Thrilling giallo masterpiece is considered by many to be one of the finest, if not the finest, films made by horror master Dario Argento.
When musician witnesses brutal murder, he joins a quirky journalist in the hunt for a mysterious killer.
It's not hard to see why many believe this film to be Argento's greatest and a landmark in the giallo horror genre. The film is an engrossing murder mystery, possessing many of the elements of Argento's great debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970). Argento throws in lots of his unique trademark style with plenty of inventive set pieces, clever cinematography, and terrific atmosphere and imagery. Deep Red also has some of the most horrific murder sequences of the genre and there's plenty of gruesomeness to be had! Adding all the more to the proceedings is the energetic music score of Goblin.
The cast is also good. David Hemmings makes for a great leading man. Daria Nicolodi, who would later be long-time girlfriend to director Argento, shines as the journalist. Hemmings and Nicolodi have some nicely comical scenes together that add even more color to the film. Also worthy of mention is Gabriele Lavia in his role as Hemmings alcoholic friend and Macha Meril as an ill-fated psychic.
While this Argento fan still favors Suspiria (1977) as Argento's finest film, it's easy to see why Deep Red is considered his greatest by some. It's a terrific landmark thriller that firmly ranks as one of Argento's best!
**** out of ****
When musician witnesses brutal murder, he joins a quirky journalist in the hunt for a mysterious killer.
It's not hard to see why many believe this film to be Argento's greatest and a landmark in the giallo horror genre. The film is an engrossing murder mystery, possessing many of the elements of Argento's great debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970). Argento throws in lots of his unique trademark style with plenty of inventive set pieces, clever cinematography, and terrific atmosphere and imagery. Deep Red also has some of the most horrific murder sequences of the genre and there's plenty of gruesomeness to be had! Adding all the more to the proceedings is the energetic music score of Goblin.
The cast is also good. David Hemmings makes for a great leading man. Daria Nicolodi, who would later be long-time girlfriend to director Argento, shines as the journalist. Hemmings and Nicolodi have some nicely comical scenes together that add even more color to the film. Also worthy of mention is Gabriele Lavia in his role as Hemmings alcoholic friend and Macha Meril as an ill-fated psychic.
While this Argento fan still favors Suspiria (1977) as Argento's finest film, it's easy to see why Deep Red is considered his greatest by some. It's a terrific landmark thriller that firmly ranks as one of Argento's best!
**** out of ****