Deep Red, 1975.
Directed by Dario Argento.
Starring David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Méril, and Clara Calamai.
SYNOPSIS:
After a psychic is murdered a witness teams up with a reporter to catch the killer.
For anybody already versed in the works of Italian filmmaker Dario Argento then Arrow Video releasing a 4K restoration of his 1975 masterwork Deep Red (a.k.a. Profondo Rosso) will be one of the most welcome releases of the year. To those who have only seen Argento’s more recent output – such as the unintentionally hilarious Giallo or the godawful Dracula 3D – and aren’t quite up on why the director is held in such high regard by genre fans and critics alike then this lavish package of what is perhaps his most revered film (this or Suspiria – it’s a tough one to call, although Tenebrae is this writer’s personal favourite) is a good place to start getting educated.
Whilst walking home with his friend Carlo, pianist Marcus (David Hemmings – Mean Machine) witnesses the murder of a psychic, who earlier that day had read the thoughts of somebody in her audience who didn’t take to having their innermost secrets revealed. Marcus becomes obsessed with finding the killer and teams up with reporter Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi – Inferno) to find out the truth behind the murder, the clues all pointing towards something that Marcus cannot quite put his finger on.
A film that has been dissected and mused over by writers, scholars and academics since its original release, there isn’t really any more that can be said about Deep Red that hasn’t been published several dozen times already, but it would be fair to say that not only is it one of the finest horror/thrillers of the 1970s but also of all time. Of course, you probably knew that so if you already own this movie – either on the previously released Arrow Video Blu-ray, which gained a bit of criticism for its inconsistent transfer quality, or one of the many other DVD releases out there – then you’re probably wondering if this new version is worth the upgrade, and it is very pleasing to report that it is. The 4K restoration taken from the original negative looks amazing, with the depth and richness of colour as striking as you would expect but what stands out even more are the blacks that showcase Dario Argento’s use of shadow and, by extension, the craft that went into making this movie.
Deep Red is a film that defines the giallo genre but also transcends it thanks to the skill and auteuristic touches that Argento was demonstrating at the time. Plot-wise it is a little more coherent than most other gialli and is relatively easy to follow, and although it does follow the giallo template pretty rigidly it is Argento’s inventiveness that flows through the film and makes it such an experience to watch. His camerawork here is exceptional, rarely staying still and moving around the various set-pieces to create a frenzy of suspense and mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end about what is going on and who the killer is, and the score by Goblin and Giorgio Gaslini is one of the most effective and haunting in all of giallo-dom. It also doesn’t hurt that the violence is as brutal and grotesque as anything Italian cinema had to offer at the time, used sparingly but I being all the more shocking when it is.
But as well as taking everything is good about gialli and adding some creative directorial flurries, Deep Red also suffers a little with the 127-minute running time for the Director’s Cut version. It is a bit too long for a film of this type and Argento does delight in stretching out nearly every major scene for maximum effect, and a mystery thriller running at over two hours means that Deep Red, despite everything that it does right, doesn’t quite sit alongside its US contemporaries such as Black Christmas or Halloween as a crowd-pleasing slasher to throw on and have fun with.
But whatever its shortcomings, and there aren’t many of them, Deep Red is a genre classic and, stylistically at least, is Argento’s masterpiece. If you were to buy only one version of it then this beautiful restoration is the one to get (although you will have to get it second-hand as initial copies have apparently sold out already), and as well as the Director’s Cut it also has a 4K restoration of the shorter International Version – which cuts out a lot of the violence as well as some not-very-important plot details – plus the Goblin/Giorgio Gaslini soundtrack CD, limited edition postcards, double-sided poster, reversible sleeve and collector’s booklet so you do get your money’s worth. If you are lucky enough to snap one of these beauties up then you can justifiably claim to be the owner of the finest edition of one of the true classics, not just of the genre but of cinema in general, and it is the perfect answer to anyone whose knowledge of Dario Argento’s work doesn’t go beyond the seven-foot praying mantis in Dracula 3D, which is another discussion for another time.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Ward
https://youtu.be/awfT2dB6YmA?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published January 25, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
