[Review] Suspiria: Utterly Sinister

Call Me By Your Name was one of my favorite films last year, so I was incredibly excited for director Luca Guadagnino's new film, Suspiria. After being fortunate enough to attend an advance screening last month, I finally understood why the film's reception has been so polarizing.

Although Suspiria is undeniably a horror film, it's far from a typical jump-scare-driven horror movie, nor does it even try to build terror like mainstream horror films. Instead of describing it as "horrifying," I would use the word "sinister" to define Suspiria. Whether it's the truly eerie dance academy building, the appearance of the female instructors in the dance troupe, or their every action and word, the entire film is permeated with an unsettling, dark aura. Most of the film's plot is conveyed visually, with little attempt to clarify the story through dialogue. Director Luca Guadagnino seems to have no intention of making the film entirely comprehensible to all viewers, instead seizing every moment to create this "sinister" atmosphere. If you haven't seen the original film, you might feel completely bewildered, needing to ponder it repeatedly after the credits roll and read many interpretative articles to grasp most of the plot. And compared to purely frightening horror films, Suspiria's setting and plot are rich with room for thought, allowing for various interpretations.

The film is set in Cold War-era Berlin, Germany, which in itself is full of meaning. As a defeated nation in two World Wars, Germany, while divided after WWII, also had to restart and shed its past image. Although the film's theme isn't directly about WWII history, the film's concept of the three mothers originates from the previous story, and the power of the teachers (witches) in the dance troupe is passed down through history. To consolidate their power and perpetuate their rule, these witches do not hesitate to abuse their authority and sacrifice one young life after another in the dance troupe. In the film's final act, they even enlist Dr. Josef Klemperer, an elderly man who experienced WWII, as a witness. All of this seems to mirror real history, reflecting regimes that abuse power, and warns the audience not to let such situations happen again. On the other hand, the film also uses the relationship between the protagonist Susie (Dakota Johnson) and Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) to highlight the witch coven's abuse of power, brutality, and lack of maternal love. Within the dance troupe, the teachers' roles are akin to mothers for the young students; they not only teach them dance but also nurture their growth. Madame Blanc herself is part of the coven, but she is reluctant to exploit students for power and builds a very intimate relationship with Susie, in stark contrast to the other witches' methods. When Mother Suspiriorum appears in the film's climax, these witches finally face their deserved fate, and her treatment of Madame Blanc, Dr. Josef Klemperer, and the other students once again demonstrates her compassion, proving that those in power can also be just and merciful.

The most horrifying aspects of the film, I believe, are the segments of bloody body horror. The film pairs extremely beautiful and elegant dance with grotesque scenes of dismembered limbs, broken necks, and disembowelment. The two elements share a very subtle relationship, far from merely indulging in gratuitous gore. Body horror is very different from typical jump scares; it doesn't rely on dark settings to create fear. Instead, the brighter the scene, the clearer the bloody details, and the stronger the terrifying sensation of a character's body being tormented. Perhaps the production team understood that these bloody scenes were too terrifying and would give audiences nightmares, so they incorporated a lot of dance into these moments, making them both gruesome and aesthetically beautiful. Therefore, the film's choreography, art direction, and costume design play crucial roles, allowing for such a sinister and unique horror film to be made.

As a Radiohead fan, what I anticipated most, of course, was Thom Yorke's first film score. Although, as I mentioned, the film is a sinister horror movie, some of Thom Yorke's score sounds somewhat light and classical, creating a strong contrast with the film's scenes. Besides the instrumental score, you'll also hear Thom Yorke's vocals periodically throughout the film, making the entire soundtrack feel like his personal album, which fans will surely appreciate. Besides the dance and music, what I was always most excited for was Tilda Swinton's performance, and she certainly lived up to expectations as the film's MVP. Tilda Swinton plays three roles in the film: besides the most obvious Madame Blanc, she also embodies the decrepit body of Mother Helena Markos, and cross-dresses as Dr. Josef Klemperer. Perhaps it was because I already knew about her cross-dressing before watching, but as soon as I heard Dr. Josef Klemperer's voice, I immediately felt it was clearly Tilda Swinton. However, another editor who watched with me didn't realize she played him until after the film, which shows her performance and makeup were quite successful. And the character of Madame Blanc herself appears very mysterious, but Tilda Swinton's eyes, filled with sympathy, care, and compassion, truly bring out the maternal side of this character, and her contribution to conveying the important themes mentioned above is immeasurable.