horrible horrors (shining chests and bloody scenes), but it also delves into the dynamics of an all-female community, addressing issues of power, manipulation, maternity and horrible things that women can do. to other women and themselves.
With the original, says Argento, he was intrigued by the prospect of exploring an all-female world and his black magic ability. "It's an entirely feminine story," he writes in an email. "I wanted to dive into the world of esotericism and magic that had impressed me so much when I was very young and I wrote this film about the power of witches and their influence in the society of today. "
His film shocked the audience by pushing the boundaries of what could be a horror film by mixing the genre 's vocabulary with the aesthetics of the film' s art.
"It was a sensory assault in its own right, for the eyes, ears, mind, stomach, soul and imagination," said Adam Lowenstein, a professor of film at the University of Pittsburgh. who speaks of horror. Argento used the standard formula for Giallo, a genre of Italian horror film, but the resulting film was "much less interested in the story than in its appearance, appearance, and sound."
Guadagnino grew up idolizing the director and recalled that his room was filled with posters of his films. "Argento represented a certain power for me," Guadagnino said on the phone, adding, "I would never have been influenced by violence as much as by his freedom. The form of his film is what impresses him, the use of deep red, the use of details, the way he builds each murder almost like a ballet. And it gave me courage. Dario gave me daring. "
"Suspiria" will prove to be the greatest artistic achievement of Argento, an influence on "Halloween", "A nightmare on Elm Street" and countless other horror films.
In addition to its aesthetic, the film was also outstanding at the time as it was attempting to reverse the traditional dynamics of violence in horror films. Where most films of this type have exploited and victimized women, women are committing brutality here.
"Many people would call it a misogynist film because of her violence against women, with which I do not disagree," said Alexandra West, co-host of The Faculty of Horror podcast. "What I think is interesting from the feminist point of view is how all the male characters are put aside. In the end, it is women who hurt themselves, run away, become friends and get angry at each other. "
Guadagnino established its version in 1977 during this period of social tumult and radical feminism. Radio clips and newspapers refer to bombings and a hostage episode of the Red Army Faction A muted palette is inspired by the influence of filmmakers like Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The score of Thom Yorke of Radiohead also plays at the time.
"The time of the year 1977 was very important in terms of revolt and affirmation, and the feminist movement was then very powerful," said Guadagnino. "In the movement, they had very interesting differences to explore," he added. "I do not think that female rabies is exactly what I was looking for, it's more of a feminine community and, as in any community, you have demonstrations of power and every power relationship can lead to cruelty."
The director also indicated that it also aimed to show the true nature of the violence and its consequences. "I realize that we are often numb with violence and that more often, women are victims of violence," he said. "Suspiria" is more about human nature than the spectacle of violence. "
This particular period in Berlin and its links with feminism have nourished the two leading actresses. The German women's movement at that time "has embraced difference and separatism as a means of claiming an autonomous and self-determining identity," Swinton said by e-mail. "The Berlin of that time was expressly involved in the aftermath of the traumatic existential upheaval – these fascists, they certainly leave a trail of destruction – and they certainly manage to get these witches away … for the better, for the worse.
In a phone interview, Johnson said, "It was exploitive of this anger, they were trying to verbalize their anger."
Guadagnino explained that dance was at the heart of this type of expression, giving the character of Johnson "a way to create spells and assert his control over other people, but also as a kind of liberation. "
Johnson was trained for one year before filming and studied the work of choreographers Mary Wigman and Pina Bausch, pioneers in the genres of abstract and non-narrative dance. "These women broke the mold of Expressionist dancing and showed that the dance itself could be a spell and that it was not pretty," she said.
The choreography of the new version showcases the movement style of German expressionism. "It's very aggressive, angular, animalistic, wild and brutal. So it's very feminine, "Johnson said.
Swinton said that she had modeled her White Lady on a number of dance figures, starting with Martha Graham and Bausch, both for the given examples and for "the shape that Madame Blanc cuts out – her silhouette, its rooting barefoot, the precise choreography of its cigarette after cigarette.
The actress also had in mind Wigman, partly for her dances but also because the choreographer had a troubled history in mental health and yet was "managed – as White – to support his company in Germany throughout the Third Reich after making known to heaven what offers to do it. "
Finally, Swinton cited the 1948 ballet film, "The Red Shoes," and his charismatic maestro Lermontov, who must convince the dancer, "the interpreter of his work, to choose the art above of life".
If the post-war Berlin atmosphere in upheaval as "witch artists" struggled for their existence reminded the viewer of the present moment, Swinton added, "I suggest that we think carefully about the forces that gave rise to the political landscape in Germany in 1977 and initiatives that inspired them. Maybe we should look back and learn.
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