EvilNed
28-Jun-2007, 12:20 PM
Just got done watching Inferno, after watching Suspiria a few weeks ago. Suspiria had the best soundtrack I've ever heard in a film (courtsey of Goblin) and was overall pretty dark, moody and atmospheric. So I expected alot from Inferno. But I don't think it really delivered.
Suspiria was much more claustrophobic, being stuck in a single building. Inferno took place mostly in an old building but also it's surroundings and the first half of the film took place in Rome.
Some golden scenes shined through, like the underwater ballroom scene at the start of the film and the scene in the Italian library with underworks (that Igor like guy was seriously creepy). But..
Once the plot moved fulltime to the american building, it quickly lost it's thread. It started pretty interesting with all the mandatory wierd characters. But moreso than in Suspiria, the plot felt completly absent. Characters were only introduced in order to say a line and then afterwards have a five minute long death scene. The one with the rats was completley pointless, overly long and annoying. I just wanted it to be over.
And the music, which is much needed when Dario Argento goes on his surrealismo-spree, was nowhere near as great as in Suspiria. There was one great track, the techno-gothic chorus one. You who've seen the movie probably know which one I mean. Too bad almost all music in the film seemed to be placed almost at random. The track I mentioned sounds more like a chase-track or for when confronting the witch. Instead, it's played when the main character wanders around in a cellar, just searching. Maybe the music was supposed to give us something to listen too, since the scene was otherwise completly uninteresting.
The scenery and lightning were all ace, however. The entire film is almost filmed in blue and red lighting (reminds me of Creepshow, to be honest) and the ending is very good. Too bad it is also very short, but hey. The film could probably be trimmed. I know exactly which scenes to cut, infact:
- The developing subplot with the sneaky butler and the owner of the house searching for the gold. Sure, the owners death results in the engulfment of the house but that could easily have been explained otherwise. Such as the main character knocking over a candle when stuck by a syringe towards the end.
- The extended rat-scene. Hell, that was annoying and it took a great five minutes of the film.
I know Dario Argento aims for surrealism and almost a lack of plot. But that doesn't always work out when it comes at the expense of wierd pacing. Pacing has it's place in a film too, and Inferno lacks it severly sometimes.
It's interesting to see how The Third Mother, coming out in October, will turn out. It's the sequel to Suspiria and Inferno and will feature the third mother (Who would have thought!).
Suspiria was much more claustrophobic, being stuck in a single building. Inferno took place mostly in an old building but also it's surroundings and the first half of the film took place in Rome.
Some golden scenes shined through, like the underwater ballroom scene at the start of the film and the scene in the Italian library with underworks (that Igor like guy was seriously creepy). But..
Once the plot moved fulltime to the american building, it quickly lost it's thread. It started pretty interesting with all the mandatory wierd characters. But moreso than in Suspiria, the plot felt completly absent. Characters were only introduced in order to say a line and then afterwards have a five minute long death scene. The one with the rats was completley pointless, overly long and annoying. I just wanted it to be over.
And the music, which is much needed when Dario Argento goes on his surrealismo-spree, was nowhere near as great as in Suspiria. There was one great track, the techno-gothic chorus one. You who've seen the movie probably know which one I mean. Too bad almost all music in the film seemed to be placed almost at random. The track I mentioned sounds more like a chase-track or for when confronting the witch. Instead, it's played when the main character wanders around in a cellar, just searching. Maybe the music was supposed to give us something to listen too, since the scene was otherwise completly uninteresting.
The scenery and lightning were all ace, however. The entire film is almost filmed in blue and red lighting (reminds me of Creepshow, to be honest) and the ending is very good. Too bad it is also very short, but hey. The film could probably be trimmed. I know exactly which scenes to cut, infact:
- The developing subplot with the sneaky butler and the owner of the house searching for the gold. Sure, the owners death results in the engulfment of the house but that could easily have been explained otherwise. Such as the main character knocking over a candle when stuck by a syringe towards the end.
- The extended rat-scene. Hell, that was annoying and it took a great five minutes of the film.
I know Dario Argento aims for surrealism and almost a lack of plot. But that doesn't always work out when it comes at the expense of wierd pacing. Pacing has it's place in a film too, and Inferno lacks it severly sometimes.
It's interesting to see how The Third Mother, coming out in October, will turn out. It's the sequel to Suspiria and Inferno and will feature the third mother (Who would have thought!).