More weirdness, but I like it.
Inferno (1980)
Directed By: Dario Argento (Opera)
Where to get it: Blue Underground
The Prologue
And here today we got, Inferno! This is of course the second part of Dario Argento’s “Mother of Tears” trilogy, which makes it the loose sequel to the classic Suspiria! So having seen Suspiria (one of the very first films I ever reviewed) and being a fan of it’s style (for the most part) and it’s look, I was looking forward to seeing this one and I’m sorry it took me soo long to finally check this out. The questions I had going in were pretty simple. I wondered if this one would be any faster moving than Suspiria was in spots? And I always wondered if it would keep any of the same style as all as the previous “Mother of Tears” entry. And I’m happy (mostly) with the results.
The Movie
Young poetess Rose Elliot buys a book from a local antique dealer, a diary in Latin of an architect, E. Varelli. She learns of the Three Mothers, and believes her apartment building is one of their houses. She pleads her brother Mark, who is studying musicology in Rome, to come, because she is afraid. Mark’s friend Sara reads her letter, which he left behind in class, and discovers the school is run by the Mater Lacrimarum, and is killed for this knowledge. The house of Mater Suspiriorum has already been destroyed, and by the time Mark arrives in New York City, he is investigating his sister’s murder.
I am very happy to report that a lot of things I dug about Suspiria is back again here. We got the same style and colors that were outstanding last time. Heck, we even have the same style of rain scene, same cab driver, and same creepy eyes. And I felt it wasn’t as slow either. So while it’s a loose sequel, you can tell by the looks that it is a sequel. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s really different. But it’s got enough here from a style point of view that makes it looks familure and makes you enjoy what you’re watching. And while the gore isn’t as good as some of Dario’s other films, there are still some really cool gore scenes that are cool and fun to see on screen.
Now of course I have a few complaints. While everything looks all cool and all that, we really don’t have a plot that is THAT great. There’s a good vibe, don’t get me wrong. But, the plot is weak. I also think this movie really is hurt a bit by not having a good lead. We do at different times see three different women that could have been great leads in this thing to play off the male lead, but it never comes to be. Instead we are stuck mostly with just him, and I wasn’t that impressed at all with the dude for the most part. He’s by far the weakest lead I’ve seen in an Argento film, and that even covers all the male ones I’ve seen in his other films as well.
So, rats try to eat people. Hotdog venders go crazy during an eclipse, we are lead down more than a few roads that never have a reward or a legit payoff, but for the most part, I’d call it a fun and very stylish ride. I do think the ending is a prime example of the term “Anti-climatic”. Things reach a boiling point and then seem to be over about as fast as they got started. It’s a little bit of a disappointment, but I wouldn’t say there’s enough negative complaints to bring the film down by that much as a whole. It’s not bad, and it is watchable. But, it’s not Suspiria by any means.
The Conclusion
A bit of a mixed bag, but it’s not bad per say. If you dig the style and all that cool stuff from Suspiria, it’s all here so you have that to look forward to. But again, like I said, the ending is a bit of a flop for me. But maybe you’ll feel different when it comes to that. It’s not likely, but you never do know! It at least looks really cool (watch me repeat myself)! And it’s at least very watchable for big fans of Argento.
The Rating (6.5/10)
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