DIY VIRAL
Argento's original dance school seemed almost like a random place, nothing more than a place to provide Argento with interesting visuals and, uh, leotards. In Guadagnino's remake, dancing became the central method by which witches were witches. In the most memorable scene of the movieSwinton's character squeezes Susie's arms and legs, causing her body to ooze some charm. As Susie begins to dance, the woman on the floor below her is eerily and supernaturally marionetted with her movements. The victim's body, unprepared for the dance, twists, turns, breaks and cracks. It is a painful, horrible way of death, killed by the terpsichore muse. Suddenly it makes sense why witches would run a ballet academy. Dancing is the best way to summon demonic power. The dancing becomes pagan, menacing and frightening.
In a new twist, Guadagnino's “Suspiria” follows the hero Dr. Josef Klemperer (Lutz Ebersdorff, actually Tilda Swinton again), the psychologist of Sarah (Mia Goth), a dancer at the academy. Sarah tells Dr. Klemperer that her school is controlled by witches, inspiring him to investigate any malfeasance. dr. Klemperer discovers the identity of the entire coven, but actually discovers something more personal: the fate of his wife, who died in the Holocaust. He, too, is a survivor, plagued by survivor's guilt, feeling that he didn't do enough to stem the tide of fascism. It is a symbol of Germany's constant reckoning with its wartime past and how it is directly related to the 1977 riots. Not to mention, the current unrest seems to be allowing a resurgence of evil right under the noses of German citizens.
Evil, says the new “Suspiria,” is an active choice, and we can fight it or be sucked into its grotesquery. We can get power, but it is useless unless we use it properly. And that's what the new “Suspiria” really explores: the use and abuse of political power. It can be used for good, evil, or a combination of both, but when misused, it leaves cultural scars.
Source link
DIY VIRAL
