Dario Argento

by James Gracey

The stylistic and bloody excesses of the films of Dario Argento are instantly recognizable—his films lock violent deaths in a twisted embrace with an almost sexual beauty. Narrative and logic are often lost in a constant bombardment of atmosphere, technical mastery, and provocative imagery. Setting the tone with earlier gialli films such as The Animal Trilogy and Deep Red , Argento has steadily pushed the boundaries; through his elaborately gothic fairytales Suspiria and Inferno , right up to his more recent contributions to Showtime's Masters of Horror series and the conclusion of his Three Mothers trilogy, Mother of The Third Mother . Along the way, his prowling camera work, pounding scores, and stylistic bloodshed have only gained in intensity and opulence. Argento continues to create inimitable and feverishly violent films with a level of artistry rarely seen in horror films. His high profile and mastery of the genre is confirmed with his role as producer on celebrated classics such as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead and Lamberto Bava's Demons .

Genres: Film

223 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Ian White · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simplistic and badly written, as well as riddled with factual errors (author claims 'Gothika' is Mathieu Kassovitz's first film as director, rather than his fifth). The structure of addressing each film in sections such as 'style/technical' and 'themes' is far too schematic, and seemingly misses the point that the themes are intrinsically bound up in the style, particularly with a director as obsessed with looking and perception as Argento. Also, the author feels the need to be an apologist for some of Argento's poorer work, even the terrible 'Giallo', which has maybe one scene comparable to his older work. I am a huge fan of Argento, but I would stop short of accentuating the positives to such an excessive degree. To claim that 'The Card Player', 'Mother of Tears' or 'Giallo' show Argento moving with the times is ludicrously optimistic, when these films (some modest merits notwithstanding) show desperate bandwagon-jumping and/or a retreading of former glories rather than any kind of progression. On the other hand, it's easy to read and relatively interesting to an Argento novice, and I do agree that 'The Stendahl Syndrome' is Argento's last masterpiece.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay examination of the films of Argento, more up-to-date than Maitland McDonagh's Broken Mirrors, Broken Minds, but absent McDonagh's graceful prose and more intellectually rigorous approach. Still, useful for novices wanting to explore the filmmaker's oeuvre.

[Diego Marquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple y directo al grano, "Dario Argento" logra mantener un balance entre otorgarnos información básica sobre el director y mantener nuestro interés durante la duración del libro.

[Oscar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly interesting and informative but altogether very surface level.