Suspiria is a 1977 horror film created by Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi, based on the 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis by Thomas De Quincey. Suspiria received widespread critical acclaim for visuals, style, color usage, and nominations for the Saturn Awards’ Best Supporting Actress and Best DVD Classic Film Release. Suspiria is one of the most influential horror films and was the inspiration for a 2018 film of the same title, directed by Luca Guadagnino.

The 2018 adaptation of Suspiria was described by Guadagnino as a version which pays homage to the original film, rather than a remake of it. The film received praise for visual elements and acting, alongside criticisms about the historical-political setting as being considered unnecessary and arbitrary to its prevalent themes. From themes, to color usage, influences, audience response, accolades, and awards, here’s how the 2018 adaptation of Suspiria stacks up against the original 1977 film.

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Themes

     Produzioni Atlas Consorziate

The theme of the 1977 Suspiria film was based on occult concepts with inspiration from fairy tales including Bluebeard, Pinocchio, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The 2018 Suspiria film explores themes of generational guilt in Germany during the Cold War, combined with themes of motherhood, evil, and dynamics of matriarchies. Guadagnino’s adaptation of Suspiria is a reinvention of Argento’s themes into narrative ideas, rather than a recreation of the themes conveyed in the original film.

Colors

The original 1977 Suspiria film by Argento utilizes vibrant colors, with the most prominent being red, and applies darkness to evoke fear, dread and mystery. Argento insisted on using the same three-strip color process from The Wizard of Oz in 1939, despite the color technique being antiquated when making Suspiria. Guadagnino described his contrasting version, saying, “It has no primary colors in its color palette, unlike the original. It [is] cold, evil and really dark."

Inspiration

The aesthetic of Argento’s Suspiria was inspired by Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), for its mythical portrayal of a heroine facing evil. Argento explained, “It has been said from the beginning that Technicolor lacked subdued shades, and was without nuances – like cut-out cartoons… we were trying to reproduce the color of Walt Disney’s Snow White.” Guadagnino’s Suspiria is inspired by contemporary dance choreography, and reactive initiatives of Germany’s political landscape occurring in 1977.

Suspiria (1977) Musical Score by Goblin

The musical score for the original 1977 Suspiria film was mainly composed by the progressive rock band Goblin, in collaboration with the film’s creator Argento. Goblin’s score for Suspiria was reused in Hong Kong films, including Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979), We’re Going to Eat You (1980), and more. The theme was named one of the best songs released between 1977-1979, and sampled on the songs “Legal Coke”, “Weather People”, and “Swords Drawn”.

Suspiria (2018) Musical Score by Thom Yorke

     Aamzon Studios

The musical score for the 2018 adaptation of Suspiria was composed by Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, and was his first completed feature film soundtrack. Yorke said, “There’s a way of repeating in music that can hypnotize. I kept thinking to myself that it’s a form of making spells. So when I was working in my studio I was making spells. I know it sounds really stupid, but that’s how I was thinking about it.”

Critical Response to Argento’s Suspiria (1977)

Critical responses to Argento’s Suspiria after its 1977 release were published in The New York Times, stating, “Argento has an unusually horrific slant on life… Suspiria… does have its slender charms, though they will most assuredly be lost on viewers who are squeamish. The plot, as transparent as the pane of glass that slices up the movie’s first victim, is intentionally ridiculous, and Mr. Argento’s direction has the mocking, stylized simplicity of a comic strip.”

Critical Responses to Guadagnino’s Suspiria (2018)

The critical responses for Guadagnino’s version of Susperia were polarized, with praise for visual elements and acting, and criticism for the historical-political setting being arbitrary. Critics deemed Guadagnino’s film “unnecessarily drawn out”, with “too many discursive shifts to build much tension”, which created “an arch sisterhood distinguishable only by looks.” Critical responses also praised the film and described the absence of Argento’s “spark of pure diabolical craziness” as “indigestible new layers of historical meaning added.”

Accolades & Awards

Both Suspiria films by Argento and Guadagnino received nominations, accolades, and awards throughout the years in different categories and criteria. Argento’s 1977 Suspiria was nominated for the Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress in 1978, Best DVD Classic Film Release in 2002, and won Rondo Hatton’s Classic Horror Award in 2018. Guadagnino’s 2018 Suspiria received accolades for Best Original Soundtrack, Special Effects, Cinematography, Musical Score, Score/Soundtrack, Original Song, Costume Design, Makeup, Supporting Actress, and more.

Cinematic & Cultural Impact of Argento’s 1977 Suspiria

Argento’s 1977 Suspiria was one of the most influential horror films, and led to a subsequent film trilogy, The Three Mothers, about witches who unleash evil across the world. Bands have named themselves after Suspiria and the film has been referenced in various movies and TV shows including Terror in the Aisles (1984), Juno (2007), The Office (Season 7), Scream 4 (2011), American Horror Story: Hotel, and more. Argento’s Suspiria also inspired Guadagnino’s 2018 adaptation.

Cinematic & Cultural Impact of Guadagnino’s 2018 Suspiria

Guadagnino’s 2018 Suspiria was described by audiences as “a coldly violent séance for the evils of the 20th century”, cementing the film in pop culture. The cinematic and cultural aspects of the film paid homage to the original while also incorporating modern concepts. The impact of Suspiria conveys that “Guadagnino’s wicked opus ultimately cares more about the scars it leaves behind than it does the violence that caused them, or might cut them open again.”