The Stendhal Syndrome (Dario Argento, 1996)

While I’ve always enjoyed the later works of Dario Argento I can be safe to say that The Stendhal Syndrome is his last masterpiece. Uneven, as all his films, but with that original, twisted touch of graphic violence, art and twisted sexuality. I’ve always seen it as Dario Argento ripping off Brian De Palma ripping off Alfred Hitchcock (which of course is something the latter one always do), and I still stand behind that opinion. But this time around I’ve seen more Argento-esque movements and ideas jumping out at me, more than each time before.

As a film I think it’s mostly connected to Tenebrae and Dressed to Kill - the De Palma one because of the wordless and magical scene at the gallery and Tenebrae because of it’s cold, distant style and sudden burst of sadistic sexual violence and graphic, bloody murders. The sex is something I’ve always felt never belonged in Argento’s movies, something producers and distributors demanded when he got more and more popular. Even if his earlier films and up to Inferno have sexual tension it’s always beneath the surface, and almost asexual characters. The only one’s allowed to show their lust is his - often - very interesting LGBT characters, and with interesting I mean not only positive personalities - but that’s like life itself.

The Stendhal Syndrome is more focused on his daughters - Asia’s - adventures with Thomas Kretschmann rapist/serial killer and not so much on getting to know the characters. But Argento dives into his favorite subject, gender, with Asia transforming herself into a very manly version of herself, even simulating a rape against her boyfriend - and later meets a new man, French, with the unisex name Marie, something she’s surprised to learn. The film never reaches deep down into Asia’s psyche, even if Argento and his usual collaborator Franco Ferrini tries. I get the feeling he wants to do a Repulsion, a slow descent into madness, but they only manages to scratch a little bit on the surface. The connection with art never feels totally justified either, more of a gorgeous way to show the madness in Asia.

But the film as a whole, if you’re not staring yourself blind at details, holds up very well. It’s a stunning-looking movie, using the sets and locations to the fullest. Some of the effects doesn’t hold up today, but I can’t be bothered by that! There’s show-stoppers - and I think most people remember the gunshot to the head-scene, still very impressive today, or at least the idea and maybe not always the execution. Asia has always been a very uneven actress (she’s terrible in Dracula 3D for example), but she gives us a fine vulnerability as police inspector Anna Manni here and Thomas Kretschmann delivers a brutal force of sexual malevolence. The rest of the cast is pretty anonymous, pretty boring Italian male faces mixed with some over-acting female actors. Nothing to tell mom about.

The ending borders to stupidity, but so does many Argento-endings (I’m looking at you, Terror at the Opera!), but survives because of the outrageousness - and there, once again, we have the spirit of De Palma coming in, a director who more than Argento loves to step over the line of realism and create pure cinema.

I take back what I wrote in the beginning of the review, The Stendhal Syndrome is not a masterpiece, but it’s sooooooooooooooo close being one. It’s an excellent film which only lacks that final emotional punch to be the best DePalmaRippingOffHitchcock-movie Argento ever made.

Comments

[Megatron]

"Brian De Palma ripping off Alfred Hitchcock (which of course is something the latter one always do)"

Yeah...but it is very entertaining when De Palma does it....

"I get the feeling he wants to do a Repulsion, a slow descent into madness, but they only manages to scratch a little bit on the surface."

Repulsion (1965) is a tough act to follow.

"Asia has always been a very uneven actress"

I haven´t seen that much by her.....

"I take back what I wrote in the beginning of the review, The Stendhal Syndrome is not a masterpiece, but it’s sooooooooooooooo close being one."

I have never seen this one, but it does sound entertaining, good review and thanks.