Profondo Rosso (1975)

My third Argento in a row. It's not something I do very often but Argento is one of those rare cases where I feel the urge to see more and more. I ran straight toward my dvd collection right after I was done with 'Phenomena' to see what my next one could be. It turned out to be Profondo Rosso, the film he did before Suspiria.


It was suprisingly good, to be honest. I'm not that big of a 'giallo' fan, so I was maybe a little sceptic from the start. Untill this point I'd only seen some of his horrorfilms, starting with Suspiria. In the end it's a tough nut to crack, at least for me it is. I liked Profondo Rosse, that's for sure, but I'm also pretty sure I have more affection with his later work.

I'm not the one to go for a plot-driven film, I definitely prefer looks over content. Just like everyone else I have some peferences. But I felt like Argento would be capable enough to come up with an exception. And he did, at least for the most part. To me it still feels pretty slow at some points, even though it's very smartly written and once again it looks gorgeous.

I even spotted some smaal comic relief, like Gianna's car or the overacting during the arm wrestling scene. It's subtle but necessary. The stylish approach is yet again one of the bigger reasons for me to like this film. The mystery stays alive though smart writing and effective cinematography, also the soundtrack does a perfect job of keeping the suspense alive at most of the threatening moments.

The black gloves, the raincoat.. it's definitely a cool stereotype of a killer. A killer who, by the way, stays unknown untill the very end, as always. It's a nice suprise and Argento does a great job into fooling you to believe one thing and then strike you with something else. Even though it seems like I thought it had plenty to offer, I couldn't help but wish it was a little shorter.

It took a while before I felt some sympathy for the protagonist, which could've been done better. I do have to give credit to the entire cast, there was some great acting involved. Also the kills were brilliantly shot. The tension builds up very nicely and the effects are fulfilling to say the least. I especially liked the final kill, well...the entire ending for that matter.

It's an easy remark but: It's just not my thing. I don't see myself watching another giallo any time soon. I've had my giallo-shot for now, let's do it again in a month and hopefully it will suprise me just as much. It's a great...great film, just like the rest I've seen from this fantastic director. So...what's next?

Score: 88/100